Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
China is one of the most economically and politically influential countries in the world, and
Beijing is the driving seat. A city of almost 20 million people, it is also one of the country's
most populated cities, and you're moving here to be part of it all.
Beijing has been the capital of China off and on for hundreds of years, and its name has
changed almost as many times as its title. It's been Khanbaliq, Yanjing, Zhongdu, Peiping,
and, of course, at various periods of history, Beijing.
That's a lot of change, and possibly a very difficult grounding on which to form a strong
identity. But this has always been the way and, in fact, seems to be just part of its nature. For
thousands of years it has been an important place for trade, business, and politics, and so
has attracted a diverse variety of residents. Today it continues to be regarded as the politic-
al, educational, and cultural heart of the entire country, and, as such, it also offers incoming
expats an amazing and life-changing experience.
For university students, life has a culture of its own very different to that on the east side
of the city. The western side of town is relatively new. Not too many years ago, villages
stood here, but now they've all been torn down and replaced by soulless shopping malls
