Municipality of Beijing/Peking 北京市 Běijīng Shì
The Temple of Heaven in Beijing
Location of Beijing Municipality within China
Coordinates: 39°54′20″N 116°23′29″E / 39.90556, 116.39139
Country	People's Republic of China
County-level divisions	18
Township divisions	273
Settled	c.473 BC
Government
- CPC Beijing	Liu Qi Committee Secretary
- Mayor	Guo Jinlong
Area (ranked 29th)
- Municipality	16,801.25 km² (6,487 sq mi)
Elevation	43.5 m (143 ft)
Population (2007)
- Municipality	17,430,000
- Density	1,037.4/km² (2,686.9/sq mi)
- Urban	8,495,000
- Ranks in China	Population: 26th; Density: 4th
- Major nationalities	Han: 96% Manchu: 2% Hui: 2% Mongolian: 0.3%
Time zone	China Standard Time (UTC+8)
Postal code	100000 - 102600
Area code(s)	+86/10
License plate prefixes	京A, C, E, F, H, J, K, L 京B (taxis) 京G (outside urban area) 京O (police and authorities) 京V (military headquarters, central government)
ISO 3166-2	cn-11
GDP (2007)	CNY 887.9 billion (10th)
- per capita	CNY 57,431 (2nd)
HDI (2005)	0.882 (2nd) — high
City trees Chinese arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis) Pagoda tree (Sophora japonica) City flowers Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) Chinese rose (Rosa chinensis)
Website: www.beijing.gov.cn(Chinese) www.ebeijing.gov.cn (English)

