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Beijing at a Glance
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Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is not only the nation's political centre, but also its cultural, scientific and educational heart as well as a key transportation hub. Beijing covers an area of 16,807,8 square kilometers stretching 160 kilometres from east to west and over 180 kilometres north to south. Beijing population is about 12 million including more than 3 million floating population. The majority of ethnic group which accounts for about 96.5% is Han, Others are Hui, Manchu, and Mongolian. The official language is Chinese (Mandarin).
Beijing is a world-famous city for its long history and splendid culture. Since 723 B.C. several cities, bearing various names, have existed at this site.
After the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) was founded, Beijing (Northern Capital) was made by Kublai Khan in 1263 the winter capital and a grand metropolitan city which became the center of international cultural exchanges in the Orient. The foundation of the layout of present Beijing was laid in 1404, when the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) decided to move the capital from Nanjing (Southern Capital) to Beijing and started a large-scale construction. Many of the ancient palace buildings, temple structures and gardens that are still visible today can be traced back to this period or later.
Weak Ming rulers and corrupt bureaucrats finally doomed the Ming Dynasty. The last Ming emperor hanged himself behind the Imperial Palace and the Qing succeeded the Ming and ruled China in Beijing from 1644 to 1910.
The city changed hands repeatedly during the civil wars that followed the establishment of the Chinese Republic in 1911_12. From 1912 to 1927, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hankou alternated as centers of government. In 1928, when the seat of government was transferred to Nanjing (southern capital), the name Beiping (Ågnorthern peaceÅh) was adopted. Japan occupied the city after the famous LuGou Bridge incident in 1937. The Japanese made the city the capital of a puppet state (Dec., 1937).
With the end of World War II and the abolition of the last foreign concessions (1946), the city was entirely restored to Chinese sovereignty. On Oct 1, 1949, The Communist proclaimed Beijing as the capital of Republic of China.
Since the country introduced the open door reforms policies in 1979, Beijing has rapidly developed. Hundreds of new buildings, hotels, and cultural centers now dot the city and its suburbs, and modern construction has increased since the 1990s. While seeking for industrialization, the Government is also carrying out a conservation program to protect the traditional houses in the downtown area to partly maintain Beijing's original outlook.
Today's Beijing is mingled with tradition and modernity. Now it not only maintains the same dignity and beauty of the ancient capital but also exhibits the elegance and style of the new age. It has becomes a magnificent and contemporary city that is on its way to modernization.
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About China
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