Beijing (1 of 10)
Capital of the country set to dominate the 21st century, Beijing is the indestructible heart of China. Just as all roads used to lead to Rome, now the world is beating a path to Beijing to discover the city that holds the key to the planet's most populous nation.
Beijing is a city rushing towards the future so fast that it's easy to forget that this ancient capital has been home to Mongol, Ming and Qing emperors. Few cities can boast a history as dramatic or turbulent as Beijing's. Ruled by emperors and warlords, invaded by everyone from Genghis Khan to the former colonial powers, Beijing has been razed to the ground many times yet has always risen from the ashes, shaken off the dust and reasserted its authority as the capital of a far-flung country that's now home to 1.5 billion people.