Beijing (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: Běijīng; Wade-Giles: Peiching or Pei3-ching1; IPA: [pèitɕíŋ]; Chinese Postal Map Romanization: Peking; pronunciation (help· info)), a metropolis in Northern China, is the capital of the People's Republic of China (PRC). It is also known in English as Peking (English pronunciation ( info)). Beijing is also one of the four municipalities of the PRC, which are equivalent to provinces in China's administrative structure and is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China.^[1] Beijing Municipality borders Hebei Province to the north, west, south, and for a small section in the east, and Tianjin Municipality to the southeast.^[2] Peking may be: BÄ›ijÄ«ng, capital city of the Peoples Republic of China Peking (ship), a square-rigged sailing ship 2045 Peking, an asteroid named after Beijing Saron panerus, an Indonesian musical instrument IFK Norrköping, a Swedish soccer club. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1880x1395, 751 KB) The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, Temple of Heaven, Beijng Photographer: Saad Akhtar Source: http://www. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China. ... Due to Chinas large population and area, the political divisions of China have consisted of several levels since ancient times. ... Due to Chinas large population and area, the political divisions of China have consisted of several levels since ancient times. ... Look up Circa on Wiktionary, the free dictionary The Latin word circa, literally meaning about, is often used to describe various dates (often birth and death dates) that are uncertain. ... The Communist Party of China (CPC) (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), also known as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the ruling political party of the Peoples Republic of China and also the worlds largest political party. ... Liu Qi (刘淇) (b. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... Guo Jinlong (Chinese: 郭金龙; Pinyin: Guō JÄ«nlóng; born July 1947) is a politician of the Peoples Republic of China and acting Mayor of Beijing. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of Mainland China (including all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities) in order of their total areas. ... Direct-controlled municipalities are the highest-level cities in China, with status equal to that of the provinces. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Elevation histogram of the surface of the Earth – approximately 71% of the Earths surface is covered with water. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Direct-controlled municipalities are the highest-level cities in China, with status equal to that of the provinces. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Cities with at least a million inhabitants in 2006 An urban area is an area with an increased density of human-created structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. ... This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of Mainland China (including all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities) in order of their total populations in 2002. ... This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of Mainland China(including all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities) in order of their total population density in 2002. ... Ethnolinguistic map of China The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) is a multi-ethnic unitary state and, as such, officially recognizes 56 nationalities or mínzú (民族), within China: the Han being the majority (>92%), and the remaining 55 nationalities being the national minorities. ... Language(s) Chinese languages Religion(s) Predominantly Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism. ... The Manchu people (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: , Mongolian: Манж) are a Tungusic people who originated in Manchuria (todays Northeastern China). ... The Hui (回) ethnic group is unrelated to the Hui (å¾½) dialects. ... Honorary guard of Mongolia. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Certain regions of eastern Asia, including Greater China, observe a time zone eight hours ahead of UTC (UTC+8), and currently do not observe daylight saving time. ... -12 | -11 | -10 | -9:30 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3:30 | -3 | -2:30 | -2 | -1 | -0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating telephone number ranges to countries, regions, areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks such as mobile phone networks. ... Blue PRC licence plates of the 1992 standard (August 2004 image). ... ISO 3166-2 is the second part of the ISO 3166 standard. ... CNY and RMB redirect here. ... This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of Mainland China (including all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities) in order of their total gross domestic product in 2002. ... CNY and RMB redirect here. ... This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of Mainland China (including all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities) in order of their total gross domestic product per capita in 2002. ... This page talks about Human Development Index, for other HDIs see HDI (disambiguation) World map indicating Human Development Index (2007). ... Map showing the HDI of the first-order administrative divisions of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... Binomial name Platycladus orientalis Chinese Arborvitae, Platycladus orientalis, is a distinct species of evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to northwestern China and widely naturalised elsewhere in east Asia. ... Species Styphnolobium affine - Coralbean Styphnolobium japonicum - Pagoda Tree Styphnolobium monteviridis Styphnolobium is a small genus of three or four species of small trees and shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, formerly included within a broader interpretation of the genus Sophora. ... For other uses, see Flower (disambiguation). ... Species Chrysanthemum aphrodite Chrysanthemum arcticum Chrysanthemum argyrophyllum Chrysanthemum arisanense Chrysanthemum boreale Chrysanthemum chalchingolicum Chrysanthemum chanetii Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium Chrysanthemum coronarium, Crown daisy Chrysanthemum crassum Chrysanthemum glabriusculum Chrysanthemum hypargyrum Chrysanthemum indicum Chrysanthemum japonense Chrysanthemum japonicum Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium Chrysanthemum mawii Chrysanthemum maximowiczii Chrysanthemum mongolicum Chrysanthemum morifolium Chrysanthemum morii Chrysanthemum okiense Chrysanthemum oreastrum Chrysanthemum... For other uses, see Rose (disambiguation). ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... Chinese Postal Map Romanization (Traditional Chinese: 郵政式拼音; Pinyin: Yóuzhèngshì PÄ«nyÄ«n) refers to the system of romanization for Chinese place names which came into use in the late Qing dynasty and was officially sanctioned by the Imperial Postal Joint-Session Conference (帝國郵電聯席會議), which was held in Shanghai in the... Image File history File links Zh-Beijing. ... For other uses, see Metropolis (disambiguation). ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ... Image File history File links Peking_pronounced_in_English_way. ... Direct-controlled municipalities are the highest-level cities in China, with status equal to that of the provinces. ... A province, in the context of China, is a translation of Sheng (Chinese: 省 ShÄ›ng), which is an administrative division of China. ... Due to Chinas large population and area, the political divisions of China have consisted of several levels since ancient times. ... The Chinese phrase Four Great Ancient Capitals of China (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhōngguó Sì Dà GÇ”dÅ«) traditionally refers to Beijing, Nanjing, Luoyang, and Xian. ... Hebei (Chinese: 河北; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ho-pei; Postal System Pinyin: Hopeh) is a northern province of the Peoples Republic of China. ...   (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is one of the four municipalities of China. ...

Beijing is China's second largest city, after Shanghai. It is a major transportation hub, with dozens of railways, roads and motorways passing through the city. It is also the focal point of many international flights to China. Beijing is recognised as the political, educational, and cultural center of the People's Republic of China, while Shanghai and Hong Kong predominate in economic fields.^[3] The city will host the 2008 Summer Olympics.^[1] For other uses, see Shanghai (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Politics (disambiguation). ... Chinese culture has roots going back over five thousand years. ... For other uses, see Shanghai (disambiguation). ... Economics (deriving from the Greek words οίκω [okos], house, and νέμω [nemo], rules hence household management) is the social science that studies the allocation of scarce resources to satisfy unlimited wants. ... The 2008 Summer Olympics (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be celebrated from August 8, 2008, to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony commencing at 08:08:08 pm CST (12:08:08 UTC) at the Beijing National Stadium in...

Names

Beijing or Peking (北京) means "northern capital", in line with the common East Asian tradition whereby capital cities are explicitly named as such. Other cities that are similarly named include Nanjing (南京), China, meaning "southern capital"; Tokyo (東京), Japan, and Đông Kinh (Chinese: 東京, now Hanoi), Vietnam, both meaning "eastern capital"; as well as Kyoto (京都), Japan, and Gyeongseong (京城; now Seoul), Korea, both meaning simply "capital". This article is about the geographical region. ... For other uses, see Nanjing (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Tokyo (disambiguation). ... Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Ná»™i), estimated population 3,083,800 (2004), is the capital of Vietnam. ... For the puzzle, see Tower of Hanoi. ... For other uses, see Kyoto (disambiguation). ... Gyeongseong is the Korean form of Keijō (京城), the former Japanese name of Seoul used during the Japanese Colonial Period (1910-1945). ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... This article is about the Korean civilization. ...

