Beijing, the Capital City of China, is one of four municipalities directly under the jurisdiction of the Chinese central government, It is China’s beating heart, pulsates with the rhythm of a vibrant past and a dynamic present.

Beijing boasts a history as rich and captivating as any city on Earth. The earliest settlements in the Beijing area date back to prehistoric times. Around eighth century BC, a settlement named Ji (or Ki) emerged, becoming a key city-state in the region.  

For over eight centuries, Beijing has served as the nation’s capital, leaving behind a legacy etched in imperial palaces and bustling hutongs. This introduction offers a glimpse into this captivating city, where ancient whispers mingle with the hum of a modern metropolis.

The modern city of Beijing has been developed surrounding the old Beijing city within the second ring road. With the time being, the city now has expended to the sixth ring road. There are 16 districts in Beijing and each one is massive. In order to be oriented more easily, we have created a custom map of the city, breaking it down into 21 different areas that are popular among the local and Western communities.

Beijing's charm lies in its ability to seamlessly blend the ancient and modern. It's a city where history whispers from majestic walls, vibrant culture spills onto bustling streets, and the future unfolds at a breathtaking pace. This introduction invites you to explore a destination rich in stories waiting to be uncovered.

• Old Beijing CityEver since Emperor Yong Le built the Beijing city back in 1406, Beijing has been the center and the capital city of China. The Old Beijing city refers to the area within the 2nd Ring Way where the real historical vibe of Beijng lies. The well known Forbidden City is located in the center of the old Beijing City! Other famous sightseeing places include the Temple of Heaven, Prince Gong’s Mansion & Yonghe Lamasery etc. The government has kept most of the old buildings inside the old city and strolling among the Hutongs is definitely one of the most interesting things to do when coming to Beijing. Due to the restriction, there are not so many newly developed structures in the old city, but there are more and more Hutongs have been newly refurbished and they would be the perfect places for new comers to experience the real Beijing Life style.
• 1st Embassy Zone & CBD China WorldBeijing is the capital city of China and there are over 180 countries which have established their embassies in the city. The first Embassy Zone was completed in early 1970s. It covers the area from East Second Ring Road on the west to Xiushui Street on the east, and from Jian Guo Men Wai Avenue on the south to Ri Tan Bei Road on the north. There are over 50 Embassies in the First Embassy Zone, among which there are old friends to the Chinese Government such as Poland,Czech Republic, Cuba and Vietnam etc. There are 2 Diplomat Residence compounds in the First Embassy Zone. To the east of the First Embassy Zone, it is the well-known China World Trade Center Tower (Guo Mao). The 1st phase of China World Trade Center was completed in 1990 and the whole project was finished in 2019. The Guo Mao area is certainly an Iconic area where most of the people look up to. Luxury Brands have to have a flap-ship store in this area. The First Embassy Zone and Guo Mao area is definitely one of the most popular areas for people to live in Beijing.
• 2nd Embassy Zone & Taikoo Li SanlitunThe second Embassy Zone is the biggest Embassy area in Beijing. It was established in 1980s and there are over 90 embassies in the area including Germany, Canada, Australia & Italy etc. It covers the area from Dong Zhi Men Wai Avenue on the west, to East Third Ring North Road on the east, and from Workers’ Stadium North Road on the south to Liangmahe South Road on the north. There are 2 Diplomatic Residence Compounds in the Zone. Taikoo Li Sanlitun is situated on the south edge of the Second Embassy Zone. It is the most popular mall in Beijing among the youngsters and is now becoming the fashion Icon in the city. Taikoo Li Sanlitun was completed in 2010. The design of Taikoo Li Sanlitun was inspired by Beijing Hutongs, while Taikoo Li North draws its courtyard from China’s Siheyuan. The whole area around the second Embassy Zone and Taikoo Li Sanlitun is the most dynamic area in Beijing, Sanlitun Courtyard IV and the Workers’ Stadium are also hangouts for Beijingnese. The second Embassy Zone & Taikoo Li Sanlitun really stand out among other areas in Beijing. It is perfect for singles and young couples who want to experience the Cosmopolitan Vibe in Beijng.
