Beijing
Formerly known as Peking, China's capital city of Beijing is home to over 20 million people. It's the world's most populous capital city, and has a history stretching back nearly 3 millennia. Today, it serves as China's political, economic, and cultural center - and is filled with unique and iconic architecture.
We'll begin with a trip back into the past, to the days of ancient Beijing. Massive gates, fortifications, and moats once surrounded the perimeter of the city - but only a few sections remain intact today.
Further protecting the city of Beijing was the iconic Great Wall of China. By the 1500s, the Ming Dynasty had completed a vast network of walls in nearby Badaling, keeping outside invaders out of the city - and they stand tall to this day as a symbol of Chinese unity.
Another one of the Ming Dynasty's most prized structures was the legendary Forbidden City - constructed during 1420, it remains China's best preserved and largest imperial palace - and has attracted huge numbers of tourists and locals ever since.
A few overviews of the legendary Forbidden City from above.
The Summer Palace is another one of Beijing's most famed landmarks and served as an important imperial garden during the Qing Dynasty.
Beijing National Aquatics Center - colloquially known as the Water Cube - is one of the city's most unique structures. Completed for the 2008 Summer Olympics, its striking design truly comes alive at night.
Beijing National Stadium - often called the "Bird's Nest" due to the web of twisting steel sections that form the roof - was completed in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics as well and is one of the world's largest steel structures.
The massive Yintai Center towers over the center of Beijing and is one of the city's most popular shopping destinations as well.
A look at the CCTV Headquarters - a truly unique part of Beijing's skyline. Depending on what angle you view it from, its form can change drastically.
An overview of some of the crowded streets and unique architecture of central Beijing.
A look at Tiananmen Square - located in the heart of the city, it's one of the world's largest public squares and one of the city's most famous landmarks.
One final overview of Beijing on a rainy day.
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