Beijing is the capital of the most populous country in the world, the People's Republic of
China. It was also the seat of the Ming and Qing dynasty emperors until the formation of a
republic in 1911. As such it is rich in historical sites and important government
institutions.
The city is well known for its flatness and regular construction. There is only one hill to be
found in the city limits (in Jingshan Park to the north of the famous Forbidden City). Like
the configuration of the Forbidden City, Beijing has concentric "ring roads", which are
actually rectangular, that go around the metropolis.
Much of city is presently in upheaval as infrastructure is being frenetically constructed and
sights are being renovated for the Olympics; the best time to visit as a tourist will thus
probably be right after them.
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 centre of the People's Republic of China, while Shanghai and
Hong Kong predominate in economic fields.
Beijing is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. It will host the 2008 Summer
Olympics.
Beijing or Peking literally means "northern capital", in line with the common East Asian
tradition whereby capital cities are explicitly named as such. Peking is the name of the city
according to Chinese Postal Map Romanization, and the traditional customary name for
Beijing in English. 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 is represented in pinyin as j, as in Beijing), and is still used in
some languages (as in Russian, Serbian, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Polish and
Spanish).
The Communist Party of China reverted the name to Beijing (Peking) in 1949 again in
part to emphasize that Beijing had returned to its role as China's capital. The government
of the Republic of China on Taiwan has never formally recognized the name change, and
during the 1950s and 1960s it was common in Taiwan for Beijing to be called Beiping to
imply the illegitimacy of the PRC. Today though, almost all of Taiwan, including the ROC
government, uses Beijing, although some maps of China from Taiwan still use the old
name along with pre-1949 political boundaries.
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 , was
established in present-day Beijing.
After the fall of the Yan, the subsequent Qin, Han, and Jin dynasties set-up local
prefectures in the area. 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. This rebellion is often regarded as a turning point of Tang
dynasty, as the central government began to lose the control of the whole country.
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 annexed Liao, and in 1153 moved
its capital to Liao's Nanjing, calling it Zhongdu , "the central capital." Zhongdu was
situated in what is now the area centered around Tianningsi, slightly to the southwest of
central Beijing.
Mongol forces burned Zhongdu to the ground in 1215 and rebuilt it to the north of the Jin
capital in 1267. In preparation for the conquest of all of China, Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty
founder Kublai Khan made this his capital as Dadu , or Khanbaliq to the Mongols. This
site is known as Cambuluc in Marco Polo's accounts. Apparently, Kublai Khan, who
wanted to become a Chinese emperor, established his capital at this location instead of
more traditional sites in central China because it was closer to his power base in
Mongolia. 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
Mongol-era wall still standing.
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.
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 1900.
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.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Country People's Republic of China
County-level divisions 18
Township divisions 273
Settled ca. 473 BC
Area 16,801.25 km² (6,487 sq mi)
Elevation 43.5 m (143 ft)
Population 17,430,000
Density 1,037/km² (2,685.8/sq mi)
PLACE TO VISIT
Forbidden City - (also known as the Palace Museum) Get there when the gates
open (around 8.30am) if you want to walk through the vast and spectacular courtyards in
relative peace. This is truly the spot to appreciate the might and grandeur of the Imperial
Chinese court during the height of its power in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Despite the
transformation of the city around it, the Forbidden City remains mercifully relatively
untouched. A few years ago there was a lot of local fuss when a Starbucks coffee shop
opened in the Forbidden City, some interpreting this as a return to the bad old days of
colonial domination. However, in July 2007, Starbucks decided to close the shop as part
of the restoration of the Forbidden City, which is in part toning down the commercial
locations inside the city walls. There are a handful of other cafes and gift shops. Only 2/5
area of the palace is opened, but some places are under restorations and will be opened
before 2008. Current entry fee is ¥45. You can rent an audible guided tour which explains
certain temples and their uses for ¥40 with a ¥100 deposit
Tiananmen Square - Largest square in the world. Built by Mao to impress; his
riposte to the Forbidden City, the square is surrounded by Soviet-style monuments and
government buildings, and houses Mao's mausoleum at the end opposite the entrance
to the Forbidden City. It remains an astounding place and a spot to linger and see visitors
from all over China, many visiting their capital for the first time. There is a flag raising and
lowering ceremony at dawn and dusk. There are 4 marble lions in front of the Tiananmen
gate, the northwest one has a bullet hole on its stomach from the 1989 Tianamen Square
massacre (the lions are enclosed by fences, making the NW one nearly impossible to
see close up).
