Municipality of Beijing/Peking 北京市 Běijīng Shì
The Temple of Heaven in Beijing
Location of Beijing Municipality within China
Coordinates: 39°54′20″N 116°23′29″E / 39.90556, 116.39139
Country	People's Republic of China
County-level divisions	18
Township divisions	273
Settled	c.473 BC
Government
- CPC Beijing	Liu Qi Committee Secretary
- Mayor	Guo Jinlong
Area (ranked 29th)
- Municipality	16,801. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES See also Administrative divisions of the Republic of China Due to China 's large Population and area the political divisions of China have consisted See also Administrative divisions of the Republic of China Due to China 's large Population and area the political divisions of China have consisted Circa (often abbreviated c, ca, ca or cca and sometimes Italicized to show it is Latin) means "about" The Communist Party of China ( CPC) ( also known as the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of the Liu Qi ( Chinese: 刘淇 Pinyin: Liú Qí b November 1942 is the CPC Beijing Committee Secretary first-in-charge of Beijing and also a member A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Guo Jinlong ( Chinese: 郭金龙 Pinyin: Guō Jīnlóng born July 1947 is a politician of the People's Republic of China and Mayor of Beijing Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China (PRC including all provinces autonomous regions special administrative Direct-controlled municipality (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) is the highest level classificiation for Cities used by Chinese governments with status equal to 25 km² (6,487 sq mi)
Elevation	43. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. 5 m (143 ft)
Population (2007)
- Municipality	17,430,000
- Density	1,037. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Direct-controlled municipality (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) is the highest level classificiation for Cities used by Chinese governments with status equal to Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 4/km² (2,686. 9/sq mi)
- Urban	8,495,000
- Ranks in China	Population: 26th; Density: 4th
- Major nationalities	Han: 96% Manchu: 2% Hui: 2% Mongolian: 0. This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China (PRC including all provinces autonomous regions municipalities This articles lists of the first-level administrative divisions of People's Republic of China (P The following is a list of ethnic groups in China where "China" is taken to mean areas controlled by either of the two states using "China" in their formal Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world. The Manchu people ( Manchu: Manju;, Mongolian: Манж Russian: Маньчжуры are a Tungusic people who originated in The Hui people ( Xiao'erjing: حُوِ ذَو) are a Chinese ethnic group, typically distinguished by their practice of Islam. 3%
Time zone	China Standard Time (UTC+8)
Postal code	100000 - 102600
Area code(s)	+86/10
License plate prefixes	京A, C, E, F, H, J, K, L 京B (taxis) 京G (outside urban area) 京O (police and authorities) 京V (military headquarters, central government)
ISO 3166-2	cn-11
GDP (2007)	CNY 887. China standard time or Beijing time is the Time zone observed in the People's Republic of China ( PRC) UTC+8 is a band of Timezones separated from the Greenwich Mean Time by 8 hours A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks The People's Republic of China issues vehicles Licence plates at its Vehicle Management Offices under the administration of the Ministry of Public Security ISO 3166-2 is the second part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 9 billion (10th)
- per capita	CNY 57,431 (2nd)
HDI (2005)	0. This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of Mainland China (including all provinces autonomous regions and municipalities in order of their total Gross This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China (PRC including all provinces autonomous regions and municipalities in order of The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 882 (2nd) — high
City trees Chinese arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis) Pagoda tree (Sophora japonica)City flowers Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) Chinese rose (Rosa chinensis)
Website: www.beijing.gov.cn(Chinese) www.ebeijing.gov.cn (English)