• 3rd Embassy Zone & Lufthansa CenterThe Third Embassy Zone was planned in 1987 and was completed 20 years later. It covers the area from Yansha Bridge on the west to Liangmaqiao East Street on the east, and from Liangmaqiao Road on the south to Lai Tai Flower Market on the north. The third Embassy Zone has the least Embassies compared with other 2 zones. But the Embassies are bigger ones. Countries include America, France, India, Korea and Japan have their Embassies in the Third Embassy Zone. There is 1 big Diplomatic Residence Compound (DRC) in the third Embassy Zone. The German school and the Canadian School are also located here. Beijing Lufthansa Center is situated in the middle of the Third Embassy Zone. It was open in 1992 and the shopping mall is the very first Western-style department store in Beijing.Beijing Lufthansa Center is the City’s Premier self-contained complex, comprising Grade A offices, fully serviced apartments, a shopping plaza and numerous boutiques. The Third Embassy Zone & Lufthansa area has the most expensive properties in Beijing. They are homes for rich Chinese and Expats who are working at the management level.
• Chaoyang ParkChaoyang Park is one of the most popular family orientated areas in Beijing. It is situated between east 3rd ring road and 4th ring road, with Liang Ma River in the north neighboring with the 3rd Embassy Zone and Chao Yang Bei Road in the south. The community is built around Chaoyang Park which was built in 1984. Residents who choose to live near Chaoyang Park certainly enjoy the easy access to the humongous Park itself. The landscape around Chaoyang Park is also quite peaceful and cozy. Metro Line 3 and 14 go through the area, people could have easy commute to Beijing South Railway Station, Tian An Men Square and Forbidden City, CBD Guo Mao and San Li Tun etc. The commute to Beijing Capital Airport is also quite convenient.
• CBD China Central PlazaChina Central Plaza was completed in 2007 and officially put into use in 2008. The completion of China Central Plaza has promoted the eastward expansion of Beijing CBD to officially become the core area of CBD. China Central Plaza area consists of Grade A offices, 5-stat hotels, luxury shopping malls, serviced apartments and modern residencies. Beijing CCTV headquarters and Beijing’s tallest building Citic Tower are in the area as well. CBD China Central Plaza area is certainly an iconic place to live in Beijing.
• Lido-1st Expats AreaSituated in the the north east of Beijing and neighboring with Wang Jing, Lido is the very 1st area in Beijing developed for expatriates. Unlike the rest of the city, the landscape in Lido is very residents’ friendly. There are many western hotels in Lido including Crowne Plaza Beijing Lido and Metro Park Lido Hotel. Beijing Japanese School and Beanstalk International Bilingual School are located in Lido. The famous Beijing 798 Art Zone is also located in Lido. There are nearly 1/4 of all westerners in Beijing set their homes in Lido; Lido is certainly the most comfortable area for expats to start their Beijing Experience.
• Wang Jing-Korean TownWang Jing is located in the north east of Beijing, outside of the north east third ring road. It has been developed into a self-contained and multifunctional urban area since the beginning of the 21st Century. Wang Jing has been homes for many foreign companies such as Siemens, Nestle, Nokia & MOTO etc. With the easy access to the downtown area and the Beijing Capital Int’l Airport, lots of expats choose Wang Jing to be their homes in Beijing. Wang Jing is also the non-offical Korean Town in Beijng, since 2000, a lot of families from south Korean settled down in the area. The great location and the newly designed landscape, Wang Jing will always stand out among other areas in Beijing.