Temple of Heaven - south east of Qianmen and the Tiananmen Square. Not only a
beautiful sight, but also surrounded by a vast public park popular with local residents
practicing tai chi, dancing, and so on in the mornings and on weekends. Home to many
ancient trees, this is also the greenest place in Beijing. Just a short stroll away from the
historical sights will bring you to peaceful woods and, amazingly, solitude (especially
toward the West Gate). The temple itself was the site where the emperor prayed every
year for good harvests and fair weather.
Summer Palace - extensive gardens and the ruins of palaces constructed by the
Qing emperors. Most visitors stay in the front hill area, but if you prefer quiet places, the
west bank and back hill areas are good choices. There are some quiet and secret ruins,
caves, and other fun stuff in the back hill area.
Beijing Zoo and Aquarium - (they do have Pandas, but displays are not great,
your best bet is to go to the Panda Breeding Centre in Chengdu, Sichuan Province).
Some are concerned with the way animals are treated in the Zoo, but the aquarium is one
of the biggest in the world, and very impressive. The Zoo was built on the sites of some
ancient gardens, has lakes, pounds, pavilions and other beautiful old buildings. The
Soviet revival Beijing Exhibition Hall is located nearby and has a Russian restaurant,
"Moscow Restaurant".
Beihai Park - Beihai is a good place to take a glance at Zhongnanhai , heart of
Communist China. There's a big island and white pagoda which was built in the 17th
century. The giant buildings westward outside are PRC's Ministry of Defence and General
Staff, which, to be honest, ruin the scene of the west bank. On the north bank, you can visit
some small but beautiful gardens.
Yonghegong - (also known as Lama Temple or Palace of Peace) The temple was
built by Chinese emperors who harbored a deep fascination for the Tibetan (Tantric)
version of Buddhism. Over the years many Tibetan and Mongolian monks lived and
taught here, and there are still monks in residence today. The temple is famous for its
18m statue of Maitreya Buddha carved from a single piece of sandalwood. Visitors aren't
allowed to take pictures of holy statues inside most of the temples. You can view most of
buildings in an hour or less.
Prince Gong's Mansion - The garden is fulled with Chinese tourists, and the
mansion will be opened as a museum before 2008, which will display the life of princes
during the Qing dynasty
Legation Quarter - east of Tiananmen Square, once famous in the Boxer
Rebellion, the legation quarter is now occupied by government offices and army offices
but can still be seen from outside. There's a wonderful bakery store called "Sapporo"
near the legation quarter, famous for its breads and cheesecakes.
Fragrant Hills - in the northwestern corner of Beijing. A good place for weekend
outings and picnics. Formerly a Qing imperial garden, today Fragrant Hills makes an
easy short climb in the suburbs of Beijing. It's also home to the Fragrant Hills Hotel,
designed by I.M. Pei
Beijing Botanical Gardens -, steps away from the east gate of Fragrant Hill.
Acres of greenery and flowers for those tired of urban smog and traffic noise. Sir
Johnston, teacher of the last emperor Puyi, had a villa in Cherry Glen, a silent and
beautiful retreat in the Gardens. In the spring, the gardens hosts special exhibits of tulips,
peach and plum blossoms, peonies, and the like.