Peking is the name of the city according to Chinese Postal Map Romanization, and the traditional customary name for Beijing in English (passports issued by the British Embassy are still printed as being issued by the "British Embassy, Peking"). The term Peking originated with French missionaries four hundred years ago and corresponds to an older pronunciation predating a subsequent sound change in Mandarin from [kʲ] to [tɕ]^[4] ([tɕ] is represented in pinyin as j, as in Beijing). It is still used in many languages (as in French (Pékin), Italian (Pechino), Spanish (Pekín), Portuguese (Pequim), Lithuanian (Pekinas), Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Czech, and Polish). Chinese Postal Map Romanization (Traditional Chinese: 郵政式拼音; Pinyin: Yóuzhèngshì PÄ«nyÄ«n) refers to the system of romanization for Chinese place names which came into use in the late Qing dynasty and was officially sanctioned by the Imperial Postal Joint-Session Conference (帝國郵電聯席會議), which was held in Shanghai in the... Sound change or phonetic change is a historical process of language change consisting in the replacement of one speech sound or, more generally, one phonetic feature by another in a given phonological environment. ... This article is on all of the Northern and Southwestern Chinese dialects. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Serbian (; ) is one of the standard versions of the Shtokavian dialect, used primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and by Serbs in the Serbian diaspora. ...

The city has been renamed several times. During the Jin Dynasty, the city was known as Zhongdu (中都) , and then later under the Mongol Yuan Dynasty as Dadu (大都) in Chinese, and Khanbaliq in Mongolian (recorded as Cambuluc by Marco Polo). After the reconquest of the city by the Ming it was known as Shuntian (順天, "obedient to Heaven"). Geographical renaming is the act of changing the name of a geographical feature or area. ... Location of Jin Capital Huining (1122-1153) Zhongdu (1153-1214) Kaifeng (1214-1233) Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1115-1123 Emperor Taizu  - 1234 Emperor Modi History  - Established 1115  - Ended Liaos rule 1125  - Captured Bianliang January 9, 1127  - Fall of Caizhou February 9, 1234 The JÄ«n Dynasty (Jurchen: Anchu; Manchu: Aisin... Capital Dadu Language(s) Mongolian Chinese Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1260-1294 Kublai Khan  - 1333-1370 (Cont. ... Khanbaliq or Cambuluc (great residence of the Khan) is the ancient Mongol name[1] for the city at the present location of Beijing, the current capital of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Marco Polo (September 15, 1254[1] – January 9, 1324 at earliest but no later than June 1325[2]) was a Venetian trader and explorer who gained fame for his worldwide travels, recorded in the book Il Milione (The Million or The Travels of Marco Polo). ...

Twice in the city's history, the name was changed from "Beijing" (Peking) to Peiping (Beiping) (北平 Pinyin: Beiping; Wade-Giles: Pei-p'ing), literally "Northern Peace". This occurred first under the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and again in 1928 with the Kuomintang (KMT) government of the Republic of China.^[3] On each occasion, the name change removed the element meaning "capital" (jing or king, Chinese: 京) to reflect the fact the national capital had changed to Nanjing. The city's name was also twice changed from "Beiping" (Peiping) to "Beijing" (Peking). This occurred first under the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who moved the capital from Nanjing back to Beijing, and again in 1949, when the Communist Party of China restored Beijing as China's capital after the founding of the People's Republic of China.^[3] Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... izzy lewis loves the weewee in her pooter. ... For other uses, see Ming. ... The Kuomintang of China (abbreviation KMT) [1], also often translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party, is a political party in the Republic of China (ROC), now on Taiwan, and is currently the largest political party in terms of seats in the Legislative Yuan, and the oldest political party in the... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ... For other uses, see Nanjing (disambiguation). ... The Yongle Emperor (May 2, 1360 – August 12, 1424), born Zhu Di (Chu Ti) , was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China from 1402 to 1424. ... For other uses, see Ming. ... For other uses, see Nanjing (disambiguation). ... The Communist Party of China (CPC) (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), also known as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the ruling political party of the Peoples Republic of China and also the worlds largest political party. ...

