One of the 4 Great Ancient Capitals of China, Beijing remains to be the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is a highly urbanized and modernized city; it is also a major transportation hub and is the center of politics, culture, and education in the country. It had hosted the 2008 Olympic Games which is the reason for many of the new contemporary sports centers and infrastructures that the country had created that year.

Those who closely watched the Olympic Games would have noticed that the designs of many of the buildings hosting the games are spectacular and out of the ordinary. Dubbed as the "Bird's Nest", the Beijing National Stadium really resembles one with its interwoven circular design with an opening at the center for the sports fields. Another structure is the "Water Cube" which is officially known as the Beijing National Aquatics Center; it has steel space frame but the walls and roofs are made of ETFE or Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene and is the world's largest building to be made of that material.

Many of the buildings in the city have distinct shapes or historical significance so that they have become attractions all to themselves. Some of the examples are the Forbidden City, the National Palace Museum, the Temple of Heaven, Pagoda of Tianning Temple, and the Yonghegong (Lama Temple). The city is also home to many parks and gardens like the Zhongshan Park, Chaoyang Park, Beijing Botanical Garden, Summer Palace which shows ruins of the Old Summer Palace, and the Fragrant Hills.

Being the capital of a country known for being the manufacturer of many goods being sold and used all over the world, Beijing is also a mecca to shoppers - be it boutique or bargain shopping.

Links
http://en.beijing2008.cn/
http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/national_stadium/
http://www.n-s.cn/en/
http://www.water-cube.com/en/
http://www.dpm.org.cn/English/default.asp
http://www.shoppinginbeijing.com/home.php