Beijing, also known as Peking, is a major city and the capital of China, en­circled by Hebei Province, located in the northern part of the country, on the northern edge of the Huabei Pingyuan (North China Plain), approximately 110 km northwest of the Bo Hai gulf.

Beijing, the second largest city in China after Shanghai, is the cultural, po­litical, and intellectual center of the country, as well as a major industrial and commercial metropolis. Initially settled more than 2,000 years ago, it has been the capital of China for most of the last 700 years.

The industrial growth of Beijing extends to outlying towns in the mu­nic­i­pal­i­ty’s rural areas; there are now major factories in Shijingshan (a major iron and steel mill), Tongxian (motor vehicles), Fengtai (machinery), and Fang­shan (petrochemicals). Construction activity has also increased rapidly. New buildings, factories, and improvements to the infrastructure are widespread. The city is a major hub for shopping, retailing, and trade, and international products and brands are now commonplace. Since the 1980s joint ventures with foreign companies have become common, and the local economy not only includes enterprises owned by the state and collective units, but also many privately owned companies and self-employed individuals.

The estimated population of the Beijing municipality in 1988 was 10 million. In 1992 the estimated population was 11m, of whom approximately 7m lived in the dense area of the city proper. The remainder lived in small cities, towns, and villages in the surrounding counties. By 2003 the estimated population had grown to 14.5m, while in 2007 it reached 17m, which is just 1m short of the ceiling the city government has set for 2020. The city has a low birth rate, a low death rate, and a very low rate of natural population increase. Most of Beijing’s recent growth has been by immigration.

	The Summer Palace

More than 90% of the population of Beijing are Han Chinese, and the remainder are Manchus, Mongols, Turkic peoples from western China, and other minority nation­al­i­ties and foreigners. Mandarin Chinese is the language spoken in and around Beijing. The dialect of Beijing has become the standard form of Mandarin, which is the coun­try’s official spoken language.

The climate is seasonal, with hot summers and cold winters. Temperatures can climb higher than 38°C in July and drop lower than -15°C in January.

Beijing has more colleges and universities than any other Chinese city. The most prom­i­nent institutions are Peking University, founded in 1898; and Tsinghua Uni­ver­sity, founded in 1911, which is the most prestigious scientific and technical institution in the country. Both institutions are located in the northwest suburbs, an area associated with higher education and research. Also in this area are the People’s University, founded in 1937, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, founded in 1949.

Peking Opera

Beijing also has many museums and cultural activities. There are numerous theaters, including the People’s Theater, the Capital Theater, and the Nationalities Theater. The Beijing Concert Hall is among the venues for musical performances. There are also art museums and a museum of natural history.

Despite much recent construction, Beijing remains a city of great monuments, palaces, temples and other reminders of the past glory of imperial China. The Palace Museum, located within the Forbidden City, was the former residence and official site of the imperial family and court. Built more than 500 years ago, this complex comprises a series of great halls and palaces which served for official and ceremonial occasions of state, banquets, and residential purposes. To the west of this complex is Zhongnan Hai, a large park and cluster of lakes that is walled and serves today as the res­i­den­tial compound for China’s top leadership. The Bao He Dian (Hall of Protective Harmony) is in the Forbidden City. Emperors once held lavish banquets in this hall, and candidates for the highest level of imperial government service took their examinations here. Today, the Forbidden City is open to tourists as the Palace Museum.

	The Forbidden City

Immediately south of the Forbidden City is Tiananmen Square. This is the site of large celebrations and rallies, such as the National Day celebrations held each year on October 1. On the east side of the square is the Museum of China’s History and Rev­ol­u­tion, and in the center is the Monument to the Heroes of the People and the tomb of Mao Zedong, who established the Communist form of government in China in 1949.

The Altar of Heaven is part of the Temple of Heaven, or Tian Tan, built during the Ming dynasty in Beijing, China. It is located in the outer city section of Beijing in Tian Tan Park. The 15th-century structure, with its red walls and gold detailing, is typical of the architecture of the Ming dynasty.

In the northwestern suburbs are tombs of most emperors of the Ming dynasty, who ruled in China from 1368 to 1644. The tombs are approached by the long Avenue of the Animals, lined with marble lions, elephants, camels, and horses. Northwest of the Ming Tombs, within the municipal boundaries, is a portion of the Great Wall.

The Altar of Heaven

Of the many temples in the old city, perhaps the best known and most beautiful is the complex known as the Temple of Heaven, located in Tian Tan Park in the southern part of the outer city. This complex includes two circular ceremonial buildings with blue-tiled roofs. These were the shrines where China’s emperors worshiped; after the Communist revolution in 1949, the Temple of Heaven became a public park.

