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Major neighbourhoods in urban Beijing include the following. Neighborhoods may overlap across multiple districts (see below):
Several place names in Beijing end with ''men'' (门), meaning "gate", as they were the locations of gates in the former Beijing City Wall . Other place names end in ''cun'' (村), meaning "village", as they were originally villages outside the city wall. Towns Towns within Beijing Municipality but outside the urban area include: Administrative divisions Beijing Municipality currently comprises 18 administrative sub-divisions, County-level Units governed directly by the municipality (second-level divisions). Of these, 16 are Districts and 2 are Counties . The urban and suburban areas of the city are divided into eight districts: The following six districts encompass the more distant suburbs and satellite towns, constituting part of the Metropolitan Area : The other two districts and the two counties located further out govern semirural and rural areas: Source: Geohive Beijing's 18 districts and counties are further subdivided into 273 lower (third)-level administrative units at the , 24 Townships , 5 Ethnic Township s and 125 Subdistrict s. ECONOMY area around Dawangqiao and Dabeiyao , as seen from the Jingtong Expressway .]] In 2005, Beijing's nominal GDP was 681.45 billion RMB (about 84 billion USD ), a year-on-year growth of 11.1% from the previous year. Its per capita GDP was 44,969 RMB, an increase of 8.1% from the previous year and nearly twice as much as in 2000. Beijing's primary, secondary, and tertiary industries were worth 9.77 billion RMB, 210.05 billion RMB, and 461.63 billion RMB. Urban Disposable Income per capita was 17,653 yuan, a Real increase of 12.9% from the previous year. Per capita pure income of rural residents was 7,860 RMB, a real increase of 9.6%. Per capita disposable income of the 20% low-income residents increased 16.7%, 11.4 percentage points higher than the growth rate of the 20% high-income residents. The Engel's Coefficient of Beijing's urban residents reached 31.8% in 2005 and that of the rural residents was 32.8%, declining 4.5 percentage points and 3.9 percentage points, respectively, compared with 2000. {Link without Title} Beijing's Real Estate and Automobile sectors continue to bloom in recent years. In 2005, a total of 28.032 million Square Metre s of housing real estate was sold, for a total of 175.88 billion RMB . The total number of automobiles registered in Beijing in 2004 was 2,146,000, of which 1,540,000 were privately-owned (a year-on-year increase of 18.7%). {Link without Title} The Beijing CBD , centered at the Guomao area, has been identified as the city's new Central Business District , and is home to a variety of corporate regional headquarters, shopping malls, and high-end housing. The Beijing Financial Street , in the Fuxingmen and Fuchengmen area, is a traditional financial center. The Wangfujing and Xidan areas are major shopping districts. Zhongguancun , dubbed "China's Silicon Valley", continues to be a major center in Electronics - and Computer -related industries, as well as Pharmaceuticals -related research. Meanwhile, Yizhuang , located to the southeast of the urban area, is becoming a new center in pharmaceuticals, IT, and materials engineering. {Link without Title} Urban Beijing is also known for being a center of pirated goods and anything from the latest designer clothing to the latest DVDs can be found in markets all over the city, often marketed to expatriates and international visitors. Major industrial areas include Shijingshan , located on the western outskirts of the city. Agriculture is carried out outside the urban area of Beijing, with Wheat and Maize (corn) being the main crops. Vegetable s are also grown in the regions closer to the urban area in order to supply the city. The development of Beijing continues to proceed at a rapid pace, and the vast expansion of Bejing has created a multitude of problems for the city. Beijing is known for its Smog as well as the frequent "power-saving" programs instituted by the government. Citizens of Beijing as well as tourists frequently complain about the quality of the water supply and the cost of the basic services such as electricity and natural gas. The major industrial areas outside of Beijing were ordered to clean their operations or leave the Beijing area in an effort to alleviate the smog that covers the city. Most factories, unable to update, have moved and relocated to other cities such as Xi'an , China. ARCHITECTURE Three styles of architecture predominate in urban Beijing. First, the traditional architecture of imperial China, perhaps best exemplified by the massive Tian'anmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace), which remains the PRC's trademark edifice, the Forbidden City , and the Temple Of Heaven . Next there is what is sometimes referred to as the "Sino-Sov" style, built between the 1950s and the 1970s, which tend to be boxy, bland, and poorly made. Finally, there are much more modern architectural forms — most noticeably in the area of the Beijing CBD . Pictured below are some images of Beijing architecture — blending the old and the new. Excludes members of the People's Liberation Army in active service. Source: Department of Population, Social, Science and Technology Statistics of the National Bureau of Statistics of China (国家统计局人口和社会科技统计司) and Department of Economic Development of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission of China (国家民族事务委员会经济发展司), eds. ''Tabulation on Nationalities of 2000 Population Census of China'' (《2000年人口普查中国民族人口资料》). 