"The center of the Chinese universe... " a Beijing Travel Page by szabolcs

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<font color="#000080"><b><div align="center">China as a whole is undergoing a rapid transformation recently and the capital is no exception. I'd been interested in China for quite some time and checked out a number of different sources to learn about the country. One such source was a video my father took in Beijing in 1987. Based on that and what I'd read and seen I had my imagined view of Beijing and China as a whole and I have to tell that I was REALLY flattered the first time I set foot on Chinese territory.

If you think that Beijing is a place of dull Soviet-style apartment blocks and worn-down industrial area with bumpy roads where only a mass of cyclists are seen you are quite wrong. Of course you will find all the things mentioned above - in small patches just like how you find old Chinese monuments. On the whole Beijing is today a glittering metropolis with many buildings that could well be in Europe or America. New buildings are coming up month to month, everything is vast and spread-out. Buildings are of inhumanely monumental sizes. Roads have at least 6 lanes. At certain hours of the day Beijing's roads resemble the freeways of Los Angeles.

Still it would be unjust to judge Beijing as a faceless metropolis. It is huge but at places it has retained its old charm and often you find yourself at areas where unspoilt old Chinese atmosphere prevails. Of course there are the sights of Beijing - and what sights these are! You can encounter the finest Ming-style architecture and imperial splendour unseen anywhere else. Just take a walk inside the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace or the Yonghegong Lama Temple and despite the fact that the place is flooded by tourists you immediately feel as if medieval or ancient China came alive. Temples still radiate harmony with their fine shapes and with their incense-filled air. You still can see people doing tai-chi in the parks in the early morning and even some of the ancient narrow zig-zagging streets (hutongs) and the old houses have also been preserved and are a wonderful place to see.

There is Tian'anmen Square which is the largest square in the world and whatever memories or thoughts it evokes it definitely won't leave you untouched. Even the modern areas are worth a look to see how Beijing is trying to catch up with the Western world and how Beijingers are imitating Western culture. Sometimes only the Chinese characters convince you that you are in Asia but believe me: Beijing is not to be missed. Be there and get the feel of this bustling city. Beijing does have its problems and construction-fever is strong so it is true that there is a danger that Beijing will lose the charm it possesses today (if only in small patches) but today it DOES have charm. I even reconciled with the thick gray haze that rests on the city all the time. The first time it disturbed me that I never see the clear sky in Beijing but then it became part of the picture.

One more thing: the Great Wall of China is only 70 km away and on the newly built 'Badaling Expressway' it can be reached comfortably in about 90 minutes. Should nothing I've written up to now convince you to go to Beijing I hope the Great Wall will.</b></font></div>