Washington, D.C.

The US capital, with Capitol Hill, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial; the Smithsonian museums are all free, and spring cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin are the city's big event.

Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States, on the East Coast where the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers meet, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. Planned in 1790 by the French engineer Pierre L'Enfant as a grid with radiating avenues, it has a population of about 700,000. It is home to the federal government, Congress, the Supreme Court and foreign embassies, and also the US city with the greatest concentration of free museums: all 17 Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are free. Areas to explore: the National Mall (a 3 km lawn axis from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, flanked by the Smithsonian museums, with the White House to the north and the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial to the south); downtown north of the White House and Dupont Circle (the embassy district); Georgetown in the northwest (18th-century streets, the canal and the waterfront); the Capitol Hill residential area and Eastern Market to the east; across the Potomac in Virginia, Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon; and Old Town Alexandria to the south. The climate is humid subtropical: the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin in late March to early April are the high point of the year (the Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 20 to mid-April, peak bloom lasts about 10 days, and you should check the official forecast daily); April–May and September–October are the most comfortable at 18–26°C; June–August is muggy, often above 33°C with thunderstorms, yet brings the most student groups and families; November–February is 0–10°C with occasional heavy snow, and museums are almost queue-free. Getting there: there are direct flights from China to Dulles Airport (IAD), and the Silver Line takes about 1 hour to the city; Reagan National Airport (DCA) is just across the river from downtown, 15 minutes by metro. The city's 6 metro lines use the SmarTrip card, with fares of $2–6 by distance, and the Circulator bus costs $1. The National Mall is best explored on foot, but distances are big (3 km from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial), so you can use Capital Bikeshare bikes or a sightseeing tour. We recommend 3–4 days: the west end of the National Mall (Lincoln, the Vietnam Wall, the World War II Memorial, the Washington Monument) plus the White House in 1 day; the Smithsonian museums (Air and Space, Natural History, American History, the National Gallery of Art) in 1–2 days; the Capitol plus the Library of Congress in half a day; and Georgetown or Arlington in half a day. Tips: free tickets for the Capitol, the Washington Monument ascent and the Holocaust Memorial Museum must be reserved in advance on the official websites; a White House tour must be requested through a member of Congress or your embassy 3 months ahead, and most visitors only take photos from the north and south lawns; museums have security checks, so large bags are inconvenient; in summer, bring water and sun protection because the Mall has no shade; the memorials are even prettier lit up at night and are safe, but avoid some Northeast neighborhoods late at night.

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