Yanjing (燕京; Pinyin: Yānjīng; Wade-Giles: Yen-ching) is and has been another popular informal name for Beijing, a reference to the ancient State of Yan that existed here during the Zhou Dynasty. This name is reflected in the locally-brewed Yanjing Beer as well as Yenching University, an institution of higher learning that was merged into Peking University. Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... State of Yan (small seal script, 220 BC) Yan (pinyin: yan1, simplified Chinese/traditional Chinese: 燕) was a state during the Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods in China. ... This article is about the ancient Chinese dynasty. ... Yanjing beer (Chinese: 燕京啤酒; Hanyu Pinyin: yānjÄ«ng píjiÇ”) is a malty, smooth lager beer from China. ... Yenching University was a notable university in Peking (present-day Beijing) in China. ...

The history section below outlines other historical names of Beijing.

History

Main article: History of Beijing

There were cities in the vicinities of Beijing by the 1st millennium BC, and the capital of the State of Yan, one of the powers of the Warring States Period, was established at Ji (T: è–Š / S: è“Ÿ), near modern Beijing. ...

Early history

Zhoukoudian

The earliest remnants of human habitation in the Beijing municipality are found in the caves of Dragon Bone Hill near the village of Zhoukoudian in Fangshan District, where the Peking Man lived. Homo erectus fossils from the caves date to 230,000 to 250,000 years ago. Paleolithic homo sapiens also lived there about 27,000 years ago^[5]. There were cities in the vicinities of Beijing by the 1st millennium BC, and the capital of the State of Yan, one of the powers of the Warring States Period (473-221 BC), Ji (薊/蓟), was established in present-day Beijing.^[6] Zhoukoudian Site - Museum. ... Zhoukoudian Site - Museum. ... Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site - the Caves (taken in July 2004) Zhoukoudian or Choukoutien (周口店) is a cave system near Beijing in China. ... Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site - the Caves (taken in July 2004) Zhoukoudian or Choukoutien (周口店) is a cave system near Beijing in China. ... Fangshan District (Simplified Chinese: 房山区; Traditional Chinese: 房山區; Hanyu Pinyin: Fángshān QÅ«) is situated in the southwest of Beijing and 38km away from downtown Beijing. ... Trinomial name Homo erectus pekinensis (Black, 1927) Peking Man (sometimes now called Beijing Man), also called Sinanthropus pekinensis (currently Homo erectus pekinensis), is an example of Homo erectus. ... Binomial name (Dubois, 1892) Synonyms † Pithecanthropus erectus † Sinanthropus pekinensis † Javanthropus soloensis † Meganthropus paleojavanicus Homo erectus (Latin: upright man) is an extinct species of the genus Homo. ... // The Paleolithic is a prehistoric era distinguished by the development of stone tools. ... Homo sapiens (Latin: wise man) is the scientific name for the human species. ... The 1st millennium BC encompasses the Iron Age and sees the rise of successive empires. ... State of Yan (small seal script, 220 BC) Yan (pinyin: yan1, simplified Chinese/traditional Chinese: 燕) was a state during the Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods in China. ... Warring States redirects here. ...

After the fall of the Yan, the subsequent Qin, Han, and Jin dynasties set-up local prefectures in the area.^[6] In Tang Dynasty it became the headquarter for Fanyang jiedushi, the virtual military governor of current northern Hebei area. An Lushan launched An Shi Rebellion from here in 755 AD. Yan State knife money Yan (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) was a state during the Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods in China. ... Qin Dynasty in 210 BC Capital Xianyang Language(s) Chinese Government Monarchy History  - Unification of China 221 BC  - Death of Qin Shi Huangdi 210 BC  - Surrender to Liu Bang 206 BC The Qin Dynasty (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chin Chao) (221 BC - 206 BC) was preceded by the... Han Dynasty in 87 BC Capital Changan (206 BC–9 AD) Luoyang (25 AD–220 AD) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion Government Monarchy History  - Establishment 206 BC  - Battle of Gaixia; Han rule of China begins 202 BC  - Interruption of Han rule 9 - 24  - Abdication... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For the band, see Tang Dynasty (band). ... The Jiedushi (T: 節度使 S: 节度使) were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. ... Hebei (Chinese: 河北; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ho-pei; Postal System Pinyin: Hopeh) is a northern province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... An Lushan (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) (ca. ... The An Shi Rebellion (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) took place in China during the Tang Dynasty, from December 16, 755 to February 17, 763. ...

The Pagoda of Tianning Temple near Guang'anmen in Beijing, built in 1120 during the Liao Dynasty.