Beijing (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: Běijīng; Wade-Giles: Peiching or Pei3-ching1; IPA: [pèitɕíŋ]; Chinese Postal Map Romanization: Peking; pronunciation (help·info)), a metropolis in Northern China, is the capital of the People's Republic of China (PRC). A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or Platycladus is a distinct Genus of Evergreen coniferous Tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae, containing only one Styphnolobium is a small genus of three or four species of small Trees and Shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also Chrysanthemums, often called 'mums' are a genus ( Chrysanthemum) of about 30 species of perennial Flowering plants in the family Asteraceae A rose is a perennial flowering Shrub or vine of the Genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Wade-Giles (ˌweɪdˈʤaɪlz) sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization system (phonetic notation and Transcription) for the Mandarin Chinese Postal Map Romanization ( Traditional Chinese: 郵政式拼音 Simplified Chinese: 邮政式拼音 Pinyin: Yóuzhèngshì Pīnyīn refers to the A metropolis (from the Greek μήτηρ mētēr meaning 'mother' and πόλις pólis meaning 'city/town' is a big City, in most cases with China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES It is also known in English as Peking (English pronunciation (info)). Beijing is also one of the four municipalities of the PRC, which are equivalent to provinces in China's administrative structure and is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Direct-controlled municipality (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) is the highest level classificiation for Cities used by Chinese governments with status equal to A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division See also Administrative divisions of the Republic of China Due to China 's large Population and area the political divisions of China have consisted The Chinese phrase Four Great Ancient Capitals of China ( traditionally refers to Beijing, Nanjing, Luoyang, and Chang'an ( Xi'an ^[1] Beijing Municipality borders Hebei Province to the north, west, south, and for a small section in the east, and Tianjin Municipality to the southeast. ( Postal map spelling: Hopeh) is a northern province of the People's Republic of China. ( Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is the second largest city in northern coastal China. ^[2]

Beijing is China's second largest city, after Shanghai. Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million 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 center of the People's Republic of China, while Shanghai and Hong Kong predominate in economic fields. Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency The Culture of China (traditional Chinese 中國文化 simplified Chinese 中国文化 is home to one of the world's oldest and most complex Civilizations covering a history Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area ^[3] The city will host the 2008 Summer Olympics. ^[1]

Names

Beijing or Peking (北京) means "northern capital", in line with the common East Asian tradition whereby capital cities are explicitly named as such. Other cities that are similarly named include Nanjing (南京), China, meaning "southern capital"; Tokyo (東京), Japan, and Đông Kinh (Chinese: 東京, now Hanoi), Vietnam, both meaning "eastern capital"; as well as Kyoto (京都), Japan, and Gyeongseong (京城; now Seoul), Korea, both meaning simply "capital". ( Chinese: 南京 Romanizations Nánjīng ( Pinyin) Nan-ching ( Wade-Giles officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Hanoi ( Vietnamese: Hà Nội Hán Tự: 河[[wikt 内|内]], estimated population 3398889 (2007, is the Capital of Vietnam Hanoi ( Vietnamese: Hà Nội Hán Tự: 河[[wikt 内|内]], estimated population 3398889 (2007, is the Capital of Vietnam Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Gyeongseong is a Sino-Korean word for "capital city" and was in occasional use to refer to Seoul throughout the Joseon Dynasty, having earlier Seoul ( soʊl is the Capital and largest City of South Korea. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia.

Peking is the name of the city according to Chinese Postal Map Romanization, and the traditional customary name for Beijing in English (passports issued by the British Embassy are still printed as being issued by the "British Embassy, Peking"). Chinese Postal Map Romanization ( Traditional Chinese: 郵政式拼音 Simplified Chinese: 邮政式拼音 Pinyin: Yóuzhèngshì Pīnyīn refers to the 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 [kʲ] to [tɕ]^[4] ([tɕ] is represented in pinyin as j, as in Beijing). Sound change includes any processes of Language change that affect pronunciation ( phonetic change) or sound system structures ( Phonological change Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use It is still used in many languages (as in French (Pékin), Italian (Pechino), Spanish (Pekín), Portuguese (Pequim), Lithuanian (Pekinas), Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Czech, and Polish). French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Bulgarian (български език IPA: ɛzˈik is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Serbian (sr-Cyrl српски језик sr-Latn ''srpski jezik'' is a South Slavic language, Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. Czech (ˈʧɛk čeština ˈʧɛʃcɪna in Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers it is the majority language in the Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland.

