Few cities in the world have been the political and cultural centre of an area for as long as Beijing. One of four ancient cities in China, Beijing is renowned for its opulent palaces, temples, and huge stone walls and gates. As it was the host of the 2008 Summer Olympics, a number of amazing architectural wonders were built to coincide with the many ancient buildings. With the arrival of the Olympics, the Chinese government forced the predominant Mandarin speaking public to learn English. Now the international language can be found at many public areas.