Medieval period

In 936, the Later Jin Dynasty (936-947) of northern China ceded a large part of its northern frontier, including modern Beijing, to the Khitan Liao Dynasty. In 938, the Liao Dynasty set up a secondary capital in what is now Beijing, and called it Nanjing (the "Southern Capital"). In 1125, the Jurchen Jin Dynasty conquered Liao, and in 1153 moved its capital to Liao's Nanjing, calling it Zhongdu (中都), "the central capital."^[6] Zhongdu was situated in what is now the area centered around Tianningsi, slightly to the southwest of central Beijing. Some of the oldest existing relics in Beijing including the Niujie Mosque and the Tianning Temple date to the Liao era. The Later Jin (936-947) was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. ... The Khitan (or Khitai, Chinese: ; pinyin: Qìdān) were an ethnic group which dominated much of Manchuria in the 11th century and has been classified by Chinese historians as one of the Eastern proto-Mongolic ethnic groups Donghu (東胡族 dōng hú zú). They established the Liao Dynasty in 907... The Liao Dynasty (Traditional Chinese: , Simplified Chinese: , pinyin: Liáo Cháo), 907-1125, also known as the Khitan Empire, was an empire in northern China that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper. ... The Liao Dynasty (Traditional Chinese: , Simplified Chinese: , pinyin: Liáo Cháo), 907-1125, also known as the Khitan Empire, was an empire in northern China that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper. ... The Jurchens (Chinese: 女真, pinyin: nǚzhēn) were a Tungusic people who inhabited parts of Manchuria and northern Korea until the seventeenth century, when they became the Manchus. ... The Jin Dynasty (金 pinyin: JÄ«n 1115-1234; Anchu in Jurchen), also known as the Jurchen dynasty, was founded by the Wanyan (完顏 Wányán) clan of the Jurchen, the ancestors of the Manchus who established the Qing Dynasty some 500 years later. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

Mongol forces burned Zhongdu to the ground in 1215 and rebuilt it to the north of the Jin capital in 1267.^[7] In preparation for the conquest of all of China, Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty founder Kublai Khan made this his capital as Dadu (大都, Chinese for "great capital")^[7], or Khanbaliq to the Mongols, otherwise spelled as Cambuluc in Marco Polo's accounts.^[6] Construction of Dadu finished in 1293.^[6] The decision of the Khan greatly enhanced the status of a city that had been situated on the northern fringe of China proper. Dadu was situated north of modern central Beijing. It centered on what is now the northern stretch of the 2nd Ring Road, and stretched northwards to between the 3rd and 4th Ring Roads. There are remnants of Yuan-era wall still standing and are known as the Tucheng (土城 literally, the 'earth wall').^[8] Expansion of the Mongol Empire Mongol dominions, ca. ... Capital Dadu Language(s) Mongolian Chinese Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1260-1294 Kublai Khan  - 1333-1370 (Cont. ... For other uses, see Kublai Khan (disambiguation). ... Khanbaliq or Cambuluc (great residence of the Khan) is the ancient Mongol name[1] for the city at the present location of Beijing, the current capital of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Various styles of Chinese calligraphy. ... Khanbaliq or Cambuluc (great residence of the Khan) is the ancient Mongol name[1] for the city at the present location of Beijing, the current capital of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Marco Polo (September 15, 1254[1] – January 9, 1324 at earliest but no later than June 1325[2]) was a Venetian trader and explorer who gained fame for his worldwide travels, recorded in the book Il Milione (The Million or The Travels of Marco Polo). ... China proper refers to the historical heartlands of China in the context of that paradigm which contrasts these heartlands with frontier regions of Outer China (including sections of Inner Asia and other regions). ... 2nd Ring Road (Eastern segment, taken in July of 2004) Yonghegong Lamasery from the 2nd Ring Road (Northern segment, taken in July of 2004) Central to Beijing, the 2nd Ring Road (pinyin: Er Huan Lu) lies just a few kilometres away from the city centre and is an extremely convenient... 3rd Ring Road (Southeastern segment, taken in July of 2004) The 3rd Ring Road pinyin: San Huan Lu) is a 48-kilometer city ring road that encircles the centre of the city of Beijing. ... Beijings 4th Ring Road (April 2003 image) Eastern 4th Ring Road (August 2004 image) The 4th Ring Road (Hanyu Pinyin: Si Huan Lu) is an express route ring road in Beijing, China which runs around the city approximately 8 kilometres from the centre of the city. ...

Ming and Qing period

A corner tower of the Forbidden City, located at the middle of Beijing.

