The City of Beijing, previously known as Peking, is China’s political capital. With more than 17 million people in its jurisdiction, Beijing is the second largest city in China after Shanghai. To facilitate the movement of its citizens, visitors and the goods they produce, the city is built with dozens of railways, motorways, seaports and a modern airport. This fact makes travelling to this great city a lot easier.
As an old city hosting many significant tourist attractions, she always gives the traveler a sense of awe. The coexistence of the new and the old add to this great feeling. Not to mention, a number of Beijing hotels which are only a few minutes away from these landmarks help visitors save time by making them visit many spots in a day.
Chinese life sits side-by-side with their culture. This is the reason why a number of museums have been dedicated to the preservation of this unique characteristic. The Capital Museum, which opened in 1981 and renovated in 2007, is one of the biggest and more interesting. It now houses over 200,000 relics in its collection.
The museum’s frontage is based on human and cultural heritage and exemplifies the integration of the past and the present, art and modernism, history and nature. The gigantic roof and the slope at the entrance are derived from traditional Chinese architectural style, and the stone exterior reminds one of the walls of ancient China. Bronze, timber and stones are widely used throughout the museum to represent a deeper sense of historicity. Also, a glass curtain wall, which gives a grand and transparent effect, reflects a sense of modernity.
There are three permanent exhibitions in the museum. The first, entitled “Ancient Capital: Chapter on the History and Culture of Beijing” shows the intricacies of art, dance, architecture, trade, commerce and transportation of the early Chinese when ruled by the emperor.
The second exhibition, dubbed “Ancient Capital: Urban Construction” emphasizes the movement from the old to the new world. It also highlights the adoption of new-age technologies which brought the nation to its present state. China’s urbanization is also included in this set.
The last exhibition, called “Stories of the Capital City – Old Beijing Folk-customs,” shows the belief of the Chinese in a Supreme Being, their perception on luck and on how folkways and folklores were vital in their early lives.
Aside from these portrayals, the museum also functions as a reception hall, cultural heritage storehouse, conference hall, and a digital movie hall where a gigantic screen with the latest technology are installed to display high-definition films. Hotels in Beijing and other accommodations are always ready to lend a helping hand to tourists who want to experience this unique and memorable opportunity.
Author E. Larson is a long-time expatriate in Beijing, China. He works closely with the Beijing International Hotel and many other hotels in Beijing. Go to his website on the Beijing International Hotel here.
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