Beijing (bei means north and jing means capital), a world famous ancient city and young metropolis, the capital city of the People's Republic of China, is the seat of power for the most populous and fastest developing country in the world. Chinese call their capital Jing for short, and the name Peking, dating from a time before the standardization of the Chinese language, is still used in many languages around the world.
Beijing has a long history, tied to the history of its name. Archeological findings show that Peking Man, dated 500,000 years ago, lived for a very long time in Zhoukoudian, a cave system in Beijing Municipality. From the warring states period (473 – 221 BC), Beijing was the capital of Yan State and was called Ji. In the Liao Dynasty (938) it was named Nanjing (Southern Capital). It was changed to Zhongdu (Central Capital) in 1153, when it became the capital of the Jin Dynasty. In 1283, Beijing became the capital city of the Yuan Dynasty and was called Dadu (Great Capital) by its Mongol rulers. In 1368 the Ming Dynasty overthrew the Mongols and called Beijing Beiping (Northern Peace). From 1421 it was known as Jingshi (Model Capital) and when the Qing Dynasty captured Beijing in 1644, it continued with that name. During the Republican Era the capital was called Beijing in 1911, then Nanjing became the capital of China briefly in 1928, and Beijing reverted to the name Beiping. When Mao began the Era of the People’s Republic in 1949, Beijing was set in its current position (with its current name) as national capital (shoudu).
China, with the loess plains of the Yellow River and Mongolia to the west, old Manchuria to the north, the Bohai Sea connected to the Pacific to the East, and the rest of China to the south. It is at approximately the same latitude as Philadelphia in the U.S. (though much drier) and Madrid in Spain (though much colder). See Beijing Weather for more details.
Beijing Municipality lies on the northwest of the North China (Huabei) Plain, around 150 kilometers northwest from the Bohai Sea and Tianjin’s port. Measuring over 16, 800 square kilometers, Beijing has a total population of approximately 17.5 million. It is China’s second largest city after Shanghai. To the north of the city are the Jundu Mountains, to the west the West (Xi) Mountains, and to the south and east of the municipality is the alluvial plain formed by the Yongding and Chaobai rivers. 39% of the municipality is flat, the city and surrounding plain, and the other 61%, to the west and north where the Great Wall winds along the ridges, is mountainous. The centre of Beijing is 44 meters above sea level. Beijing has a large variety of minerals and metals such as coal, iron and high-class construction materials like granite and white marble.
Beijing is populated by several ethnic groups, mainly Han, with some Hui, Manchu, and Mongol people. The city flowers of Beijing are the rose and, to a lesser extent, the chrysanthemum. The production of traditional craftworks has a long history and is famous for its exquisiteness. See Beijing Shopping. Beijing has four distinct seasons: the gentle and bright spring, the hot summer, the golden autumn and the snow-white winter. Each of these seasons has its own unique characteristics and beauty.
Beijing is the centre of politics, science, education, culture and art, and one of the economic centers, of the Peoples’ Republic of China. As one of the largest ancient cities on this planet, Beijing is home to a large number of natural and manmade wonders, and cultural heritage, which not only belong to China, but also to the rest of the world. Functioning as a window for China to communicate with the outside world, Beijing is a dynamic city with a full range of industries, and a place where many cultures meet and blend.
Beijing's entry into the high-tech age is evidenced by its own booming ‘Silicon Valley’ –Zhongguancun (Center Guard Village). Near this science park the internationally known universities, Beijing University and Qinghua (Pure China) University produce graduates who are very capable of competing with the best in the world.