• Sun PalaceThe Sun Palace is located at the north east corner of Beijing, adjacent to the North 3rd Ring Road, neighboring with the 3rd Embassy Zone in the east and Wang Jing in the north. The Sun Palace is a pure greenery residential area in Chaoyang District. It has been developed since 2000 and after the completion of the 2 major malls (The Capitamalls and The Galleria Shopping Center) in the area in 2012, there are more and more people choose to settle in the area. Most of the residents are new Beijingnese who work in the areas nearby. The Sun Palace has 3 different metro lines going through the area and it is also within a stone throw away to the 1st airport highway.
• Central Villa Area-WAB & French SchoolCentral Villa Area is one of the 4 major villa areas in Beijing and is the most popular villa area with the most expats’ families among all. 70% of the international schools in Beijing have settled down in this area. The Central Villa WAB & French School area is located along 1st airport highway 往which enjoys its easy access to both the city center and the Capital Int’l Airport. The well-known western academy Beijing and Beijing French School are located in the area. It is attached with the Fourth Embassy Zone & Dong Ba to the south and Beijing Sub-Central villa area to the east. With the development of the Fourth Embassy Zone and Beijing Sub-Central Villa area, Central Villa Area will become more and more popular.
• Central Villa Area-ISB & Shine HillsCentral Villa Area is one of the 4 major villa areas in Beijing and is the most popular villa area with the most expats’ families among all. 70% of the international schools in Beijing have settled down in this area. The Central Villa ISB & Shine Hills area is located in the west of the Capital Airport. The well known International School of Beijing, The Beijing British Int’l school, The Dulwich Int’l school and the Key Stone Int’l school are all located in this area. The development of Central Villa Area is actually a microcosm of the entire development of Villas in Beijing. The legend Garden Villas and the River Garden are two of the earliest villa developments in Beijing City. The Shine Hills and the Pinnacle Plaza provide the residents in the area with great facilities. The National Exhibition Center where Beijing Auto Show is held is also located in the area.
• Chaoyang Railway StationChaoyang Railway Station is located in the east of Chaoyang Park between east fourth ring road and east fifth ring road. It is one of the 7 railway stations in beijing which was completed in 2020. Beijing Chaoyang Railway Station mainly handles train services for the Beijing Harbin high-speed railway which connects Beijing with the cities in the northern part of China. There are quite a lot of newly developed compounds around Chaoyang Railway Station. Families that are interested in living around Chaoyang Park and prefer newer buildings would choose to live in this area.
• Chaoyang Joy City & YCIS BeijingChao Yang Joy City is located in the heart of Chao Qing Area which is 7km to the east of CBD China World area. Chao Yang Joy City was built in 2010 and it Integrates six major themes of shopping, dining, entertainment, leisure, culture, and education, it is a perfect combination of trends and fashion, a sublimation of entertainment and services, and has the most dreamy children's playground, constructing a high-quality fashion shopping paradise. YCIS Beijing was established in 1995 and is one of the early international schools in the city. Chao Yang Joy City & YCIS Beijing area has its selling point. The real estate price in the area is not as high as in similar areas such as Wang Jing, Lido or Sun Palace. But compared with areas that have the similar price range for instance Dong Ba & Chao Yang Railway Station, the location of Chao Yang Joy City & YCIS Beijing area is much better and it has more potential with more complete commercial facilities.
• CBD Backyard-Shuang JingCBD Backyard-Shuang Jin is located in the south part of CBD, on the south side of Tonghui River. Shuang Jin is named after the 2 wells located on the Guangqumenwai Street. In the whole 20th Century, Shuang Jin was considered to be the machinery industrial center of Beijing. Since 2002, the rapid development of CBD and the extension of Guangqu Road have become the driving forces for the development in this area. Shuang Jin has changed its previous image of a "steel giant" and gradually become a "CBD backyard". Nowadays, Shuang Jin is perfect for middle class families who work in the CBD area.