The city has been renamed several times. Geographical renaming is the act of changing the name of a geographical feature or area During the Jin Dynasty, the city was known as Zhongdu (中都) , and then later under the Mongol Yuan Dynasty as Dadu (大都) in Chinese^[5] , and Khanbaliq^[6] in Mongolian (recorded as Cambuluc^[3] by Marco Polo). This is an article for the Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115–1234 For other Chinese dynasties whose names are also rendered "Jin" in Pinyin, see Jin Dynasty The Yuan Dynasty ( Pinyin: Yuáncháo Dai Ön Ulus (Дай Юан Улс was a ruling Dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khanbaliq or Cambuluc / Cambaluc, also Kaan-baligh ("Great residence of the Khan " is the ancient Mongol name for the city The Mongolian language (mn [[ImageMonggol kelesvg 17px]] Mongɣol kele, Cyrillic: Монгол хэл Mongol khel) is the best-known member of Marco Polo ( September 15 1254 – January 9 1324 at earliest but no later than June 1325 was a Venetian trader and explorer Twice in the city's history, the name was changed from "Beijing" (Peking) to Peiping (Beiping) (北平 Pinyin: Beiping; Wade-Giles: Pei-p'ing), literally "Northern Peace". Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Wade-Giles (ˌweɪdˈʤaɪlz) sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization system (phonetic notation and Transcription) for the Mandarin This occurred first under the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and again in 1928 with the Kuomintang (KMT) government of the Republic of China. Early life Zhu Yuanzhang was born in 1328 in Pei County Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province as the youngest of four sons The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES ^[3] On each occasion, the name change removed the element meaning "capital" (jing or king, Chinese: 京) to reflect the fact the national capital had changed to Nanjing. ( Chinese: 南京 Romanizations Nánjīng ( Pinyin) Nan-ching ( Wade-Giles The city's name was also twice changed from "Beiping" (Peiping) to "Beijing" (Peking). This occurred first under the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who moved the capital from Nanjing back to Beijing, and again in 1949, when the Communist Party of China restored Beijing as China's capital after the founding of the People's Republic of China. The Yongle Emperor ( Wade-Giles: Yung-lo May 2, 1360 &ndash August 12, 1424) born Zhu Di ( Chu Ti The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led ( Chinese: 南京 Romanizations Nánjīng ( Pinyin) Nan-ching ( Wade-Giles The Communist Party of China ( CPC) ( also known as the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of the Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES ^[3]

The history section below outlines other historical names of Beijing.

History

Main article: History of Beijing

Early history

Zhoukoudian

The earliest remnants of human habitation in the Beijing municipality are found in the caves of Dragon Bone Hill near the village of Zhoukoudian in Fangshan District, where the Peking Man lived. The history of Beijing or Peking can be traced back 3000 years when it was the capital of the ancient State of Yan There were cities in the vicinities of Beijing Zhoukoudian or Choukoutien ( is a cave system near Beijing in China. Zhoukoudian or Choukoutien ( is a cave system near Beijing in China. Fangshan District ( Simplified Chinese: 房山区 Traditional Chinese: 房山區 Hanyu Pinyin: Fángshān Qū is situated in the southwest of Beijing Peking Man (now in pinyin as Beijing Man) also called Sinanthropus pekinensis (currently Homo erectus pekinensis) is an example of Homo erectus Homo erectus fossils from the caves date to 230,000 to 250,000 years ago. Homo erectus ( Latin: "upright man" is an extinct species of the genus Homo, believed to have been the first hominin Paleolithic homo sapiens also lived there about 27,000 years ago^[7]. The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone" Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus 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 (薊/蓟), was established in present-day Beijing. The 1st millennium BC encompasses the Iron Age and sees the rise of successive empires Yan ( was a state during the Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods in China. The Warring States Period ( also known as the Era of Warring States covers the period from some time in the 5th century BC to the unification of China by the ^[8]

After the fall of the Yan, the subsequent Qin, Han, and Jin dynasties set-up local prefectures in the area. Yan ( was a state during the Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods in China. Not to be confused with the Qing Dynasty, the last dynasty of China The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Jìn Dynasty ( 265 – 420) one of the Six Dynasties, followed the Three Kingdoms period and preceded the Southern and Northern Dynasties ^[8] In Tang Dynasty it became the headquarter for Fanyang jiedushi, the virtual military governor of current northern Hebei area. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by The Jiedushi ( were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. ( Postal map spelling: Hopeh) is a northern province of the People's Republic of China. An Lushan launched An Shi Rebellion from here in 755 AD. Background and Name An Lushan's mother was of Tujue ethnicity from the Ashide clan and served as a sorceress The An Shi Rebellion ( took place in China during the Tang Dynasty, from December 16 755 to February 17 763.

