History of Beijing
Beijing is both an old and a new city, old in its cultural heritage,and new as the capital of the People's Republic of China. |
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The story of Beijing dates back long before the recorded history. The fragments of the bones of "Peking Man", dated to a period about 300,000 - 500,000 years ago, were discovered in a village to the southwest of the present-day city. In the same area, the fossils of the "Upper Cave Man"dating back 18,000 years were also found. In the last 1,000 years, it has been China's political and cultural center. Beijing was established as the secondary capital of the Liao Kingdom (916-1125) in 938. In the Jin Kingdom (1115-1234) in 1151, Beijing began to serve as the central capital.
After the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) was founded, Beijing 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 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.
Following the 1911 revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty, Beijing became the arena of important political events, such as the May Fourth Movement. On October 1, 1949, Beijing became the capital of the New China. Today's Beijing is mingled with tradition and modernity. 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. |
Brief Information
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Area |
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Poplation |
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Beijing has a whole area of 16808 sq km (about 6500 sq mi). |
The city has a total number of 13 million residents. |
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Asministrative Divisions |
City Tree |
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Beijing consists of 11 urban and sub-urban districts and 8 counties. |
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Beijing's city emblem trees are the Chinese Scholartree and the cypress. |
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City Flowers |
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Attention |
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Beijing's city emblem flowers are the rose and chrysanthemum. |
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Smoking is not allowed in public places in Beijing, such as hospitals, office builidings, theatres, cinemas, museums, planes, and trains. |
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Social Programs and Tours
Beijing is unique in history, culture and characteristics. One cannot understand the Orient without visiting China, and neither can one understand China without visiting Beijing.
The city was at the heart of the nation from the height of China's dynastic splendor 600 years ago to the collapse of feudal society in 1911. It was a capital of the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, and home to 34 emperors who ruled China's vast territory. Such a rich history has bequeathed many famous historic sites of great aesthetic and cultural value. The Great Wall, a huge project begun more than 2000 years ago, winds its way along the mountains and valleys bordering northern Beijing. The Forbidden City represents the crystallization of ancient Chinese architecture. A walk through the city reveals dozens of places worth more than just one visit: mansions, gardens, gate towers, temples, former residences of celebrities and sites where historic events took place.
During the International Congress of Mathematicians in 2002, a program of guided tours to the sites of historical and cultural interest will be arranged to provide the accompanying guests and the congress participants an opportunity to appreciate the splendid culture of the Chinese nation. In addition, tours to the local residential areas on the ride of a rickshaw and to the children's extracurricular activities center will also be organized to give the accompanying guests a feel of the local life.
Presented here are the most-beloved attractions no visitor to Beijing can afford to miss.
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