Beijing is China's second largest city after Shanghai, with more than 17 million people in Beijing's area of jurisdiction. The city is divided into 16 urban and suburban districts and two rural counties; the city's urban area has about 13 million residents. Beijing is a major transportation hub, with dozens of railways, roads and motorways across through the city. It is also the destination of many international flights arriving in China. Beijing is recognized as the political, educational, and cultural center of the People's Republic of China, while Shanghai and Hong Kong predominate in economic fields. The city hosted the Olympic Games in 2008.
Attractions
Beijing is vibrant with a great of amazing attractions. For example, Forbidden City, the most magnificent palace in China; Ming Tombs, an imperial tomb cluster for thirteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644); The Great Wall, one of the seven miracles of the world; Temple of Heaven, the worshipping site of the emperors; Summer Palace, the most grand imperial garden in China; Tiananmen Square, the largest square of China; Dalai Lama Temple, a noted temple dedicated to Tibetan Buddhism; Beihai Park, a centuries-old park with marvelous scenery; Hutong, a carrier and mirror of Beijing folk culture; moreover, after the 28th Beijing Olympic Games, the National Stadium, Bird’s Nest, Water Cube etc. have become more and more popular for people and tourists in China and around the world.
Universities
As the capital of China, there are at least 70 establishments of higher education in the Chinese capital of Beijing. Most of the colleges and universities are public or affiliated; only a few are privately established. Such as, Peking University, Peking University, Renmin University of China, Beijing International Studies University, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Central University of Finance and Economics.
Air Quality
Compared to ten years ago, the air quality of Beijing has been improved significantly, especially after the Olympic Games. On 9th Sep, the city's environmental authorities said that Beijing recorded 214 "blue sky days", that is, 82.3 percent of the total, from January to mid-September, 18 days more than the same period of last year. This means that it would only take an extra 46 blue sky days for the city to achieve its goal of 260 this year. Beijing has a five-grade classification of air quality: a reading below 50 is "excellent"; from 51 to 100 is "fairly good"; 101 to 200 is "slightly polluted"; 201 to 300 is "poor"; and more than 301 is "hazardous". Days with excellent or fairly good air quality are counted as blue sky days. Independent experts agree that the air quality in the Chinese capital has improved one year later and Beijing's air will only get better, but Beijing still faces pollution problems and the city still has some way to go before it can reach the world's cleanest cities.