The Pagoda of Tianning Temple near Guang'anmen in Beijing, built in 1120 during the Liao Dynasty. For the modern pagoda in Changzhou, see Pagoda of Tianning Temple (Changzhou The Pagoda of Tianning Temple ( located in Guang'anmen

Medieval period

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. Note that there are four periods of Chinese history using the name "Jin" (see clarification here. The Khitan (or Khitai,) were a Nomadic people, located in Mongolia and modern Manchuria (Northeast China from the 4th century dominating much of it The Liao Dynasty ( 907 - 1125, also known as the Khitan Empire (契丹國 was an empire in northern China that ruled over the regions of Manchuria In 938, the Liao Dynasty set up a secondary capital in what is now Beijing, and called it Nanjing (the "Southern Capital"). The Liao Dynasty ( 907 - 1125, also known as the Khitan Empire (契丹國 was an empire in northern China that ruled over the regions of Manchuria In 1125, the Jurchen Jin Dynasty conquered Liao, and in 1153 moved its capital to Liao's Nanjing, calling it Zhongdu (中都), "the central capital. The Jurchens ( were a Tungus people who inhabited the region of Manchuria ( Northeast China) until the 17th century when they adopted the name Manchu This is an article for the Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115–1234 For other Chinese dynasties whose names are also rendered "Jin" in Pinyin, see Jin Dynasty "^[8] Zhongdu was situated in what is now the area centered around Tianningsi, slightly to the southwest of central Beijing. Some of the oldest existing relics in Beijing including the Niujie Mosque and the Tianning Temple date to the Liao era. The Niujie Mosque ( is the oldest Mosque in Beijing, China. It was first built in 996 and was reconstructed as well as enlarged under the Qing Emperor

Mongol forces burned Zhongdu to the ground in 1215 and rebuilt it to the north of the Jin capital in 1267. The Mongol Empire ( Mongolyn Ezent Güren or mn Их Mонгол улс Ikh Mongol Uls; 1206–1368 was the largest contiguous Empire ^[9] In preparation for the conquest of all of China, Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty founder Kublai Khan made this his capital as Dadu (大都, Chinese for "great capital")^[9], or Khanbaliq to the Mongols, otherwise spelled as Cambuluc in Marco Polo's accounts. The Yuan Dynasty ( Pinyin: Yuáncháo Dai Ön Ulus (Дай Юан Улс was a ruling Dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Early years Kublai Khan studied Chinese culture and became enamoured of it Khanbaliq or Cambuluc / Cambaluc, also Kaan-baligh ("Great residence of the Khan " is the ancient Mongol name for the city Written Chinese comprises the written symbols used to represent Spoken Chinese and the rules about how they are arranged and punctuated Khanbaliq or Cambuluc / Cambaluc, also Kaan-baligh ("Great residence of the Khan " is the ancient Mongol name for the city Marco Polo ( September 15 1254 – January 9 1324 at earliest but no later than June 1325 was a Venetian trader and explorer ^[8] Construction of Dadu finished in 1293. ^[8] The decision of the Khan greatly enhanced the status of a city that had been situated on the northern fringe of China proper. China proper (also known as Inner China) refers to the historical lands of China where the Han Chinese are the majority Ethnic group, in contrast 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. Located in the central of Beijing, the 2nd Ring Road ( Pinyin: Er Huan Lu is just a few kilometres away from the city center and is a convenient alternative road The 3rd Ring Road ( Simplified Chinese:三环路 Hanyu Pinyin:Sān Huán Lù is a 48-kilometer city ring road that encircles the centre of the city of The 4th Ring Road ( Hanyu Pinyin: Si Huan Lu is an express route ring road in Beijing, China which runs around the city approximately 8 kilometres from There are remnants of Yuan-era wall still standing and are known as the Tucheng (土城 literally, the 'earth wall'). ^[10]

Ming and Qing period

A corner tower of the Forbidden City, located at the middle of Beijing. The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial Palace from the mid- Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty.