After the fall of the Yuan Dynasty in 1368, the city was later rebuilt by the Ming Dynasty and Shuntian (順天) prefecture was established in the area around the city. In 1403, the third Ming Emperor Yongle moved the Ming capital from Nanjing (Nanking) to the renamed Beijing (Peking) (北京), the "northern capital", situated in the north. The capital was also known as Jingshi 京師, simply meaning capital. During the Ming Dynasty, Beijing took its current shape, and the Ming-era city wall served as the Beijing city wall until modern times, when it was pulled down and the 2nd Ring Road was built in its place. For other uses, see Forbidden City (disambiguation). ... Capital Dadu Language(s) Mongolian Chinese Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1260-1294 Kublai Khan  - 1333-1370 (Cont. ... For other uses, see Ming. ... For the volcano in Indonesia, see Emperor of China (volcano). ... The Yongle Emperor (May 2, 1360 – August 12, 1424), born Zhu Di (Chu Ti) , was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China from 1402 to 1424. ... For other uses, see Nanjing (disambiguation). ... The city wall of Beijing was a fortification built around 1435. ... 2nd Ring Road (Eastern segment, taken in July of 2004) Yonghegong Lamasery from the 2nd Ring Road (Northern segment, taken in July of 2004) Central to Beijing, the 2nd Ring Road (pinyin: Er Huan Lu) lies just a few kilometres away from the city centre and is an extremely convenient...

It is believed that Beijing was the largest city in the world from 1425 to 1650 and from 1710 to 1825. It is now the 17th largest city in the world.^[9]

Panorama view of the Forbidden City, home to the Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The Forbidden City was constructed soon after that (1406-1420), followed by the Temple of Heaven (1420), and numerous other construction projects. Tiananmen, which has become a state symbol of the People's Republic of China and is featured on its emblem, was burned down twice during the Ming Dynasty and the final reconstruction was carried out in 1651. For other uses, see Forbidden City (disambiguation). ... For the volcano in Indonesia, see Emperor of China (volcano). ... For other uses, see Ming. ... Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Qing China at its greatest extent. ... For other uses, see Forbidden City (disambiguation). ... The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Manchu: Abkai mukdehun) is a complex of Taoist buildings situated in southeastern urban Beijing, in Xuanwu District. ... The Tiananmen The Gate of Heavenly Peace is the front entrance into the Imperial City A close-up of the rooftop The Tiananmen or Tiananmen (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Tiānānmén; Manchu: Abkai elhe obure duka), is the main entrance to the Imperial City, the...

After the Manchus overthrew the Ming Dynasty and established the Qing Dynasty in its place, Beijing remained China's capital throughout the Qing period. Just like during the preceding dynasty, Beijing was also known as Jingshi, which corresponded to the Manchu Gemun Hecen with the same meaning. It was the scene of the siege of the foreign legations during the Boxer Rebellion in the 1900. The Manchu people (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: , Mongolian: Манж) are a Tungusic people who originated in Manchuria (todays Northeastern China). ... For other uses, see Ming. ... Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Qing China at its greatest extent. ... Combatants Eight-Nation Alliance (ordered by contribution): Empire of Japan Russian Empire British Empire French Third Republic United States German Empire Kingdom of Italy Austro-Hungarian Empire Righteous Harmony Society Qing Dynasty (China) Commanders Edward Seymour Alfred Graf von Waldersee Ci Xi Strength 20,000 initially 49,000 total 50...

Republican era

The Xinhai Revolution of 1911, aimed at replacing Qing rule with a republic, originally intended to establish its capital at Nanjing. After high-ranking Qing official Yuan Shikai forced the abdication of the Qing emperor in Beijing and ensured the success of the revolution, the revolutionaries in Nanjing accepted that Yuan should be the president of the new Republic of China, and that the capital should remain at Beijing. Belligerents Qing Dynasty Chinese Revolutionary Alliance Commanders Feng Guozhang, Yuan Shikai, and local Qing governors. ... For other uses, see Nanjing (disambiguation). ... Yuan Shikai (Courtesy Weiting 慰亭; Pseudonym: Rongan 容庵 Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: Yuán Shìkǎi; Wade-Giles: Yüan Shih-kai) (September 16, 1859[1] – June 6, 1916) was a Chinese military official and politician during the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ...

