BEIJING北京

Five thousand years of history — and the future

Many foreign friends feel something special on their first visit to Beijing: the city holds both 5,000 years of Chinese history and a future-facing drive to innovate. You can visit the Forbidden City in the morning, an AI company in the afternoon, and experience modern Beijing in the evening. That fusion of history and future is Beijing's greatest charm.

"If I had to choose — I'd live in Beijing, work in Shanghai, and start a business in Shenzhen."

Beijing in my eyes is not like Shenzhen. Shenzhen is a young city, where people talk daily about startups, markets, products and financing. Beijing talks more about national strategy, technological breakthroughs, research, education and future direction. It represents the northern Chinese cities — the architecture is completely different from Shanghai or Shenzhen, open and spacious, much like the character of northerners themselves: bold, warm, generous, heroic. The city gathers scientists, professors, engineers, entrepreneurs, investors and policy researchers, and many of the projects shaping China's future begin here.

Beijing has top research resources, national innovation platforms, world-class universities, many tech headquarters, rich investment resources and international exchange platforms. For anyone who wants to understand China's tech strategy, find technology partners, visit universities, hold business exchanges, or understand the China market — Beijing is a city you cannot miss.