Beijing is officially more than 3000 years old, but it has played a role in Chinese history for as long as eight millennia, as it is one of the four ancient capitals of China. Specifically, Beijing was the home base of the notorious Ming and Qing Dynasties, as well as the capital under Chairman Mao during the Chinese Communist Revolution. The city is ripe for exploring all that they left behind.

There is the famed Forbidden City, which was the astounding imperial palace under the Qing Dynasty. There are also many exquisite Chinese Temples, and you can walk a good portion of the Great Wall. Beijing bears an expansive history of one of the greatest and most fascinating human civilizations, and it has since become highly modernized.