2 vols. Beijing: Nationalities Publishing House (民族出版社), 2003. (ISBN 7105054255) CULTURE People native to urban Beijing speak the Beijing Dialect , which belongs to the Mandarin subdivision of Spoken Chinese . Beijing Dialect provides the basis for Standard Mandarin , the standard Chinese language used in the People's Republic Of China , the Republic Of China on Taiwan , and Singapore . Rural areas of Beijing Municipality have their own dialects akin to those of Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing Municipality. Beijing Opera , or Peking Opera (''Jingju''), is well-known throughout the national capital. Commonly lauded as one of the highest achievements of Chinese Culture , Beijing Opera is performed through a combination of song, spoken dialogue, and codified action sequences, such as gestures, movement, fighting and acrobatics. Much of Beijing Opera is carried out in an archaic Stage Dialect quite different from modern Standard Mandarin and from the Beijing Dialect ; this makes the dialogue somewhat hard to understand, and the problem is compounded if one is not familiar with Chinese. As a result, modern theaters often have electronic titles in Chinese and English. . When photographed in March 2003 , the left side was still standing; it has since given way to a new construction project.]] The Siheyuan (四合院) is a traditional architectural style of Beijing. A siheyuan consists of a square housing compound, with rooms enclosing a central courtyard. This courtyard often contains a Pomegranate or other type of tree, as well as potted flowers or a Fish Tank . Siheyuans line Hutong s (胡同), or alleys, which connect the interior of Beijing's old city. They are usually straight and run east-to-west so that doorways can face north and south for Feng Shui reasons. They vary in width — some are very narrow, enough for only a few pedestrians to pass through at a time. Once ubiquitous in Beijing, siheyuans and hutongs are now rapidly disappearing, as entire city blocks of hutongs are leveled and replaced with high-rise buildings. Residents of the hutongs are entitled to apartments in the new buildings of at least the same size as their former residences. Many complain, however, that the traditional sense of community and street life of the hutongs cannot be replaced. Some particularly historic or picturesque hutongs are being preserved and restored by the government, with the objective that by the 2008 Olympics, only these few will remain. One such example can be seen at Nanchizi . Mandarin Cuisine is the local style of cooking in Beijing. Peking Roast Duck is perhaps the most well-known dish. The Manhan Quanxi (" Manchu - Han Chinese full banquet") is a traditional banquet originally intended for the ethnic- Manchu emperors of the Qing Dynasty ; it remains very prestigious and very expensive. Teahouse s are also common in Beijing. Chinese Tea comes in many varieties and some rather expensive types of Chinese tea are said to cure an ailing body extraordinarily well. The Jingtailan is a Cloisonné metalworking technique and tradition originating from Beijing, and one of the most revered traditional crafts in China. Beijing Lacquerware is well known for the patterns and images carved into its surface. The Fuling Jiabing is a traditional Beijing snack food, a pancake (''bing'') resembling a flat disk with filling, made from ''fu ling'' ('' Poria Cocos (Schw.) Wolf'', or "tuckahoe"), an ingredient common in traditional Chinese Medicine . Stereotypes Beijingers are stereotypically held to be open, confident, humorous, majestic in manner, enthusiastic about politics, art, culture, or other "grand" matters, unconcerned with thrift or careful calculation, and happy to take center stage. They are also stereotypically aristocratic, arrogant, laid back, disdainful of "provincials", always "lording it over others", and strongly conscious of social class. These Stereotype s may have originated from Beijing's status as China's capital for most of the past 800 years, and the high concentration of officials and other notables in Beijing that has resulted., TRANSPORTATION Main article: Transportation In Beijing With the growth of the city following economic reforms, Beijing has evolved as an important transportation hub. Encircling the city are five ring roads, nine expressways and city express routes, eleven