2005 Beijing Transportation Map

Author: Zhang Jianhua, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China, a direct-controlled municipality under the Central People's Government, the political and cultural center of the nation, and the hub for high-level political, economic, technological, and cultural exchanges and interactions between China and other countries in the world. It is also the largest industrial and commercial city in northern China. With a history of urban construction spanning 3,000 years and a history of being a capital city for 800 years, Beijing is a world-famous historical and cultural city. According to the requirements of the Central Government for Beijing, it will be developed into a historical and cultural city with economic prosperity, social stability, and world-class public service facilities, infrastructure, and ecological environment, as well as a modern international city. The total land area of Beijing is 16,808 square kilometers, of which 10,417.5 square kilometers are mountainous areas, accounting for 62% of the total area; 6,390.3 square kilometers are plains, accounting for 38% of the total area; and 1,040 square kilometers are urban areas. Beijing administers 13 districts and 5 counties. Urban districts: Dongcheng District, Xicheng District, Chongwen District, Xuanwu District; suburban districts: Chaoyang District, Haidian District, Fengtai District, Shijingshan District; distant suburban districts: Mentougou District, Fangshan District, Shunyi District, Tongzhou District, Changping District; distant suburban counties: Daxing County, Pinggu County, Huairou County, Miyun County, Yanqing County.
Geographical Location: Beijing is located at 39°56′ north latitude and 116°20′ east longitude. It borders Shanxi Province to the northwest, the Inner Mongolia Plateau to the north, the North China Plain to the south, and the Bohai Sea to the east. The altitude of the city center is 43.71 meters.
Natural Environment/Climate Characteristics: Beijing belongs to the warm-temperate semi-humid climate zone, with distinct four seasons, short spring and autumn, and long winter and summer. The average annual temperature is 13°C, with the coldest month being January, averaging -3.7°C, and the hottest month being July, averaging 25.2°C. The average annual rainfall is 506.7 millimeters, and the frost-free period lasts for 189 days.
Tourism Resources: As early as 500,000 years ago, the ancient ancestors of the Chinese nation, the "Peking Man," lived in Zhoukoudian in the southwestern suburbs of Beijing. From 221 BC, when Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, unified the country, to 937 AD, Beijing was a key city in northern China and the capital of local governments. In 938 AD, the Liao Dynasty, which ruled northern China, made Beijing (then known as Yanjing) its auxiliary capital. Subsequently, the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties all made Beijing their capital, a period spanning over 650 years. The long history has left behind countless scenic spots and historical sites of high aesthetic and cultural value. Beijing boasts the world's largest palace—the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven (a sacred temple for worshipping heaven), the Imperial Garden (Beihai Park), the Summer Palace (a royal garden), the world-famous Great Wall, and the world's largest quadrangle—the Prince Gong's Mansion. The city has 7,309 cultural relics and historical sites, and more than 200 open-air tourist attractions. Beijing is one of the world's most attractive tourist "hot" cities. In 1999, it received 2.524 million overseas tourists and 92.6 million domestic tourists.
Infrastructure: Beijing ranks second among the top 50 cities in China's comprehensive urban strength and first among the top 40 cities with the best hard investment environment. Beijing Capital International Airport is 23.5 kilometers from the city center and is China's aviation hub and turnover center. It is also the largest and most advanced airport in mainland China at present. It has 98 international routes, connecting 56 cities in 39 countries and regions. It has 757 domestic routes, covering all regions except Taiwan. Beijing is the largest railway hub in northern China, with major railway lines such as Jingjiu, Jingguang, Jinghu, and Jingha all converging in Beijing. The total length of urban roads in Beijing is 3,800 kilometers, and the road area is 42 million square meters. The total length of rural and urban roads is 123.06 million kilometers, with a road density of 79 kilometers per 100 square kilometers. At present, Beijing has two subway lines, with a total length of 53.7 kilometers. The Baitong Line, with a total length of 17.22 kilometers, is scheduled to begin construction within the year. The subway Line 5, with a total length of 27.7 kilometers, has already started construction within the year, and the urban rail line, with a total length of 40.5 kilometers, broke ground in December 1999. It takes about one hour to travel from Beijing to Tianjin Port, one of China's largest international container transportation hubs, via the Jingjin Tang Expressway. It takes only 15 minutes to reach the Capital Airport from the starting point of the airport expressway, and it takes only 40 minutes to reach the famous Badaling Great Wall via the Jingchang Expressway. Beijing is the hub for postal and communication services between China and other countries in the world and has established postal services with all countries and regions in the world. International direct dialing can reach 240 countries and regions, and domestic direct dialing can reach 2,290 cities. The telephone number in Beijing has been upgraded to eight digits, making it the fifth city in the world to use eight-digit phone numbers. The total switching capacity of the city reached 7.43 million lines in 1999, and the telephone penetration rate reached 62 lines per 100 people. The computer network communication in Beijing has formed a large-scale system, with the main control centers of the four major national networks in China—China Public Computer Internet (Chinanet), Science and Technology Network (CSTnet), Education and Research Network (CERnet), and Golden Bridge Network (ChinaGBW)—all located in Beijing. By July 2000, the international export data transmission capacity had reached 245M, and by July 2000, the number of Internet users in Beijing had reached 3.16 million. The scale and technical level of Beijing's telecommunications network have reached the level of medium-developed countries.