Topography
The city of Beijing lies on low and flat land, with elevation generally between 40-60m above sea level. The highest point in the old city is at the top of Coal Hill in Jingshan Park, which rises to 88.35 m (289 ft.) and overlooks the Forbidden City. Longevity Hill in the Summer Palace reaches an elevation of 109 metres (358 ft). The plains from Beijing extend to the east as far as Shanhaiguan on the Bohai Sea and as far south as Nanjing, on the Yangtze River.
To the west is Xishan, also known as the Western Hills, which are visible from the city on clear days. Xishan forms the eastern flank of the Taihang Mountains range, which run north-south up the spine of Hebei Province. Xishan covers nearly all of Fangshan and Mentougou Districts west of the city. East Lingshan (elevation 2,303 metres (7,556 ft)), a Xishan peak on the border with Hebei, is the highest point in Beijing Municipality. It is located 122 km from the city. Xishan is also known for high mountain meadows and scenic river gorges, including Shidu. Foothills of Xishan reach the city itself. They include Fragrant Hills, a major tourist attraction and Laoshan, the site of mountain bike competition in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
The mountains north of Beijing including Badaling, Jundushan and Fenghuanling all belong to the Yanshan range, which runs east-west, across northern Hebei Province. Yanshan separates the North China Plain from the steppes and held considerable military significance in history. All of Beijing's Great Wall sections were built in the Yanshan range, which reaches a height of 2,241 m (7352 ft.) at Haituoshan on the border between Yanqing and Hebei.
The Yanshan and Xishan ranges meet at Nankou, in Changping District, northwest of the city. The intersection creates a massive fault line and rift valley through which the city's main roads and railroads to the northwest pass.
Read more about this topic: Geography Of Beijing
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