China National Highways, several railway routes, and an international airport. Rail Beijing has two major railway stations: , Beijing North , Beijing South , Fengtai , and Guang'anmen . Beijing is a railway hub. There are Railway Lines from Beijing to Guangzhou , Shanghai , Harbin , Baotou , Taiyuan , Chengde and Qinhuangdao . International trains, including lines to cities in Russia and Pyongyang , North Korea (DPRK), all run through Beijing. Direct trains to Kowloon , Hong Kong SAR also depart from Beijing. Construction on a Beijing-Tianjin High-speed Rail began on July 4, 2005, and is scheduled to be completed in 2007. Roads and expressways See: Ring Roads Of Beijing , Expressways Of Beijing and China National Highways Of Beijing for more related information. near the intersection with the Northern 6th Ring Road (November 2002 image)]] Beijing is connected via road links from all parts of China. Nine Expressways Of China (with six wholly new expressways under projection or construction) connect with Beijing, as do eleven China National Highway s. Within Beijing itself, an elaborate network of five ring roads has developed, but they appear more rectangular than ring-shaped. Roads in Beijing often are in one of the four compass directions (unlike, for example, Tianjin ). One of the biggest concerns with traffic in Beijing deals with its apparently ubiquitous traffic jams. Traffic in the city centre is often gridlocked, especially around rush hour. Even outside of rush hour, several roads still remain clogged up with traffic. Urban area ring roads and major through routes, especially near the Chang'an Avenue area, are often clogged up during rush hour. Recently expressways have been extended (in some cases reconstructed as express routes) into the territories within the 3rd Ring Road . As they are either expressways or express routes, drivers do not need to pass through intersections with traffic lights. This may finally solve the difficulties in "hopping between one ring and another". Another problem is that public transportation is underdeveloped (the subway system is presently minimal) and that even buses are jam-packed with people around rush hour. Beijing was poorly designed in terms of zoning and in terms of transportation system [http://www.bjreview.com.cn/200410/Nation-200410(C).htm . Compounding the problem is patchy enforcement of traffic regulations, and Road Rage . Beijing authorities claim that traffic jams may be a thing of a past come the 2008 Olympics . The authorities have introduced several bus lanes where, during rush hour, all vehicles except for public buses must keep clear. Chang'an Avenue runs east-west through the centre of Beijing, past Tian'anmen . It is a major through route and is often called the "First Street in China" by authorities. Air Beijing's main airport is the Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) near Shunyi , which is about 20 km northeast of Beijing city centre. Most domestic and nearly all international flights arrive and depart at Capital Airport. Capital Airport is the main hub for Air China . It is linked to central Beijing by the Airport Expressway and is a roughly 40-minute drive from the city centre during good traffic hours. In preparation for the 2008 Olympics, another expressway is being built to the Airport, as well as a lightrail system. Other airports in the city include Liangxiang Airport , Nanyuan Airport , Xijiao Airport , Shahe Airport and Badaling Airport . However, these are primary for military use and less well-known to the public. Public transit The evolving are nearly ubiquitous, and some can accept Yikatong Card s for payment. Buses and trolleybus fares cost 1 for the first 3 to 4 kilometers, and go up by 1.60, 2.00, or 2.50 Renminbi per extra kilometer, depending on the type of taxi. Some, too, can accept Yikatong Card s for payment. TOURISM Main article: Tourist Attractions Of Beijing Despite the turmoil of the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries — including damage caused by European Military Intervention , the Japanese Invasion Of WWII and the Cultural Revolution — and the recent intense Urbanisation and transformation, including the demolition of Hutong s, Beijing still maintains tourist attractions that are rich in history. Although more known for its political significance in the West, the Tian'anmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) has long been one of the most important tourist sites of Beijing, both by itself and as the main entrance to the Forbidden City . Other world-renowned sites include the Badaling section of the Great Wall Of China , the Summer Palace , and the Temple Of Heaven . Buildings, monuments, and landmarks
Temples, cathedrals, and mosques
Parks and gardens
Shopping and commercial districts
