Beijing, an ancient city with 17 million inhabitants, is China’s political capital and is second to Shanghai in terms of population. To facilitate the inflow and outflow of its citizens, visitors and the goods they produce, the city has several motorways, railways, seaports and a modern airport. Due to these improvements, the city has become more accessible to citizens from around the world.

As an old city hosting many significant tourist attractions, she always gives the traveler a sense of awe. The coexistence of the new and the old add to this great feeling. Not to mention, a number of Beijing hotels which are only a few minutes away from these landmarks help visitors save time by making them visit many spots in a day.

Culture has always been a fabric of Chinese life. That is why a number of museums have been dedicated to the preservation of this unique facet. One of the biggest and more interesting of these museums is the Capital Museum. Opened in 1981 and renovated in 2007, it now houses over 200,000 relics in its collection.

The faade of the museum is based on human and cultural heritage and underlines the harmonious integration of the past and the present, history and nature, art and modernism. The immense roof and the slope at the entrance are derived from traditional Chinese architectural style, and the stone exterior represents the city walls of ancient China. A large number of bronze, timber and stones are dispersed throughout the museum to represent a deeper sense of historicity. Also, a glass curtain wall, which gives a grand and transparent effect, reflects a sense of modernity.

There are three permanent exhibitions in the museum. The first, entitled “Ancient Capital: Chapter on the History and Culture of Beijing” shows the intricacies of art, dance, architecture, trade, commerce and transportation of the early Chinese when ruled by the emperor.

The second exhibition, dubbed “Ancient Capital: Urban Construction” emphasizes the movement from the old to the new world. It also highlights the adoption of new-age technologies which brought the nation to its present state. China’s urbanization is also included in this set.

The last exhibition, “Stories of the Capital City – Old Beijing Folk-customs” examines how folkways and folklores were vital in the life of the Chinese. Their belief in a Supreme Being and their customs to embrace luck are also found here.

The museum, aside from its exhibitions, also functions as a cultural heritage storehouse, conference and reception hall, and a digital movie hall where a super wide screen with the state-of-the-art technology are installed to display high-definition films. For visitors to enjoy the wonders of this site, they can earlier purchase their tickets in Beijing hotels or any travel agency to avoid the usual hustle and bustle.