Introduction:
The famous portrait of Mao Zedong still looks over this city's shoulder, as though he's guarding communist austerity and discipline. But the Beijing he stares out upon is hardly the city he left behind.

Change is everywhere: in clothes (you could wear them to the office in London or Los Angeles); traffic (more and more European-brand automobiles jam the streets); electronics (cell phones, cell phones, cell phones) and construction (high-rises, high-rises, high-rises). If you scrub off the Gobi Desert dust, which is glued to everything with diesel exhaust, you'll find the city's true patina. You can still catch the glimmer of an ancient, lacquered temple or a traditional jadeite bracelet, but it's the machine-made gleam of chrome and glass that may surprise you.

No doubt it's a calculated gleam. The Chinese government wants Beijing to be recognized as a modern world capital -- modern enough for foreign investment, modern enough to host the 2008 Summer Olympics. It's a huge, burgeoning metropolis, with bulldozers carving the way to its future.

Climate:
Beijing is renowned for its pleasant springs (65-75 F/18-24 C) and brisk falls (50s F/10-15 C). Summers are hot; with temperatures ranging 85-95 F/30-35 C. Winters can be extremely cold, especially when Siberian winds blow in from the north. Expect frequent snows and temperatures below freezing. Beijing's rainy season is in April, with additional heavy rains in July and August.