See also Jin Yuan Mall . Hotels and lodging In first two decades following the PRC's foundation in 1949, Beijing had virtually no hotels (at least by Western standards), due to economic and social conditions at the time. One system of institution providing a place for individuals traveling to Beijing from other locations to spend the night was the '' Zhaodaisuo '' (literally, "accommodation centre"). ''Zhaodaisuo'' were subordinate to state organisations or state organs. Older ones had communal public conveniences and amenities. Some ''zhaodaisuos'' still remain in use today. In the late 1970s, Beijing, alongside much of China during the period of reform and economic opening under Deng Xiaoping , saw greater attempts at attracting and catering to international business. A large number of hotels and other facilities to accommodate business, tourist, and other visitors began to be constructed. Today, given Beijing's size and status as one of the most frequently visited and economically, politically, and culturally important cities in Asia, a great number of hotels exist, many rivalling the highest international standards. The most well-known hotel is the Beijing Hotel , which is state-owned. Other notable hotels are the Great Wall Sheraton Hotel , the Jianguo Hotel , the China World Hotel , the St. Regis , Grand Hyatt At Oriental Plaza and the Peninsula Palace Hotel, operated by the Hong Kong-based Peninsula Group . Youth Hostel s do exist but are few in number. There is one near the centre of Beijing, where accommodations are located four floors below ground level. Nightlife Nightlife in Beijing is varied. Most clubs are situated in the area around Sanlitun or in the region near the Workers Stadium , especially to the north and to the west. New clubs opened on Gongrentiyuchang West Road . Wudaokou , in northwestern Beijing, is also a bustling center of nightlife. There are more Koreans and other foreigners, mostly students, in the area. Bar-wise, the following areas of Beijing are known as hubs for bars which open until late: EDUCATION Main article: Colleges And Universities Of Beijing Beijing is home to a great number of colleges and universities, including several well-regarded universities of international stature, especially including China's two most prestigious institutions, Peking University ("Beida") and Tsinghua University . Other well known institutions, domestically and internationally, include Beijing Normal University and Renmin University Of China . Owing to Beijing's status as the political and cultural capital of China, a larger proportion of tertiary-level institutions are concreated here than probably any other city in China, reaching at least 59 in number. Many international students from Japan , Korea , North America , Europe , Southeast Asia , and elsewhere come to Beijing to study every year, a growing trend, especially among Western students. The institutions listed here are administered by China's Ministry Of Education . Best-known institutions:
Other institutions include:
Arts-related institutions:
MEDIA .]] Television and radio Beijing Television (BTV) broadcasts on numbered channels 1 through 10. Unlike China Central Television (CCTV), there is at present no exclusive English-language TV channel on a citywide level in Beijing. Three radio stations feature programmes in English: ''Hit FM'' on FM 88.7, ''Easy FM'' by China Radio International (CRI) on FM 91.5, and the newly launched ''Radio 774'' on AM 774. Press The well-known '' Beijing Evening News '' (''Beijing Wanbao'') Newspaper is distributed every afternoon, covering news about Beijing in Chinese. Other newspapers include ''The Beijing News'' (''Xin Jing Bao''), the ''Beijing Star Daily'', the ''Beijing Morning News'', the '' Beijing Youth Daily '' (''Beijing Qingnian Bao''), as well as English-language weeklies '' Beijing Weekend '' and '' Beijing Today '' (the English-language edition of ''Youth Daily''). '' People's Daily '' and '' China Daily '' (English) are also published in Beijing. Nationally-circulated Chinese newspapers are also available in Beijing. Publications primarily aimed at international visitors and the expatriate community include the English-language periodicals '' City Weekend '', '' Beijing This Month '', '' Beijing Talk '', '' That's Beijing '' and '' MetroZine ''. Rolling Stone Magazine will base it China version's editorial staff in Beijing. The international press, including English- and Japanese-language newspapers and magazines, are available in major international hotels and Friendship Store s, and content often appears complete. SPORTS Beijing will host the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Paralympics . Professional sports teams based in Beijing include:
The Beijing Aoshen Olympians of the ABA , formerly a CBA team, kept their name and maintained a roster of primarily Chinese players after moving to Maywood, California in 2005. CITY AND REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS Beijing maintains s or Region al-level units, not cities properly. Beijing itself is not technically a city, being a Municipality ''). :Source: www.ebeijing.gov.cn SEE ALSO
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