25 interesting facts about Beijing

Imagine a huge city with a population larger than many smaller countries. Skyscrapers in the center, anthill houses in the suburbs, and sparkling futuristic skyscrapers are harmoniously combined with street kitchens, crowds of pedestrians and other Asian flavors. Truly, Beijing is an incredible city. Here, in the heart of an ancient country, Eastern culture and Western innovations meet and merge.

Facts about Beijing

1. The name of this city is translated from Chinese as «Northern capital».
2. Beijing is about 12 times larger than Moscow.
3. The first hotels and hotels for foreigners began to be built here only in the 70s of the last century.
4. The Chinese love to borrow what they like, so this city has entire blocks that painfully resemble European cities.
5. Four times as many people live in Beijing than in all of Slovakia – about 22 million.
6. The first cities on the site of the modern capital of China existed already more than three thousand years ago (facts about China).
7. Many townspeople here always carry thermoses with them, into which tea or compote is poured.
8. Most people in Beijing do not speak English at all. It will not be easy for a tourist without knowledge of Chinese.
9. In many shopping centers, train stations and airports, you can see free vending machines for pouring boiling water. Ordinary fountains with drinking water are also available.
10. Outside the tourist area of ​​Beijing, locals are very fond of taking pictures with foreigners.
11. In 2008, the Olympic Games were held here, which cost China $ 44 billion.
12. Beijing is a safe city. Even in poor areas, theft, let alone robbery, is extremely rare.
13. The famous «Forbidden City» – the imperial palace complex in the historical part of the capital. It consists of 980 buildings with a total of 9999 rooms. During the reign of the imperial dynasty, the entrance was closed to mere mortals, hence the name came from.
14. Due to global climate change, fierce sandstorms have regularly hit Beijing for several decades.
15. Many city dwellers here wear medical masks on their faces, trying to protect themselves from smog, exhaust gases and dust in this way.
16. Beijing air is unaccustomed to breathing hard. In terms of pollution, it is five times higher than the norms established in European countries.
17. The local subway ranks second in the world in terms of the total length of all lines.
18. Local ladies often walk around with umbrellas to escape the sun. In Beijing, as in all of China, it is believed that the whiter the skin, the more beautiful the person, so everyone is afraid of tanning.
19. Bicycles are very popular in this city due to their cheapness. There are a lot of bike paths, they are usually fenced off from the roadway and the pedestrian zone.
20. Beijing drivers never let pedestrians on «zebras». However, almost everywhere in Asia, the situation is exactly the same.
21. There are a lot of public toilets, and they are all free.
22. School students in Beijing wear uniforms that are very similar to tracksuits. The color of the uniform depends on the particular school.
23. Even in the city center, turning from a wide street into an alley, you can see how local residents cook food, dry clothes and do other household chores right on the street.
24. There are a lot of police in Beijing, passers-by often check documents. At the same time, everyone is calm, everyone understands that this is safety, and no one gets annoyed.
25. Someone is constantly playing sports in local parks. Especially a lot of pensioners.