Beijing's history spans more than 3,000 years, over 860 of which it has spent serving as the capital of China. Beijing is home to seven World Heritage Sites, including the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace. Pictured is the Forbidden City, the imperial palace during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1912) dynasties and completed in 1420. Now, the Forbidden City is known as the Palace Museum. It is the largest and best preserved wooden palatial complex in the world, and a key cultural unit under national protection and a 5A scenic area in China.
The Temple of Heaven, first constructed in 1420, covers an area of 2.73 million square metres. It is the largest remaining temple complex in China and the site where Ming and Qing dynasty emperors held sacrificial ceremonies and prayed to the heavens for good harvests.
The Summer Palace, first built in 1750, was once a private garden for imperial families of the Qing Dynasty to tour, escape the summer heat and hold birthday celebrations. Covering an area of 2.9 million square metres, it is the largest ancient royal garden in China and continues to be considered one of the most outstanding gardening structures.
Cultural, scientific and technological innovation bolsters the development of Beijing as an international city. Pictured is the area surrounding the CBD and China World Trade Center along the East Chang’an Avenue. The area is one of Beijing's high-end industrial functional zones. International meetings, business activities, and conventions and exhibitions on culture, science and technology are held here.
Beijing Olympic Park is a modern sports-culture centre honouring culture, sports, conventions, exhibitions, tourism, science and technology, and business. It reflects the concepts "Green Olympics, High-Tech Olympics, People's Olympics".
After the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the National Stadium ("Bird's Nest") has become a large-scale venue for people to participate in physical activities and enjoy sports and entertainment. Following Beijing's winning bid for hosting the 2022 Olympic Winter Games with Zhangjiakou, various winter sports have been promoted in Beijing. Pictured are people playing with snow in front of the "Bird's Nest".
Beijing's Shichahai Skating Rink has been welcomed by winter sports enthusiasts for years. It plays an active role in popularising national fitness and winter sports in Beijing, and has become the very epitome of the Shichahai area combining its natural and human landscapes. Pictured are people skating in the rink.
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