After the fall of the Yuan Dynasty in 1368, the city was later rebuilt by the Ming Dynasty and Shuntian (順天) prefecture was established in the area around the city. The Yuan Dynasty ( Pinyin: Yuáncháo Dai Ön Ulus (Дай Юан Улс was a ruling Dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led ^[11] In 1403, the third Ming Emperor Yongle moved the Ming capital south to Nanjing (Nanking) from the renamed Beiping (北平), or "northern peace". The Emperor of China ( refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning since the founding of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC until the fall of The Yongle Emperor ( Wade-Giles: Yung-lo May 2, 1360 &ndash August 12, 1424) born Zhu Di ( Chu Ti ( Chinese: 南京 Romanizations Nánjīng ( Pinyin) Nan-ching ( Wade-Giles ^[9] During the Ming Dynasty, Beijing took its current shape, and the Ming-era city wall served as the Beijing city wall until modern times, when it was pulled down and the 2nd Ring Road was built in its place. The City wall of Beijing was a Fortification built around 1435 Located in the central of Beijing, the 2nd Ring Road ( Pinyin: Er Huan Lu is just a few kilometres away from the city center and is a convenient alternative road ^[12]

It is believed that Beijing was the largest city in the world from 1425 to 1650 and from 1710 to 1825. It is now the 17th largest city in the world. ^[13]

Panorama view of the Forbidden City, home to the Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial Palace from the mid- Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. The Emperor of China ( refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning since the founding of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC until the fall of The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China

The Forbidden City was constructed soon after that (1406-1420),^[9] followed by the Temple of Heaven (1420),^[14] and numerous other construction projects. The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial Palace from the mid- Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Tian Tan redirects here For the Big Buddha statue in Hong Kong, see Tian Tan Buddha The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar 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. The Tian'anmen ( literally the "Gate of Heavenly Peace" is a famous monument in Beijing, the capital of People's Republic of China. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Yongle moved the Ming capital back north to Beiping in 1421 as a measure to guard the empire against the Mongols and control the northern armies; he also renamed Beiping to Beijing (北京), or "northern capital". ^[9]

For 40 days in 1644, Li Zicheng led a peasant uprising against the Ming regime. Li Zicheng ( ( September 22, 1606 - 1644 born Lĭ Hóngjī (鴻基 was one of the major figures in the rebellion that brought down the Ming Dynasty China Following the end of Li's control of the city, the Manchus captured Beijing. After the Manchus overthrew the Ming Dynasty and established the Qing Dynasty in its place, Beijing remained China's capital throughout the Qing period. The Manchu people ( Manchu: Manju;, Mongolian: Манж Russian: Маньчжуры are a Tungusic people who originated in The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China ^[15] 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 the 1900. The Boxer Rebellion, or Boxer Movement, was an uprising by members of the Chinese Society of Right and Harmonious Fists against foreign influence

Republican era

The Xinhai Revolution of 1911, aimed at replacing Qing rule with a republic, originally intended to establish its capital at Nanjing. The Xinhai Revolution or Shinhai Revolution ( also known as the 1911 Revolution or the Chinese Revolution, began with the Wuchang Uprising ( Chinese: 南京 Romanizations Nánjīng ( Pinyin) Nan-ching ( Wade-Giles 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. Yuan Shikai ( Courtesy Weiting 慰亭 Pseudonym: Rong'an 容庵 ( September 16, 1859 &ndash June 6, REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES

Yuan gradually consolidated power, culminating in his declaration of a Chinese Empire in late 1915 with himself as emperor. The move was highly unpopular, and Yuan himself died less than a year later, ending his brief reign. China then fell under the control of regional warlords, and the most powerful factions fought frequent wars (the Zhili-Anhui War, the First Zhili-Fengtian War, and the Second Zhili-Fengtian War) to take control of the capital at Beijing.

Student protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1919. Tiananmen Square ( is the large Plaza near the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen (literally Gate of Heavenly Peace The May Fourth Movement ( was an anti- imperialist, cultural and political movement in early modern China.

Following the success of the Kuomintang (KMT)'s Northern Expedition which pacified the warlords of the north, Nanjing was officially made the capital of the Republic of China in 1928, and Beijing was renamed Beiping (Peip'ing) (北平) on June 28 that year^[16], in English meaning "northern peace" or "north pacified". The Northern Expedition ( was a military campaign led by the Kuomintang (KMT from 1926 to 1928. ^[3]