Yuan gradually consolidated power, culminating in his declaration of a Chinese Empire in late 1915 with himself as emperor. The move was highly unpopular, and Yuan himself died less than a year later, ending his brief reign. China then fell under the control of regional warlords, and the most powerful factions fought frequent wars (the Zhili-Anhui War, the First Zhili-Fengtian War, and the Second Zhili-Fengtian War) to take control of the capital at Beijing. The Zhili-Anhui War (Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhíwǎn Zhànzhēng) was a 1920 conflict in the Republic of Chinas Warlord Era between the Zhili clique and Anhui cliques for control of Beijing. ... The First Zhili-Fengtian War (Chinese: ; pinyin: ) was a 1922 conflict in the Republic of Chinas Warlord Era between the Zhili and Fengtian cliques for control of Beijing. ... The Second Zhili-Fengtian War (Chinese: ; pinyin: Dìèrcì Zhífèng Zhànzhēng) was a 1924 conflict in the Republic of Chinas Warlord era between the Zhili and Fengtian cliques for control of Beijing. ...

Student protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1919.

Following the success of the Kuomintang (KMT)'s Northern Expedition which pacified the warlords of the north, Nanjing was officially made the capital of the Republic of China in 1928, and Beijing was renamed Beiping (Peip'ing) (北平) on June 28 that year^[10], in English meaning "northern peace" or "north pacified".^[3] Tiananmen Square has been the central point for several major historical protests. ... For the 1989 protest, see Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. ... Students in Beijing rallied during the May Fourth Movement. ... The Kuomintang of China (abbreviation KMT) [1], also often translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party, is a political party in the Republic of China (ROC), now on Taiwan, and is currently the largest political party in terms of seats in the Legislative Yuan, and the oldest political party in the...

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Beiping fell to Japan on 29 July 1937.^[3] During the occupation, the city was reverted to its former name, Beijing, and made the seat of the Provisional Government of the Republic of China, a puppet state that ruled the ethnic Chinese portions of Japanese-occupied northern China. It was later merged into the larger Wang Jingwei Government based in Nanjing. The Imperial Japanese Army established in the city the bacteriological research unit 1855, a section of unit 731 where Japanese doctors experimented on humans. Belligerents China United States1 Empire of Japan Collaborationist Chinese Army2 Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Bai Chongxi, Peng Dehuai, Joseph Stilwell, Claire Chennault, Albert Wedemeyer Hirohito, Fumimaro Konoe, Hideki Tojo, Kotohito Kanin, Matsui Iwane, Hajime Sugiyama, Shunroku Hata, Toshizo Nishio... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... A puppet state is a state whose government, though notionally of the same culture as the governed people - owes its existence (or other major debt) to being installed, supported or controlled by a more powerful entity, typically a foreign power. ... Language(s) Chinese languages Religion(s) Predominantly Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism. ... Alternative meaning: In geology, North China (continent) and South China (continent) were two ancient landmasses that correspond to modern northern and southern China. ... The Wang Jingwei was a government under the leadership of Wang Jingwei in the Republic of China, set up by the Empire of Japan in March 1940. ... The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) (Kyūjitai: 大日本帝國陸軍, Shinjitai: , Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun), or more officially Army of the Greater Japanese Empire was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945. ... Unit 1855 was a secret Imperial Japanese Army facility that focused on the development of biological weapons during World War II. It was operated by the Kempeitai, the Japanese military police. ... Body disposal at Unit 731 Unit 731 was a covert biological warfare research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that undertook lethal human experimentation during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) and World War II. It was responsible for some of the most notorious war crimes carried...

With Japan's surrender in World War II, on 15 August 1945, Beijing's name was changed back to Beiping. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... This article is about the day of the year. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Mao Zedong proclaiming the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949

A man stands before a column of tanks sent to Tiananmen Square to suppress the 1989 Tiananmen Square student protests.

Image File history File links PRCFounding. ... Image File history File links PRCFounding. ... Mao redirects here. ... Image File history File links Tianasquare. ... Image File history File links Tianasquare. ... For the 1989 protest, see Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. ... alternative Chinese name Traditional Chinese: Simplified Chinese: Literal meaning: Tiananmen Incident The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, widely known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, in China referred to as the June Fourth Incident to avoid confusion with the two other Tiananmen Square protests and as an act of official censorship...

People's Republic

On January 31, 1949, during the Chinese Civil War, Communist forces entered Beijing without a fight. On October 1 of the same year, the Communist Party of China, under the leadership of Mao Zedong, announced in Tiananmen the creation of the People's Republic of China in Beijing. Just a few days earlier, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference had decided that Beijing would be the capital of the new government, and that its name would be changed back to Beijing. is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Belligerents Nationalist Party of China Communist Party of China Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Mao Zedong Strength 4,300,000 (July 1946) 3,650,000 (June 1948) 1,490,000 (June 1949) 1,200,000 (July 1946) 2,800,000 (June 1948) 4,000,000 (June 1949) The Chinese Civil War... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Communist Party of China (CPC) (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), also known as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the ruling political party of the Peoples Republic of China and also the worlds largest political party. ... Mao redirects here. ... The Tiananmen The Gate of Heavenly Peace is the front entrance into the Imperial City A close-up of the rooftop The Tiananmen or Tiananmen (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Tiānānmén; Manchu: Abkai elhe obure duka), is the main entrance to the Imperial City, the... The Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (中国人民政治协商会议 Pinyin: Zhongguo renmin zhengzhi xieshang huiyi), abbreviated CPPCC, is an advisory body in the Peoples Republic of China. ...

