About Beihang University
Beihang University (BUAA) was founded in 1952 with the merger of the aeronautical departments from eight top Chinese universities. Today it is one of the nation’s foremost research universities supported by China’s Project 211, Project 985 and Project 2011. Beihang have now developed into a comprehensive research university covering engineering, natural sciences, humanities and social sciences. In addition to serving the nation, Beihang are striving to answer the new call by boosting engagement with the world-wide flow of talent, vigorous intellectual exchange, and international interdisciplinary research.
The center of Beihang is its Xueyuan Road campus in the heart of "China's Silicon Valley" - Zhongguancun Science Park. The Park is one of the technology centers in the world and is growing fast into a high and new-tech industrial cluster. In addition to its Xueyuan Road Campus, the University is also located in northwest Beijing’s Changping District with a newly developed campus and has comprehensive research facilities, notably the National Laboratory of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NLAA). Please find more information about BUAA here.
About Beijing
Beijing is the capital of P. R. China, a city with thousands years of history, but also a fast-growing, dynamic modern metropolis with high-rise buildings, shopping malls and vast international hotels. Beijing maintains a firm grip on its rich cultural heritage. It is a monolithic showcase that can give a distorted view of China to foreign visitors.
Tourist Highlights
As a tourist destination, Beijing has a great deal to offer.Most obvious are the Great Wall (Changcheng), the Forbidden City (Gugong), The Temple of Heaven (Tiantan), the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan), Lama Temple (Yonghegong), Tiananmen Square, and the traditional courtyard homes along the alleyways or hutongs. The main sights can be seen in 3-4 days, although smaller museums, temples, tombs, and shopping can occupy several more days, and a more relaxed tour taking in both city and district attractions can eaily fill a couple of weeks.
Other popular attractions are the markets, especially the famed Silk Market (now relocated indoors), it's cousin Yaxiu which sell mostly clothes, the Pearl Market (Hongqiao) which sells a wide range of clothes, souvenirs, and pearls, and the Dirt Market (Panjiayuan), especially vibrant on Sunday mornings, that sells art, souvenirs, reproductions and perhaps also some genuine antiques. There are also shopping opportunities around the increasingly developed-for-tourism Qianmen and Shichihai areas. For example, along the old commercial Dazhalan (or Dashilar) or 'traditional' Liulichang Streets near the former, and the hutong-style Nanluoguxiang near the latter.
The Shichahai lakes area north of Beihai park is composed of the three lakes Qianhai, Houhai, and Xihai, and is the home to many new and interesting bars and restaurants. Sanlitun is another area known for a large number of bars and popular with the international student and expat community, as well as the more progressive locals.
Performances
Many visitors to Beijing see performances of Chinese acrobats and excerpts from Peking Opera. There are several venues offering these performances. Listings for these and a wide-range of other events can be found in free English-language publications such as The Beijinger (formerly That's Beijing) and City Weekend.
Food and Local Specialties
Food is a highlight of a visit to Beijing. Specialties include Peking Duck, Mongolian Hotpot, and noodles with meat sauce (zhajiang mian) served up in numerous Old Beijing restaurants. Many people will also enjoy homestyle (jiachang) cooking, dumplings (jiaozi or guotie), and Xinjiang cooking from China's far northwest.