Hutongs - are Beijing's ancient alleyways, where you can find traditional Beijing
architecture. They date back to when Beijing was the capitol of the Yuan dynasty
(1266-1368). Most buildings in hutongs are made in the traditional siheyuan , or
courtyard, style. Many of these courtyard homes were originally occupied by aristocrats,
though after the Communist takeover in 1949 the aristocrats were pushed out and
replaced with poor families. Hutongs can still be found throughout the area within the 2nd
Ring Road, though many are being demolished to make way for new buildings and wider
roads. Most popular among tourists are the hutongs near Qianmen
Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution - is a great
place to read the official Chinese version of what happened in Chinese military history,
from ancient times up to 1949. There are also airplanes, boats, guns, missiles, rockets
and vehicles on display (including U.S. military hardware evidently seized during the
Korean conflict). The exhibit in "The Hall of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid
Korea" was unfortunately inaccessible as of April 2007. You can pay an extra ¥5 to take a
picture in a 1980's era Chinese tank. Entrance fee is ¥20.
China Aviation Museum - is a must see for all aviation fans. It is located about
50 km outside Beijing in Changping District and is probably better known by the name
Datangshan. Best way to get there is to arrange a taxi from your hotel. The other more
adventurous way is to take bus 912 from Andingmen bus station, just remember that 912
has some branch lines and not all of these go via museum. The museum hosts over 200
exhibits, many of them very rare. Entrance fee is ¥45.
WHAT TO DO
Rent a bicycle and traverse some of the remaining hutongs. See above for bike rental
information.
Visit the Temple of Heaven early in the morning to see thousands of Beijingers starting
the day with tai chi.
Have a highly enjoyable and relaxing foot massage and/or pedicure etc. (for a fraction of
the price in the West) from any of the respectable and professional offerings in central
Beijing (in the vicinity of the Beijing Hotel for example).
See a Beijing opera at the Laoshe Tea House near Qianmen station. There always are
short displays in the afternoon (about 40 min). They are free of admission, but you should
buy a cup of tea. Long displays are in the evening. You should book a seat in advance,
since the place is always crowded.
Enjoy life as the locals do at a spa complex. The Bigeast Ocean Gymnastic Club (ignore
the Gymnastic part, 200m eash of Huawei Bridge) has a huge sauna, 3 different kinds of
spas to soak in, a steam room, and showers. After a jaunt in the spa room, get dressed
up in pajamas and head upstairs to witness a variety show with comedians, singers, and
clowns. After the show, you can relax in the reclining sofa room or grab some snacks
from the cafe. The truly unique experience for someone who's "seen it all" in China.
HOW TO REACH
By Plane - Beijing Capital International Airport is located to the northeast of the
central districts, 26km from the city centre. The airport is being expanded at a furious
pace to be ready in time for the 2008 Olympics. Terminal 2, opened in 1999, is still new
and shiny, with contemporary abstract architecture, while Terminal 1 was renovated in
1995. Facilities on arrival include ATMs and money changers. Be aware that upon
departure, porters may want ¥10 to wheel your bags 50m to check-in and that most
eating options are rather outrageously priced. Before you cross through security, if you
want a bite to eat in the Terminal 1, there is a KFC which has lowered its prices a little,
and in Terminal 2, there are 2 KFCs, and the restaurants in the basement have relatively
low prices compared to what's above. A meal at any of these places should be around
¥20.
By Train - Beijing has many railway stations. Most trains arrive at the central or West
stations. Beijing Railway Station . In the heart of the city. Destinations include:
Changchun, Chengde, Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hefei, Jilin,
Nanjing, Qiqihar, Shanghai, Shenyang, Suzhou, Tianjin, and Yangzhou. The train for
Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar), Russia, and North Korea also leaves from here.
Beijing West Railway Station . Presently the largest. Desinations include: Changsha,
Chengdu, Chongqing, Datong, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Hefei, Hohhot, Hong
Kong, Kunming, Lanzhou, Lhasa, Ningbo, Qinhuangdao, Sanya, Shenzhen, Taiyuan,
Urumqi, Xi'an, and Xiamen.
By car - By the time of the Olympics in 2008, foreigners will be allowed to rent vehicles
while in China. Beijing is the hub of several expressways heading in all directions
By bus - Long-distance buses from areas as far as Shanghai and the Mongolian
border connect to Beijing. You can reach areas as far as Harbin or Xian on a single bus
ride. Beijing has over 20 long distance bus stations, but what you need to do is go to the
bus station located on the edge of the city in the direction you want to travel.