At the time of the founding of the People's Republic, Beijing Municipality consisted of just its urban area and immediate suburbs. The urban area was divided into many small districts inside what is now the 2nd Ring Road. Since then several surrounding counties have been incorporated into the Municipality, enlarging the limits of Beijing Municipality by many times and giving it its present shape. The Beijing city wall was torn down between 1965 and 1969 to make way for the construction of the 2nd Ring Road. 2nd Ring Road (Eastern segment, taken in July of 2004) Yonghegong Lamasery from the 2nd Ring Road (Northern segment, taken in July of 2004) Located in the central of Beijing, the 2nd Ring Road (pinyin: Er Huan Lu) is just a few kilometres away from the city center and is... In the context of Political divisions of China, county is the standard English translation of 县 (xiàn). ... The city wall of Beijing was a fortification built around 1435. ... 2nd Ring Road (Eastern segment, taken in July of 2004) Yonghegong Lamasery from the 2nd Ring Road (Northern segment, taken in July of 2004) Located in the central of Beijing, the 2nd Ring Road (pinyin: Er Huan Lu) is just a few kilometres away from the city center and is...

Following the economic reforms of Deng Xiaoping, the urban area of Beijing has expanded greatly. Formerly within the confines of the 2nd Ring Road and the 3rd Ring Road, the urban area of Beijing is now pushing at the limits of the recently-constructed 5th Ring Road and 6th Ring Road, with many areas that were formerly farmland now developed residential or commercial districts. A new commercial area has developed in the Guomao area, Wangfujing and Xidan have developed into flourishing shopping districts, while Zhongguancun has become a major centre of electronics in China. Economic reforms have triggered internal migrations within China. ... Deng Xiaoping   (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Teng Hsiao-ping; August 22, 1904 â€“ February 19, 1997) was a prominent Chinese politician, pragmatist and reformer, as well as the late leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC). ... 2nd Ring Road (Eastern segment, taken in July of 2004) Yonghegong Lamasery from the 2nd Ring Road (Northern segment, taken in July of 2004) Central to Beijing, the 2nd Ring Road (pinyin: Er Huan Lu) lies just a few kilometres away from the city centre and is an extremely convenient... 3rd Ring Road (Southeastern segment, taken in July of 2004) The 3rd Ring Road pinyin: San Huan Lu) is a 48-kilometer city ring road that encircles the centre of the city of Beijing. ... Beijings 5th Ring Road (taken in March of 2003) The 5th Ring Road at Shangqing Bridge (July 2004 image) The Western 5th Ring Road nears the Western Hills in Beijing (July 2004 image) Beijings 5th Ring Road (Simplified Chinese: 五环路, Traditional Chinese: 五環路, Hanyu Pinyin: Wu Huan Lu... The 6th Ring Road (Simplified Chinese: 六环路, Hanyu Pinyin: Liu Huan Lu) is an expressway ring road in Beijing, China which runs around the city approximately 15-20 kilometres from the centre of the city. ... Guomao Bridge. ... Wangfujing, looking south (August 2004 image) Night view of Wangfujing (July 2004 image) Wangfujing street (Simplified Chinese 王府井; Hanyu Pinyin: WángfÇ”jǐng DàjiÄ“) in Beijing is one of the Chinese capitals most famous shopping streets. ... Xidan in Beijing (July 2004 image) Xidan (西单) is home to a commercial district in Beijing. ... Zhongguancun -- buildings and park-like landscape Zhongguancun Street -- a road through the tech hub Zhong Guan Cun (often Zhongguancun) is a technology hub in Beijing. ...

In recent years, the expansion of Beijing has also brought to the forefront some problems of urbanization, such as heavy traffic, poor air quality, the loss of historic neighbourhoods, and significant influx of migrants from poorer regions of the country, especially rural areas. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a standardized index of the air quality in a given location, given in parts per billion. ...

Early 2005 saw the approval by government of a plan to finally stop the sprawling development of Beijing in all directions. Development of the Chinese capital would now proceed in two semicircular bands just outside of the city centre (both west and east) instead of being in concentric rings.

Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of Beijing