In the 10th century AD the Khitan Mongols conquered part of north China and es­tab­lish­ed their southern capital on the site of present-day Beijing. Early in the 12th cen­tu­ry they were defeated by the Jurchen who established the Jin (Chin) dynasty and rebuilt the city on a larger scale.

The truly grand and elaborate development of the city emerged after the Mongol conquest of China and the establishment of the Yuan dynasty in the 13th century. The Mongol ruler Kublai Khan decided to establish his capital at Beijing in 1272, and for the first time the new capital, named Khanbalik, became the political and administrative center for all of China.

	The Hall of Protective Harmony

In 1368 Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming dynasty and des­ig­nat­ed Nanjing as his capital. He soon overran the Yuan capital at Beijing and changed the city’s name to Beiping, which means Northern Peace. After his death in 1398, Zhu’s second eldest son, usurped the throne and ruled as the Yongle emperor. The Yongle emperor moved the Ming capital to Beijing in 1420 and gave the city its current name, which means Northern Capital. The city developed and grew, and the basis for its current design and layout was implemented during this time. Additional con­struc­tion of temples and palaces occurred during the succeeding Qing (Chíng) dynasty, which ruled from 1644 to 1911.

Following the overthrow of the Qing and the establishment of the Republic of China in 1911, Beijing remained the political center of China until 1928. The Nationalist Party, headed by Chiang Kai-shek, moved the capital to Nanjing and renamed Beijing to Beiping, the city’s former name under the early Ming dynasty. Following the Communist revolution in 1949, the city’s name was changed back to Beijing and designated the capital of the newly established People’s Republic of China. In 2001 the International Olympic Committee awarded the 2008 Summer Olympic Games to Beijing.

The 1st World Mind Sports Games will be held in the China National Convention Center (CNCC) and the Beijing International Convention Center (BICC). The Open, Women and Senior Bridge Teams will be hosted at the CNCC; the Youth competitions at the BICC.

Youth team expenses (lodging and food at the Media Centre Apartments) will be borne by the organization. Other teams should go to the Official website for the event at www.2008wmsg.org to reserve hotel rooms as soon as possible.

Hotel accommodation is also available, as follows:

Please note that the CNCC Grand Hotel and the International Beijing Beichen would be more convenient for bridge players participating in the Open, Women and Senior series. These two hotels have been built especially for the Olympic Games and are superb, especially the Interncontinental Beijing Beichen, which will be linked to CNCC by bridge and terrace.

To reserve a hotel room, click here to visit the official WMSG website and click 'English' on the top right to find the hotel reservation form, which must be filled out and sent to:

Mr Chen Chao Room 3035 Beijing International Convention Center 8 Beichendong Road 100101 Beijing China. +86-10-8497 9768     +86-10-8497 9765     wmsg2008@bcghotel.com

The Chinese Organizing Committee has requested the WBF to publish the following information about the 1st World Mind Sport Games:

The Committee warmly welcomes friends coming for so many countries and regions to participate in the 1st World Mind Sport Games. In order to ensure that you have an enjoyable stay in Beijing, we would like to give you some relevant information as follows:

