For the past three years the tremendous changes make Beijing very impressive. The city was once the imperial capital for kings and khans, then proclaimed the capital again when Mao Zedong founded the People's Republic in Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949.The current changes made are more than cosmetic. This place was once scruffy with pothole pavements and packed with fume-belching cars and trucks. The traditional Chinese medicine shops, tea emporiums, bookstores and state-run Friendship Stores were fully renovated. From the start of this new millennium, vigilant traffic police had stopped all private transport and only public buses are allow to drive through the heart of the 700-year old landmark.
Pedestrians can stroll leisurely and admire the bronze sculptures or sit at pavement cafes.
Dining options are affordable and varied. Noodles and stuffed buns, favorite snacks for the Northern Chinese and familiar western logos of Starbucks, Pizza Hut and Parks'n Shop are place in juxtaposition. Food court concepts are now common in new shopping arcades. Nowadays, signage in Chinese and English can be seen through out the city. Try hopping into a cab, as it is one of the most economical and convenient ways to travel.