Ancient Town in Architectural Layers

T HE famous historical and cultural town of Jingsheng, site of the well-known Wang Family Mansion and mil- lennia-old Zishou Temple, is south of Taiyuan, provincial capital of Shanxi Province. Jingsheng is rich in natural resources as well as cultural relics, despite large numbers of historical sites having been destroyed in an earthquake in the early 14th century. The buildings still standing date back to the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Jingsheng was among the fi rst group of Chinese…     

Langfang： Beijing＇s Little Brother

AN older brother often eclipses a younger one - perhaps because he makes more noise. Cities are little different. Beijing, for instance, is a bustling metropolis, brash and arrogant, while its sibling, Langfang, though just 40 kilometers distant, is a world away. And yet, like many competing brothers, it is the more unassuming who sometimes wins the day.
For better or worse, Beijingers consider Langfang as their backyard, and every weeKena ouses ply the expressway between the two. In YanNiaying, a village famed for its eeo-fanning, most of the cars parked near the farmyards bear outside license plates.     

The Taste of Beijing

WE reached cruising altitude shortlyafter St. Petersburg. The last impres-sions of Europe faded - lights of itslesser cities, rivers and factories -bringing us to the vast extent of Asia.There remained six hours of flight time pendingBeijing: my adventure would start at the crack ofdawn.     

Beijing： The Old and the New

As the 2008 Olympic Games draw near, Beijing, a dynamic modern city undergirded by 3,000 years of history, is throwing open its celebrated nine gates to the world.     

Getting Around the Capital——Transport in Beijing

THE number of motor vehicles in Beijing hit 3.2 million in February this year - almost double the figure of late 2001. Despite the municipal government having spent some RMB 110 billion on improving traffic systems since Beijing was announced as the host city for the 2008 Olympics, an average day still sees chronic congestion in the capital. In August, hundreds of thousands of athletes, coaches, sports officials, media personnel and tourists will flood into Beijing, placing even more pressure on the city and potentially creating a major headache for residents as well as the government.     

Anecdotes of the Forbidden City

Everyone who passes through Beijing‘s Forbidden City leaves the grounds with two words on their lips: magnificent and awe-inspiring. The seat of imperial power during the Ming and Qing dynasties （1368 - 1911), some twenty-four emperors ruled the nation from within these walls. Now more commonly known as the Palace Museum, the Forbidden City lies at the center of the Chinese capital. Extending 750 meters from east to west and 960 meters from north to south, the 720,000-square-meter city is the largest palatial complex in the world. Guarding the city is a 52-meter-wide, six-meter-deep moat, and a huge wall, which runs three kilometers around the city and stands 10 meters high. Construction lasted 15 years, involving 100,000 artisans and some one million civilians. If the bricks that make up the Forbidden City could speak, they would have many an interesting story to tell. Here are just a few anecdotes.     

Artistic Impressions of Hutong Charm

KUANG Han came to Beijing in 1989, and immediately fell in love with its hutong. He spent his spare time wandering about and sketching Beijing's boulevards and alley- ways until he had amassed a 3,000-pic- ture portfolio. It helped him to draw accurately the gates and houses of old Beijing, as well as the street life that was and still is the cultural heart of this 3,000-year-old city. Kuang's works portray ordinary life and its everyday kindnesses and are imbued with a strong sense of his-…     

Construction and Protection：Beijing Feels Its Way in City Planning

PEOPLE returning to Beijing after a few years' absence marvel at how much the city has changed, and for old Beijingers, these changes have occurred daily, before their very eyes. According to the deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Planning Committee…     

A Showcase of Speedy Urbanization

IT was an 800-km, smooth drive from Beijing to Ordos. The first stretch was along the Badaling Expressway, before turning off at Hebei's Xuanhua exit and heading for Zhangjiakou. We then continued westward, passing Ulanqab, Hohhot and Baotou before heading south. We were soon within the jurisdiction of Ordos.Ordos' ongoing urbanization is plain to see from the booming construction sites throughout the area. A little on-the-spot research upon arrival in Ordos revealed that the local urbanization rate increased from 43.5 percent in 2000 to 54 percent by the end of 2005, and increased to 57.4 percent by the end of 2006. Urbanization of this rapidity is rare among China's prefecture-level cities.     

