Beijing, China

Located in eastern China, Beijing was originally established by the Ming Dynasty as the Chinese capital in 1421. The city is known for its agricultural economy, by importing products from the nearby Yangtze River; transportation around the city, including bikes, motorcycles, and an abundance of public transportation; and its large population of over 21 million residents.

Beijing's part of Chinese culture has dated back to the Ming Dynasty, which valued both creative and performing arts; creative works included sculptures, paintings, and calligraphy. When the Cultural Revolution hit during the communist era in the mid-20th century, a great deal of Chinese art was demolished or confiscated, and the art and education culture was taken out.

Today, Beijing's modern landscape is a result of the Cultural Revolution turnaround. This artwork is abundant on both architectural buildings and places of residence. From exploring China's dynasty history to technological advances, Beijing is welcoming to all backgrounds with a variety of religions (Buddhism, Muslim, Taoism, and others), and there are employment opportunities in every industry. The common language spoken is the Mandarin dialect of Chinese, and currency used is the Chinese Yuan; 1 Yuan equals $0.16 USD.

Location

Job Opportunities

Employment in Beijing is heavily centered around the service sector; many of these jobs are run by government agencies. Beijing has many financial institutions including the Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank, and Agriculture Bank. There are also extensive credit cooperatives, investment companies, and securities firms around the city. While Beijing is known for its service sector, other jobs fall in the information technology sector. Information technology opportunities range from project managers to systems developers to IT support staff. One other notable industry in Beijing is textiles and manufacturing, as many worldwide products are made in China. Some notable products include furniture, dishware, clothing, automobiles, and other accessories. From its innovative approach in business and technology to serving as one of the world's largest manufacturing hubs, Beijing offers employment for all interests and professions.

Cost of Living

In Beijing, apartments are more expensive depending on the occupancy instead of location. For one-bedroom units, monthly rental costs will average 7,100 Yuan ($1,100 USD); those in the suburbs average around 4,050 Yuan ($630 USD). For larger three-bedroom apartments, city units will average 16,300 Yuan ($2,550 USD), while suburban units average 9,100 Yuan ($1,420 USD) monthly. In some cases, the smallest of city-center apartments are more affordable than larger out-of-city apartments.

Basic utility expenses, such as heating, water, and electricity, average 300 Yuan ($47 USD) per month. For internet and cell coverage, monthly costs are around 115 Yuan ($18 USD), which may include unlimited internet usage and varying amounts of cell data. If owning a car is important, brand-new small cars start around 135,000 Yuan ($21,075 USD); gas costs average 26 Yuan ($4.06 USD) per gallon. Public transportation in Beijing is strongly encouraged.

Transportation

The Beijing Subway is a very common method of transportation. Operating with over 23 lines and nearly 400 stations city-wide, this rail network is one of the world's largest. Most fares are based on distance traveled rather than time spent riding transit. However, riding to the airport is an exception because there are fixed rates. For example, the distance-based fares range from 3 to 9 Yuan ($0.40 to $1.40 USD). By contrast, rides to the airport will range from 10 to 50 Yuan ($1.55 to $7.85 USD), depending on the comfort class one chooses to travel in.

In addition to its train lines, Beijing has over 1,200 bus routes. The Yikatong pass is a great way to pay for these routes. These bus lines offer 50 percent discounts riding in the city, and 20 percent while traversing the suburbs and countryside. The Yikatong can be easily recharged as needed.

Recreation

China is well-known for martial arts activities including gymnastics, archery, judo, and ping pong. There are a great variety of recreational sports, both indoors and outdoors, to be played. Mountain trekking involves biking or hiking up and down mountains in cities and nearby suburbs. Most mountains are designed for hiking, reaching tens of thousands of feet in elevation. Other sports in Beijing may include horseback riding, river rafting, and windsurfing on the coastal waters.

For more historic and mainstream sights, Tiananmen Square is located in the heart of Beijing; this is where Mao Zedong declared the People's Republic of China. The Forbidden City is a short distance away, with glimpses into Chinese history and artwork. The Badaling section of the Great Wall of China is just an hour-long bus ride from Beijing.

Beijing also has its share of performing arts at the Giant Egg Arts Center. Designed by French Architect Paul Andreu in 2001, the Giant Egg hosted its first performance in the Fall of 2007. As Asia's largest performing arts complex, the Giant Egg hosts many theatrical performances, ballets, and other concerts. From sports and performing arts to historical sights, Beijing offers glimpses into the ancient past and innovative future.

Climate

Beijing's climate consists of cold yet sunny winters with hot and rainy summers. The warmest months are June through August, with highs in the mid 80s (30 degrees Celsius) and lows around the mid 60s to mid 70s (19 to 23 degrees Celsius). The Summer months also see the most precipitation, with July and August averaging 7 inches per month. The Winter months see little precipitation, averaging around an inch between the months of October and March. Temperatures are also colder in Winter, with high temperatures averaging in the mid 30s (2 to 5 degrees Celsius) between December and January; with the cold monsoon currents in Winter, temperatures can easily drop into the 20s (-5 to -7 degrees Celsius).