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Beiping fell to Japan on 29 July 1937. The Second Sino-Japanese War ( July 7, 1937 to September 9, 1945) was a major war fought between the Republic of China and the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[3] During the occupation, the city was reverted to its former name, Beijing, and made the seat of the Provisional Government of the Republic of China, a puppet state that ruled the ethnic Chinese portions of Japanese-occupied northern China. The was a Japanese Puppet state that existed from 1937 to 1940 during the Second Sino-Japanese War. A puppet state is a State that is nominally independent but in reality under the control of another power Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world. Northern China or North China ( literally "China's north" is a Geographical region of China. It was later merged into the larger Wang Jingwei Government based in Nanjing. The Wang Jingwei Government was a Government under the leadership of Wang Jingwei in the Republic of China, set up by the Empire of Japan The Imperial Japanese Army established in the city the bacteriological research unit 1855, a section of unit 731 where Japanese doctors experimented on humans. The Imperial Japanese Army ( IJA) ( Kyūjitai: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国陸軍 Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku Unit 1855 was a secret Imperial Japanese Army facility that focused on the development of Biological weapons during World War II. was a covert biological and Chemical warfare research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that undertook lethal human experimentation during

With Japan's surrender in World War II, on 15 August 1945, Beijing's name was changed back to Beiping. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar

Mao Zedong proclaiming the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949

A man stands before a column of tanks sent to Tiananmen Square to suppress the 1989 Tiananmen Square student protests. Mao Zedong ( 26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese Military and political leader who led Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Tiananmen Square ( is the large Plaza near the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen (literally Gate of Heavenly Peace The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 culminating in the Tiananmen Square Massacre (referred to in Chinese as the June Fourth Incident, to avoid confusion with two

People's Republic

On January 31, 1949, during the Chinese Civil War, Communist forces entered Beijing without a fight. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On October 1 of the same year, the Communist Party of China, under the leadership of Mao Zedong, announced in Tiananmen the creation of the People's Republic of China in Beijing. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. The Communist Party of China ( CPC) ( also known as the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of the Mao Zedong ( 26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese Military and political leader who led The Tian'anmen ( literally the "Gate of Heavenly Peace" is a famous monument in Beijing, the capital of People's Republic of China. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Just a few days earlier, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference had decided that Beijing would be the capital of the new government, and that its name would be changed back to Beijing. The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference ( People's Political Consultative Conference

At the time of the founding of the People's Republic, Beijing Municipality consisted of just its urban area and immediate suburbs. The urban area was divided into many small districts inside what is now the 2nd Ring Road. Located in the central of Beijing, the 2nd Ring Road ( Pinyin: Er Huan Lu is just a few kilometres away from the city center and is a convenient alternative road Since then several surrounding counties have been incorporated into the Municipality, enlarging the limits of Beijing Municipality by many times and giving it its present shape. In the context of Political divisions of China, county is the standard English translation of 县 ( xiàn) The Beijing city wall was torn down between 1965 and 1969 to make way for the construction of the 2nd Ring Road. The City wall of Beijing was a Fortification built around 1435 Located in the central of Beijing, the 2nd Ring Road ( Pinyin: Er Huan Lu is just a few kilometres away from the city center and is a convenient alternative road

Following the economic reforms of Deng Xiaoping, the urban area of Beijing has expanded greatly. The Chinese economic reform ( refers to the program of economic reforms called " Socialism with Chinese characteristics " in the People's Republic of Deng Xiaoping ( 22 August 1904 19 February 1997) was a prominent Chinese Revolutionary, Politician, Pragmatist and Reformer Formerly within the confines of the 2nd Ring Road and the 3rd Ring Road, the urban area of Beijing is now pushing at the limits of the recently-constructed 5th Ring Road and 6th Ring Road, with many areas that were formerly farmland now developed residential or commercial districts. Located in the central of Beijing, the 2nd Ring Road ( Pinyin: Er Huan Lu is just a few kilometres away from the city center and is a convenient alternative road The 3rd Ring Road ( Simplified Chinese:三环路 Hanyu Pinyin:Sān Huán Lù is a 48-kilometer city ring road that encircles the centre of the city of Beijing 's 5th Ring Road ( Simplified Chinese: 五环路 Traditional Chinese: 五環路 Hanyu Pinyin: Wǔ Huán Lù China Road Numbering Route The 6th Ring Road runs within the confines of the municipality of Beijing. A new commercial area has developed in the Guomao area, Wangfujing and Xidan have developed into flourishing shopping districts, while Zhongguancun has become a major centre of electronics in China. Guomao ( is an area in Beijing close to Dabeiyao and in the vicinity of the Beijing central business district. Wángfǔjǐng street ( Simplified Chinese 王府井大街 Hanyu Pinyin: Wángfǔjǐng Dàjiē located in the Dongcheng District of Beijing Xidan ( Chinese: 西[[wikt 单|单]] Pinyin: Xīdān is a famous traditional commercial area in Beijing, China. Zhongguancun ( or Zhong Guan Cun, is a technology hub in Haidian District, Beijing.