老老的欧洲

十多年前,在一张报纸上看到幅新闻图片:上面一位世居昆明的老太太在家人搀扶下到刚刚落成的圆通桥上观光,举目望去,老昆明面目全非,梧桐浓荫里的老巷已从视角中消失,代之而起的,是鳞次栉比的高楼大厦。图片的标题记不清了,好象叫“老昆明出门不识路” 罢……     

Life in ＂IT-Based＂ Showcase Residential Area in Beijing

胡锦涛总书记在党的十七大上的报告通篇贯穿着以人为本、改善民主、扩大民生、保障人权的内容。报告引人注目地两次直接提到"人权",在我们党的历史上首次把人权事业的发展作为党和国家事业发展的一个重要方面加以总结,体现了党中央对人权问题前所未有的重视。报告从新的历史起点出发,强调要坚定不移地发     

Building a Green Screen around Beijing

IN the past few years, Beijing's spring season has brought sand storms. In 2000 alone, 8 storms hit northern China. Gray skies meant limited visibility and because the air was so dusty, women wore gauze scarves when they went out. Most people avoided leaving their homes. In the spring of 2003, Beijing had no sand storms, the number of sunny     

Extending Beijing＇s Ancient Backbone

THE concept of a ＂center＂ is one of the most distinctive characteristics of China＇s traditional culture, and is reflected in the design of the country＇s ancient cities like Beijing. While the traditional layout of the capital is still evident, in contemporary times the Olympic Games have seen the capital＇s ancient backbone extended northward.     

"辟雍"之美甲天下

说到北京最该去的地方,排在前几名中的,应该有国子监。 因为,那里有北京最有特点的建筑——辟雍。 因为,那里有北京最古老最漂亮的胡同——成贤街。 因为,那里有最古老的高等学府——国子监。 因为,那里有最完整的经典石刻——十三经。     

Co-host Cities of the Beijing Olympic Games

IN August, Hong Kong, Qingdao, Tianjin, Shenyang, Shanghai and Qinhuangdao, as co-host cities of the Beijing Olympic Games,will respectively host the equestrian, sailing and soccer competitions.     

四合院何去何从

正只有大修才是出路。对北京胡同、四合院,小修已无济于事,修旧如旧也不成,空谈保护更是只能延长其受难的痛苦,唯一的办法是拆了重来。最近,在各种北京市历史名城保护的专业会上,我不止一次地阐院绩述我的观点,呼吁对保留的四合院进行彻底大修,我的理由如下:首先,北京市的文保工作,成绩很大,特别是对北京市所辖的世界文化遗产、全国重点文物保护单位、市级重点文物保护单位,投资很大,差不多都维修了一遍,划出了隔离带,成了有地标性的著     

Kaiping Watchtower Houses

AN increasing number of travelers are heading for Kaiping, a small city 122 kilometers south-west of Guangzhou, to see the 1,833 fortress-fashioned resi-     

A Taste of Beijing Life： Olympic Homestays

DURING the Olympic Games, Beijing is expected to host about 250,000 foreign spectators a day. When visiting Chinese spectators and general domestic and overseas tourists are added to this figure, the total number of visitors is expected to be around 550,000 a day during the Olympic weeks. With insufficient hotels to accommodate this number, tile city has adopted another strategy. In March 2007, the Beijing Tourism Bureau announced its Olympic Homestay Plan, the perfect choice for those wishing to experience the life of ordinary Beijingers.     

北京城：保护与发展

一位去国多年的老华侨回到北京，看到眼前的巨大变化，感慨万千：“北京，我都认不得了。” 不认识北京的何止这位老华侨，许多曾在北京工作过的国际友人，回国几年后再重返北京时，也感到变化太大了。当然，感受最深的恐怕是那些“老北京”了，他们说，要是几个月不出门，你再