Counted amongst the most visited cities in the world, Beijing is home to hordes of attractions that are waiting to be explored. The ones you cannot afford to miss include:

The Great Wall of China:The most renowned historical relic in China is The Great Wall of China. One of the wonders of the world, this wall covers forty-one hundred miles from the eastern to the western parts of the country. Built over 2000 years ago, this World Heritage site is an absolutely amazing and impressive place to visit in this capital city.

The Temple of Heaven:Built during the Ming Dynasty in 1420 AD, this complex stands as a symbol of sacrifice to heaven in accordance with the ancient Chinese philosophy. The Chinese believed the earth to be square and heaven to be round hence the northern wall of the structure was built as a semi circle and the square wall in the south represents the earth. This wonderful architectural design is a great symbol of Chinese genius.

Tiananmen Square:Covering 440,000 square meters of area, the Tiananmen Square is the largest city square in the world. The square can accommodate close to one million people, proving to be a great place to hold public gatherings and celebrations. Also incorporated in the square is the Monument of the National Heroes, the National Museum of China, the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong and the Great Hall of the People.

The Forbidden City:The Forbidden City is an ancient imperial palace that is the largest palatial structure in the world. Recognized as one of the most important palaces in the world, the complex was nominated a World Cultural Heritage site in 1987. The city covers a distance of 72 hectares and houses 90 palaces, 980 buildings and 8,704 rooms.

To stay in close proximity with all of Beijing attractions and best of restaurants and shops, choose to stay in Chao Yang or Dong Cheng area. Those wishing to avoid the chaotic Beijing traffic could opt for the northeast area of the city.

Northeast Third Ring Road:This eastern district of Beijing is home to a large number of four and star hotels. The area is the most preferred one due to proximity to the downtown, easy accessibility to the airport and closeness with all major city attractions. The hotels in the region are well equipped to entertain even the most discerning business traveler and are a bit expensive. The most distinguished hotels in the city, such as the Great Wall Sheraton, the Kempinski Hotel, the Hilton and Landmark Hotel can be found concentrated in the Northeast Third Ring Road.

Jian Guo Men Wai/Ri Tan:There are many prestigious hotels located near the embassy area in the district. The best business hotels in the area include the massive China World Hotel which also includes high rise residential apartments, shopping mall, ice skating rink and office towers. St. Regis boutique hotel offers all kinds of luxuries possible to its niche guests. The backpackers looking for some budget options can head towards the Hou Hai area that includes the Sleepy Inn Downtown Lakeside Beijing and Beijing Hutong Inn.

Hai Dian:This area is located near the university and houses very decent and inexpensive guest houses and budget hotels. With five star services and amenities, Shangri-La Hotel is an exception. Both business and leisure travelers would love the services and ambience of Friendship Hotel and Xin Xing Hotel. Somerset Zhong Guan Cun offers excellent one and two bedroom suites for the ones looking to have an extended stay at Beijing.

A passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry is required by all nationals intending to visit Beijing. Travelers of almost all nationalities, including USA, UK, New Zealand and Australia require a visa to travel to China. Macau and Hong Kong issue their own visas.

Chinese New Year, Labor Day and National Day are the times when Beijing gets a deluge of foreign travelers. In terms of weather, September and October are considered to be the best months to travel to Beijing. Late March to mid May (spring) is also a great time to visit this Chinese city.

China experiences four distinct seasons with summer and winter being the longest. It can get extremely cold and dry in winters with temperatures falling below -15 degree Celsius. Summers are hot and wet with average high of up to 38 degree Celsius. Autumn is characterized by pleasant and cool temperatures whereas spring time is dry but windy.

Currency:The currency used in Beijing is the Renminbi (RMB or CNY). Traveler`s checks and cash can be both exchanged at the banks and most hotels.

Language:The spoken language in Beijing is Mandarin Chinese.