China has always been a country of great things, but one of them has not been architecture. Prior to Western influence architecture was seen as nothing special, it simply wasn't seen important under Confucius thought. But China of today is home to some of the boldest experiments with architecture. Shanghai of today is reminiscent of a upstart New York of the 1890's- early 1900's. The skyscraper has taken over the modern Chinese skyline. But in comparison to her coastal neighbors Beijing has been typical quaint and not particularly awe inspiring. No more, Beijing is going through a renaissance of sorts to get ready for the 2008 Olympics, and to finally impress the international community with her massive economic and social development. The ancient capital of China, Beijing is now up for a face lift that rivals that of any other city today. Here are some of the most impressive examples:

The CCTV HQ in Beijing, a modern masterpiece of art and science. (http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/571/28beijing-cctvhq21.jpg)
CCTV pic 2 (http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/571/4023cctv-2.jpg)
China World Trade Center Tower 3 (http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/571/4023iii-2.jpg)
Fortune Plaza Office Building 1 (http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/571/4023fortunecenter.jpg)
Silvertie Center Tower 2 (http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/571/4023silktie.jpg)
Finally and most importantly, the Olympic village (http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/571/3195post-26-1058171477.jpg)

Here a great Times article the on the architecture and architects that are changing the face of China.

http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/article/0,13673,501040503-629435,00.html

Yes I read the article a very good one at that.

Another picture
http://photos.gznet.com/photos/1167632/1167632-5ZQGiaS2N5.jpg

What i dislike about these new metrapolises popping up in China is their poor planning from what I can see in pictures. No park for miles on end, just smalls ones here and there.

The great thing about a huge city like New York is that even with the all the noise and non-stop action of the city you are always able to escape into the country within the city, Central Park. You can hike, ride bikes without getting hit by a taxi cab, go to the zoo, ride carousels, ice skate, skateboard or rent rowboats in Central Park. The master planning for central park was ingenious and should be followed by all new metrapolises.