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Beijing

 Population: 17,430,000
Time Zone: +8 UTC
currency: Yuan Renminbi (CNY)
official language: standard Mandarin


Three styles of architecture predominate in urban Beijing.

  • the traditional architecture of imperial China, perhaps best exemplified by the massive Tian’anmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace), which remains the People’s Republic of China’s trademark edifice, the Forbidden City, the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Temple of Heaven.
  • the “Sino-Sov” style, built between the 1950s and the 1970s, with structures tending to be boxy, bland, and poorly made.
  • the modern architectural forms of the Beijing CBD and the iconic stadiums for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

A mixture of both old and new styles of architecture can be seen at the 798 Art Zone, which mixes 1950s design with a blend of the new. The influence of American urban form and social values is manifest in the creation of Ju Jun, a suburban development about one hour north of the city.

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