Sunrise over the walls of the Forbidden City, Beijing, China (© Travelasia/Asia Images/Getty Images)

An illuminated Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China (© Christian Kober/Corbis) ©

Giant images from Google Earth©:

Aerial view of Tsinghua University’s main campus in Beijing, China -- Xuan Liu ©

Lanterns hung to mark the upcoming Chinese New Year in the Altar of Earth park in Beijing, China -- Adrian Bradshaw/Corbis ©