How does the Beijing City Government Website compare to other official websites that we have looked at in class? 

The first image on the English version of the page is a montage of parks, historical sights, and greenery, mixed with paintings of Beijing Opera characters, and the logos of two forums being held in the city (one about nobel laureates and another about Africa). News is given. Government bulletins. An image of the CCTV tower. Advice for living in the city. Sub pages on government (complete with funny headshots of the mayor and administrative staff), travel, culture, and getting visas. There is a list of future cultural performances, plays and symphonies, that is surprisingly up to date. Their is advice about banking, about getting married, and a column by a foreigner named Phillip. 

We can also learn about the main slogan of the city, which can often be found on billboards:

Patriotism, Innovation, Inclusiveness, Virtue

In the explanation page for each of these terms historical Chinese precedents are given for each, signifying a looking back in history to older ideals, though the terms still speak partially of Communist slogans. Patriotism goes back to the nation, Innovation in the outward connections to the global economy and the growing Beijing technology hub (as well as echoing China's insecurity that they are not innovative enough, Inclusiveness recognizes that Beijing is not a city apart anymore, that it is global, with different types of people coming through it, and Virtue is finding the "humanistic spirit" and harmony of city living (and with it some of the ideology of the Hu administration). These terms do a good job in showing the type of official projection of itself Beijing wants to send to the world.