Introduction of Beijing

Beijing is the historic cultural city well known in the world and has been becoming the capital of the People's Republic of China ever since 1949. As the cultures, landscapes, and historic relics are concentrated here, Beijing is the tourist resort that attracts all the people from the world

Historical evolution

Five hundred thousand years ago, primitives lived in Zhoukoudian in the southwest 50 km away from Beijing and are named Peking Man who were the earliest residents of the region. The earliest written history of Beijing can be traced to 3000 years ago. In 586 BC, the Feud Yen of Zhou Dynasty established Yan State and made this place ifs capital and named it as ji City.

Beijing was thus called Yanjing afterward. After Yan was conquered by Oin state, the city remained a place of military importance in northern area. In early 10 century AD, the people of Khitan nationality established Liao Dynasty, and the city was made an alternate capital then and renamed as Nanjing. In 1125, the Nuchen nationality became prosperous and powerful. After they conquered Liao and established Jin Dynasty, they established the city officially as the capital of Jin Dynasty and was named Zhongdu (Central Metropolis).

A large-scale construction was carried out and 36 luxurious palaces were built here. The location of Zhongdu is in area of Guang'an Men today, but unfortunately it was burned out by mutinous soldiers in 1215. Just in the year, Mongolian began to invade southwards. They seized Zhongdu and put an end to Jin Dynasty. Before long, Mongolian troops wiped out the Southern Song Dynasty and unified the whole China. In 1267, the Yuan Dynasty was established and this city was rebuilt as the capital and named as Dadu (Grand Metropolis). Since then, Dadu of Yuan Dynasty became the political center of the whole countrv. The Yuan uynasty re-designed and rebuild a new City centered at the Daning Palace, the detached palace of Jin Dynasty (presently it is the Beihai Park), which was located in the east suburb of Zhongdu of Jin Dynasty.

This formed the predecessor of old Beijing city. In 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the Yuan Dynasty and established the Ming Dynasty. The capital was founded in Nanjing in the southern China in the early period of the Ming and Dadu was renamed as Beiping and those imperial palaces of Yuan Dynasty were pulled down.

When Zhu Di took over the throne, he moved the capital to Beiping and renamed it as Beijing in order to enforce his rule in the north. The city was called Beijing hence.

With 20-year construction, the capital of the Ming Dynasty was officially moved into Beijing. In the year of 1644 when the troops of the Qing Dynasty invaded through the northeastern pass, the Ming Dynasty was terminated and the Qing Dynasty continued to take Beijing as its capital.

After the People's Republic of China was founded on October 1st, 1949, Beijing becomes the capital of new China.

Abundant historic sites and brilliant cultures

During such a long period of development, the people of many Chinese nationalities created brilliant cultures for Beijing. The world-famous Great Wall winds on lofty mountains and steep ridges in the northwest of Beijing.

The intact architectural complex of the Forbidden City locates spectacularly in the center of whole city. Ancient historic relics, imperial mausoleums, tombs, stone inscriptions, ancient towers.temDles and so on spread all over Beijing such as the elaborated Lugou Bridge, famous ancient observatory and well-configured classic gardens which are bright reflections of Chinese people's intelligence. And what's more, the natural landscapes in the outskirts are picturesque and enchanting.

Typical Beijing food and dishes have their own peculiar characteristics. A lot of famous Beijing delicacies, such as royal dishes Beijing roast duck, instant-boiled mutton and grilled meat not only have absorbed advantages of the dishes of the other regions, but also have created their own unique peculiarities. In various restaurants of Beijing, all the cuisines of the whole country and even the whole world can be appreciated here.

Beijing Today

Present Beijing not only preserves me styles and features of the ancient city, but also develops it as a modern city in new era. Ancient and modem styles interweave and compose a charming and particular sight in Beijing.

The old Beijing city was carefully designed and constructed and its center was at the Forbidden City to form a neat, strict and beautiful configuration. Since 1949, especially after the policy of opening and reform was implemented in 1979, Beijing has developed into an emerging modem city.

High-tech industries and scientific and cultural facilities develop rapidly; city construction changes quickly; and highways in outskirts extend in all directions. Based on the old city, nowadays Beijing has become several times bigger than that before in size.

Skyscrapers have been erupted from level ground one by one, more and more expresses are going to all quarters of the country, and the public traffic, subway and civil aviation are also continuously developed. Beijing is a modem and intemationalized metropolis with many museums, exhibition and memorial halls, big theaters, concert halls, recreation clubs and large department stores that attract tens of thousands of tourists every day.

Beijing people have the tradition of hospitality, and the changing and developing Beijing is looking forward to your visit.