1. Transport to and from the Airport
From 1-3 October (arrivals) and 18–20 October (departures) the Organizing Committee will provide a shuttle service for arrivals and departures between the airport and hotels. This service is not provided for those who arrive earlier or depart later than these dates.
•	Pick-up shuttles : the shuttles will include large and medium-sized busses and some business cars
From 07.00–22.00 hrs on 1 & 2 October and from 07.00–24.00 hrs on 3 October, shuttles will depart at least every 45 minutes. At the busiest times, it will leave as soon as it is full.
•	Departure Shuttles : the shuttles will include large and medium-sized busses and some business cars
From 07.00– 22.00 hrs one departure shuttle will leave every 45 minutes.
2. Registration and Check-in
After arrival at the airport, all participants in the WMSG are expected to go directly to the first floor of the Beijing International Convention Center (BICC) where they will complete their registrations and obtain their ID cards with their passports. Then guests staying at the hotels designated by the Chinese Organizing Committee will take a bus provided by the Organizing Committee to the hotels for check-in. Guests staying at the Huiyan Apartments free of charge will check-in and get their room keys at the Registration centre and then will go to the Apartments by bus. PLEASE NOTE: during the course of the World Mind Sport Games, all participants are required to wear their own ID cards in order to enter the competition venues, the dining halls and other areas. If you lose your ID card, please report immediately to the Organizing Committee to apply for another one.
3. Apartment Accommodation
•	During the period starting one or two days before the event in which the player is participating, and ending one or two days after the player finishes the event, his food and accommodation expenses are born by the Organizing Committee. Those who arrive earlier or depart later than the prescribed time are required to pay for their own food and accommodation for the extra time they stay.
•	Free apartments are only provided for participating teams as arranged through their Federations. Any players remaining in Beijing after the event may not stay in the apartments, they are required to move to other hotels and pay for their own accommodation
•	The Organizing Committee will make every effort to distribute rooms with priority given to the event in which the player is participating, then to the country and gender. In the event of any odd number, other persons will fill the vacancy according to the general principle, and teams/players are to accept the ruling of the Committee in this regard.
•	Participants are reminded that no bridge team may have free rooms for more than 6 players, a captain and coach (i.e. a maximum of 8 beds per team)
•	Any disputes concerning the distribution of the apartments shall be resolved by IMSA in consultation with the Organizing Committee.
4. Food and Drinks
a)	Breakfast : participants staying in the designated hotels will have breakfast in their own hotels. Participating teams staying free of charge at the Huiyuan Apartments have their breakfast in the WMSG dining hall of the East Wing Building of the BICC
b)	Lunch and supper:
	i)	Junior participants: all junior participants enjoying free accommodation and food have their lunch and supper in the WMSG Dining hall of the East Wing Building of the BICC. Note that ID cards will be required in order to obtain any meals.
	ii)	Other people enjoying free accommodation and food will have their lunch provided by the Organizing Committee on the 3rd floor of the China National Convention Center (CNCC). Their supper will be provided in the WMSG Dining Hall of the East Wing Building of the BICC. Note that ID cards will be required in order to obtain meals in either location
	iii)	All other team members, paying for their own accommodation and food, may obtain lunch at the snack bar on the 4th floor of the CNCC, paying in cash on the spot.
5. Arrangements for Venues
	Bridge: Individual, Open, Women, Senior & Transnational: The main Convention Hall, F4, China National Convention Centre (CNCC) Bridge: Youth Bridge (Under-28, Under-26, Under-21): No 1 Conference Hall, F2, Beijing International Convention Centre (BICC) Chess: No 1 & No 2 Exhibition Halls, F1, Beijing International Convention Centre Go: F3, Beijing International Convention Centre Draughts: F3, China National Convention Centre Chinese Chess: No 2 Conference Hall, F2, Beijing International Convention Centre
6. Shuttle Timetables during the Games
From 4th – 17th October Sites from BICC to CNCC and back
•	Shuttle buses before and after the Competitions
Buses (50-seater) will leave the BICC to go to the CNCC 50 minutes before the start of each competition, leaving at 5 minute intervals – there will be a total of 5 buses and at rush times they will leave as soon as they are full.
Buses (50 seater) will depart from NICC to BICC 30 minutes after the end of the competitions at 5-minute intervals - there will be a total of 5 buses. At rush times they will leave as soon as they are full.
•	Regular Shuttle Buses
These will be mid-sized buses and will shuttle between BICC and CNCC every 20 minutes starting at 09.30 and ending at 19.30 daily.
The specific timetable for shuttle buses will be issued after the detailed schedule for the competitions is finalized, and will be published at both Convention Centres and in the Daily Bulletin.
7. Medical Care and First Aid
The Organizing Committee will set up medical stations on the 2nd floor of the BICC and the 4th floor of the CNCC. Anyone falling ill will be able to obtain first-aid and medical treatment. Ambulances will be arranged if necessary to take patients to the hospitals designated by the Games for treatment if their conditions require it.
8. Departure Arrangements
All participants are kindly requested to inform the Organizing Committee of the dates and flight numbers of their return flights as soon as possible after their arrival in Beijing. The Organizing Committee will assist them to confirm their return flights and assist with the arrangements for transportation to the airport.
9. Other matters
All accounts for room service, mini-bar, laundry and long-distance phone calls as well as any other extras at the hotels and apartments must be settled before check-out. This also applies to any participants receiving free accommodation and food. Guests staying in hotels can gain access to Internet, and will be charged on a daily basis.
10. Offices of the Organizing Committee
The office of the Chinese Organizing Committee will be located in the BICC, rooms 201 A / B / C on the 2nd Floor.
Telephone numbers of these offices will be published in due course, as will an emergency telephone number.