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Geography of Beijing
*** Shopping-Tip: Geography of Beijing
Image:beijing_from_landsat.jpg thumb|300px|Beijing from NASA's Landsat
The '''
geography of
Beijing Municipality''' is characterized by flat land, except for hills that dominate in the north, northwest and west of Beijing. The mountains to the west are known as Xishan, which is Chinese for Western Hills. The city's centre is
Tian'anmen, and the city spreads out in bands of concentric ring roads radiating from Tian'anmen itself.
Physically, Beijing is on flat land, but strategically close to hills and mountains, as well as to plains and the sea. Oddly enough, Beijing is one of the few major cities in China that does not lie on a major river. Instead, water is supplied from two reservoirs -- Guanting Reservoir (on the border with Hebei) and
Miyun Reservoir in
Miyun County.
The city's
climate is harsh, characterized by hot, humid summers (due to the East Asian
monsoon), and cold, windy, dry winters (reflecting the influence of the vast
Siberian anticyclone, or high-pressure system).
Urban area
The urban area of Beijing spreads out in bands of concentric
Ring Roads of Beijing ring roads.
Tian'anmen is right at the centre of Beijing, and is directly to the south of the well-known
Forbidden City, and to the east of
Zhongnanhai, current residence of the paramount leaders of the
People's Republic of China. The older part of Beijing, which is noted for its horizontally
symmetry symmetrical layout, is enclosed by the
2nd Ring Road, which is located upon the site of the old city walls that no longer exist. The newer parts of Beijing are to be found mostly within the
3rd Ring Road and the
4th Ring Road.
Zhongguancun, the technological hub of China, is in the north-western urban part, and contains
Peking University and
Tsinghua University, nationally regarded as the two most prestigious universities of China. To the north of these universities are found the
Summer Palace and the ruins of the
Old Summer Palace, both imperial residences of the
Qing Dynasty emperors. The
Beijing CBD sits in the east in the
Guomao area, while in the west of the urban area is the
Beijing Financial Street. The
Beijing Olympic Village, which is being constructed for the
2008 Summer Olympics, is situated to the north of the urban area. The western part of the urban area houses most party, government and military facilities, such as the
China Military Museum.
Outside the urban area
Most of the area of Beijing municipality is found outside the urban area of Beijing, and extends in all directions, especially northwards into the
Yanshan Mountains.
North Beijing
The northern part of Beijing municipality consists of
Shunyi District,
Changping District,
Pinggu District,
Yanqing County,
Huairou District, and
Miyun County. The first three counties are rather flat;
Shunyi District and
Changping District, in particular, are rapidly developing satellite towns. Further north, in
Huairou District and the two counties, the geographical landscape is rather hilly. Portions of the
Great Wall of China run through this rugged area, notably at
Badaling and at
Mutianyu.
Miyun Reservoir, important in its role in Beijing's water supply, is also found in this area.
The
Badaling Expressway leaves northwestern Beijing and heads west, while the
Jingcheng Expressway is projected to leave Beijing through the eastern parts of north Beijing.
East Beijing
Geographically, eastern Beijing is less rugged. Plains and flat land form most of the land.
Eastern Beijing is dominated by
Tongzhou District, one of Beijing's earliest satellite towns. Also forming part of eastern Beijing is
Pinggu District. Roads connect eastern Beijing (
Jingtong Expressway,
Jingha Expressway). The
Beijing subway Line 1 (Batong Extension) extends into Tongzhou.
Most expressways leave Beijing in the eastern part -- the
Jingtong Expressway, the
Jingshen Expressway and the
Jingjintang Expressway (slightly south-east).
South Beijing
South Beijing is less developed than the other parts of Beijing. The geography here is mostly flat land and plains.
This part of Beijing includes
Daxing District and
Fangshan District. Daxing is industrially-oriented, and contains
Yizhuang, an important suburban area. Fangshan District contains the town of
Liangxiang as well as other satellite towns.
The
Jingkai Expressway shoots through the heartland of Daxing heading south. Heading southwest is the
Jingshi Expressway.
West Beijing
Western Beijing is rugged and hilly topographically. It comprises
Mentougou District and
Fangshan District.
The outer urbans parts of western Beijing form the
Shougang complex, a vast industrial area.
No expressways head directly west.
The
Fragrant Hills and
Shidu, both tourist spots, are in this area.
Category:Beijing
*** Shopping-Tip: Geography of Beijing