• New Beijing EraSince the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Beijing has been the capital city. In the past years, Beijing has achieved many accomplishments. It has successfully hosted the 11th Asian Games in 1990, the 29th Summer Olympics in 2008 and the 24th Winter Olympics in 2022. The Beijing New Era area is located in north of the city between the North 2nd Ring Road and the North 5th Ring Road, it is extension area of Beijing Central Axis to the north. The earliest residential community in Beijing since the founding of the People's Republic of China - He Ping Li Community is located in this area. The He Ping Li Community was named in commemoration of the "Asia Pacific Peace Conference" held in Beijing in 1952. The community imitated the architectural community of the former Soviet Union and it has provided a beautiful home for the first batch of Beijing residents in New China. Here, there are infrastructure and commercial facilities for the Asian Games Village, Olympic Village, and Winter Olympics Village, and it has now been developed into a mature residential area; The famous Bird's Nest, Water Cube, Beijing Olympic Sports Center and Beijing Olympic Park are also located in the center of this area. Residents living here can enjoy various sports venues and facilities.
• Tiger MamaChina is famous for the elementary education. It cannot be done without Tiger Mamas. Beijing Tiger Mama area is located in north west corner where china’s best universities are including Tsinghua University and Peking University. Beijing’s best primary schools and middle schools are in this area which makes the properties here super popular. The majority of the residents here are upper middle class Chinese Families who would take whatever it takes to make their kids enter this social circle. There are lots of smart kids here. The precious Summer Palace and Yuan Ming Yuan Park are in this area as well.
• Western Hills Villa AreaWestern Hills Villa Area is one of the 4 major villa areas in Beijing and is the most boutique one among all. It is located in Haidian district, at the foot of Western Hills, surrounded by The Summer Palace and the Yuan Ming Yuan Park. Western Hills Villa Area is well-known for its great environment and the great air quality. Families with the governmental backgrounds prefer to live in this area. The Residents in Western Hills Villa area are definitely at the ceiling level in Beijing.
• Central Axis Villa AreaCentral Axis Villa Area is one of the 4 major villa areas in Beijing and is one of the earliest ones as well. It is located on the extension of Beijing Central Axis outside of North 5th Ring Highway, roughly between Beiqing Road and North Sixth Ring Highway. The majority of the residents here are Chinese families who attach great importance to the feng shui perspective of the Central Axis in Beijing.
• 4th Embassy Zone & Dong BaThe fourth Embassy Zone Dong Ba is located outside the East fifth ring. It is currently at the primary stage of development and construction. The area covers from the 2nd Airport Expressway on the east to Yaojiayuan Road on the south, and from East Fifth Ring Road on the west to Liangmahe north Road on the North. It is planned to be completed in 2030 and there will be room for 20 to 40 embassies in the area. The southern part of Ba River is the residential area with a big Wanda Shopping mall in the center. The fourth Embassy Zone is the closest Embassy Zone to the Capital International Airport. It is designed to be the new Sanlitun in the future.
• Chaoyang New Stars-Chang Ying & Jin ZhanChaoyang New Stars Chang Ying & Jin Zhan is located between east 5th ring road and east 6th ring road, connecting Chaoyang Joy city to the west, 4th Embassy Zone to the north and TongZhou Sub-central villa to the east. With the development of the east part of the city, Chang YIng & Jin Zhan become the 1st choice for new Beijingnese to settle down. The new developments with reasonable pricing are certainly the selling point. Easy commute to the city center via Metro Line one is also another selling point.
  
• Sub Central Villa AreaIn 2018, Tongzhou District has officially become the sub-administrative center of Beijing. The Sub-Central Villa Area is located along the Wen Yu River and the North Canal River. It is in the east of the Fourth Embassy Area and in the south of Central Villa Area - ISB & Shine Hills. Among the villa areas, the Sub-Central Villa area is the newest with the most potential for investment purpose. There are quite a lot of new developments in the area and there will be more and more with the development of the Sub Central District. The famous Beijing Universal Studios is located in the area.