When it comes to picking out a travel destination for your China tour, there’s certainly a buzz in the air in Beijing.
According to the latest research from the Centre for Pacific Aviation (CAPA), Beijing Airport is set to overtake Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson as the busiest in the world in 2012.
The body stated it is ‘only a matter of time before Atlanta is dethroned’ as the most busy airport worldwide, while airline analyst OAG Aviation also stated that only 400,000 monthly seats now separate Atlanta and Beijing.
Beijing’s rise to becoming one of the most cutting-edge cities in the world makes for fascinating reading, and is a testament to China’s ambition to become an increasingly powerful player on the world stage.
Rapid economic development in the 1990s and at the turn of the millennium, spurred by the reforms of statesman Deng Xiaoping, saw large scale privatisation across the nation, with nearly half of China’s state enterprises being liquidated and sold between 2001 and 2004.
Beijing was getting hungry; gradually, the farmland surrounding the city became part of its fabric as new commercial and residential areas started to spiral upwards.
Enormous building projects saw expressways and skyscrapers burst forth, modernising the metropolis in a matter of decades.
The decision to grant Beijing the Olympics in 2008 added fuel to the fire, resulting in the creation of architectural marvels like the ‘Bird’s Nest’ Beijing National Stadium and cementing the Chinese capital as a tourist hotspot in the eyes of the world.
The 2008 Olympics are regarded by many to be the most expensive ever held, with estimates of the amount spent ranging between $15 billion and $40 billion dollars, and the legacy of the event is still a must-see for those going on China package tours.
With China’s ascendancy has come a energised capital that is at the very cusp of change, offering visitors more grandeur and excitement than ever before.