LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Beijing: Beijing City
built 626 days ago
Beijing is around 39o56' N, 116o20' E, and at an elevation of 44.38 meters above sea level. The total area of Beijing city is approximately 750 sq. km (290 sq. mi). Beijing has a very orderly design, which long, straight boulevards and avenues are crisscrossed by a network of lanes. The extensive Yanshan Mountain range forms a screen to the northeast, the long, winding Taihang Mountain range to the west. Just beyond, to the northwest, the vast Mongolian plateau begins. Beijing has a continental monsoon climate commonly found in the temperate zone with four definite seasons.
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Beijing is an old city, but you wouldn't necessarily know it. Everything seems to be new, under construction and expanding. Returning visitors often have trouble recognizing the places they knew well just five or 10 years ago. More than 15 million people pack themselves into Beijing and its ever-expanding suburbs -- and more arrive every day [source: Beijing 2008]. The city has always been bursting out of its Inner Walls and outer gates, although not quite at today's breakneck speed. In the 13th century, Genghis Khan's grandson, Kublai Khan, seized Beijing and made it his Mongol capital. About 200 years later, the Ming Emperor Yongle named the city Beijing, or "Northern Capital," and continued to grow his empire.
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Beijing has a long history. As early as 500,000 years ago, ancient "Peking Man" lived at Zhoukoudian 30 miles southwest of Beijing. King Wu was the first to declare Beijing the capital city in 1057 B.C. Established in 1045 B.C., Beijing is an ancient cultural city, serving for 800 years as the capital of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
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Beijing, one of the biggest cities in China, had a total population in 2000 of 13.82 million, most of whom live in the plain areas, with fewer living in the mountain and hills. The population density in the city is the highest, with lower density in the outskirts of the city and even less in the distant suburbs. A total of 56 ethnic groups live in Beijing.
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The development of Beijing continues to proceed at a rapid pace, and the vast expansion of Beijing has created a multitude of problems for the city. Beijing is known for its smog as well as the frequent "power-saving" programmes instituted by the government. Citizens of Beijing as well as tourists frequently complain about the quality of the water supply and the cost of the basic services such as electricity and natural gas. The major industrial areas outside of Beijing were ordered to clean their operations or leave the Beijing area in an effort to alleviate the smog that covers the city. Most factories, unable to update, have moved and relocated to other cities such as Xi'an, China.
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Located in the center of Beijing City, construction of Beihai Park began in the 11th century. It has a history of 800 years. It is the imperial garden with the longest history in China. It has an area of 68 hectares that consists of Beihai Lake and Jade Flowery Islet and is built to represent the wonderland of ancient Chinese fairy tales.
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