Fortune In Beijing

The 2005 FORTUNE Global Forum is scheduled for May 16-18, 2005. CNN Beijing Bureau chief Jaime FlorCruz has been appointed as the chief representative of the forum. President Hu Jintao has confirmed he will deliver the keynote address at the forum, where more than 300 chief executive officers and dignitaries from around the world are expected to gather.

The Forum is supported by the State Council Information Office and the Beijing Municipal Government. It will explore life in “China and the New Asian Century,” with a focus on understanding the fundamental changes being driven by governments, consumers and corporations in the region. There are two roundtable meetings: China Sports and China Culture. This will be the ninth FORTUNE Global Forum, and the third held in China after the Hong Kong (2001) and Shanghai (1999) events.

 

Sacred Places for Honoured Guests

Many foreign representatives attending the Forum Global Forum in May will be making their first visit to China. During the three-day forum, three places will play an important role in building their image on the city.

The Forum’s opening reception will take place at the Temple of Heaven -- a landmark building in Beijing. The Diaoyutai State Guesthouse is where most of the meetings will be held. And on the second day of the Forum, representatives will be invited to visit Tian’anmen Gate, which is usually closed to outsiders.

Temple of Heaven

This is the place where emperors came to offer sacrifices and pray for good harvests in winter. The crowning glory of the park, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, is mounted on a striking three-tiered marble terrace and dates back to 1420. The four central pillars here denote the seasons while the 12 in the next ring symbolise the months of the year. Architects gasp in awe on seeing a building which is ingenuously supported by wooden pillars -- not a single nail is to be found in the place.

Viewed from above, the temples here are round while their bases are square. The pattern is no coincidence, coming from the ancient Chinese belief that heaven is round and the earth is square.

Diaoyutai State Guesthouse

Since 1959, Diaoyutai State Guesthouse has been reserved for the exclusive use of foreign dignitaries, rather like Camp David in the United States.

A guarded and enclosed compound near the centre of Beijing, it is accessible only through a private road which is off-limits to regular traffic.

The 18 Diaoyutai buildings are surrounded by luscious gardens. The compound has a plethora of facilities such as an indoor swimming pool, indoor tennis courts, private indoor bowling alley, private exercise rooms, beauty parlour, massage and sauna. The Guesthouse is also renowned for the culinary feats of its kitchens.

Tian’anmen

The Tian’anmen Rostrum was where Chairman Mao Zedong declared the foundation of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949. More than 50 years after that, it was where hundreds of thousands of city residents and visitors gathered to hear of news of Beijing’s successful 2008 Olympics bid.

Tian’anmen, or the Gate of Heavenly Peace, is a symbol of the nation. This is where millions flock to have souvenir snapshots taken against the backdrop of a gigantic portrait of Mao. It’s also a gateway to the breathtaking Forbidden City. The Great Hall of the People, the Monument to the People’s Heroes and the Mao Zedong Mausoleum are also located on the square.

As well as taking in the sheer spectacle of a square capable of holding a million people, many visitors are equally charmed by the chance to observe ordinary Chinese at play. Here you’ll see locals and out-of-towners flying kites, checking out souvenirs or -- like you -- simply taking in the splendour of that first glimpse of one of the most famous places on earth.

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Forum Faces

Jaime A. FlorCruz

CNN Beijing Bureau Chief and Correspondent

Jaime (“Jimi”) FlorCruz was born April 5, 1951 in the Philippines. He received a B.A. in advertising at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in 1971, the same year he came to China. He has lived in China ever since.

Before graduating from Peking University, FlorCruz was a stringer for Newsweek Magazine (1980-81). He joined TIME’s Beijing bureau in 1982 and served as Beijing bureau chief from 1990-00. He was the Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York (2000-01), the first non-American to be selected for the fellowship. He joined CNN in July 2001 as Beijing Bureau Chief and Correspondent. He was a two-term president of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (1988-90; 1996-99).

Robert Bierman

Robert Bierman is executive director of FORTUNE Magazine’s conference division. In this role, he has responsibility for all FORTUNE events including the FORTUNE Global Forum, Brainstorm, FORTUNE Boardroom Forum, Most Powerful Women in Business, and the FORTUNE Innovation Forum.

Prior to joining FORTUNE, Bierman held various global management positions at Key3Media and its predecessor companies, serving as vice president and general manager of the COMDEX trade events and launching the BioSecurity conference with Harvard Medical School. Prior to Key3Media, Bierman was a partner in the Conference Group, a producer of conferences and events around the world, where he developed executive conferences and expanded the company into Latin American and Europe.