In recent years, the expansion of Beijing has also brought to the forefront some problems of urbanization, such as heavy traffic, poor air quality, the loss of historic neighbourhoods, and significant influx of migrants from poorer regions of the country, especially rural areas. The Air Quality Index ( AQI) is a standardized indicator of the Air Quality in a given location

Early 2005 saw the approval by government of a plan to finally stop the sprawling development of Beijing in all directions. Development of the Chinese capital would now proceed in two semicircular bands just outside of the city centre (both west and east) instead of being in concentric rings.

Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of Beijing

Beijing seen from SPOT satellite

A simulated-color image of Beijing, taken by NASA's Landsat 7. Urban area The urban area of Beijing spreads out in bands of concentric ring roads. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Landsat 7, launched on April 15, 1999, is the latest satellite of the Landsat program.

Beijing is situated at the northern tip of the roughly triangular North China Plain, which opens to the south and east of the city. The North China Plain ( is based on the deposits of the Huang He (Yellow River and is the largest Alluvial plain of eastern Asia. Mountains to the north, northwest and west shield the city and northern China's agricultural heartland from the encroaching desert steppes. The northwestern part of the municipality, especially Yanqing County and Huairou District, are dominated by the Jundu Mountains, while the western part of the municipality is framed by the Xishan Mountains. Yanqing County ( Simplified Chinese: 延庆县 Traditional Chinese: 延慶縣 Hanyu Pinyin: Yánqìng Xiàn is situated at the Suburb of northwest Huairou District ( Simplified Chinese: 怀柔区 Traditional Chinese: 懷柔區 Hanyu Pinyin: Huáiróu Qū is situated at northern Beijing The Western Hills ( Chinese: 北京[[wikt 西|西]] 山; pinyin Běijīng Xīshān is a hilly region in the western part of Beijing, China The Great Wall of China, which stretches across the northern part of Beijing Municipality, made use of this rugged topography to defend against nomadic incursions from the steppes. The Great Wall of China ( or ( is a series of stone and earthen Fortifications in China, built rebuilt and maintained between the 6th century BC and the 16th Mount Dongling in the Xishan ranges and on the border with Hebei is the municipality's highest point, with an altitude of 2303 m. ( Postal map spelling: Hopeh) is a northern province of the People's Republic of China. Major rivers flowing through the municipality include the Yongding River and the Chaobai River, part of the Hai River system, and flowing in a southerly direction. The Hai River ( previously called Bai He (Chinese 白河 pinyin Bái Hé; literally "white river" Pei Ho in Western sources is a Beijing is also the northern terminus of the Grand Canal of China which was built across the North China Plain to Hangzhou. The Grand Canal of China ( also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal ( is the longest ancient Canal or artificial River in the world ( Postal map spelling: Hangchow) is a Sub-provincial city located in the Yangtze River Delta in the People's Republic of China, Miyun Reservoir, built on the upper reaches of the Chaobai River, is Beijing's largest reservoir, and crucial to its water supply.

The urban area of Beijing, located at 39°55′N(Latitude)″116, 26°E(Longitude)′″{{{8}}} (39. 9056, 116. 3914), is situated in the south-central part of the municipality and occupies a small but expanding part of the municipality's area. It spreads out in bands of concentric ring roads, of which the fifth and outermost (the Sixth Ring Road; the numbering starts at 2) passes through several satellite towns. Beijing is one of the very few cities to possess multiple ring roads (or Beltways. The Sixth Ring Road of Beijing is not actually a ring because it begins by Daxing (Jingkai expressway in the south and goes counterclockwise to the north to Shahe at the Tian'anmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) and Tian'anmen Square are at the centre of Beijing, and are directly to the south of the Forbidden City, former residence of the emperors of China. The Tian'anmen ( literally the "Gate of Heavenly Peace" is a famous monument in Beijing, the capital of People's Republic of China. Tiananmen Square ( is the large Plaza near the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen (literally Gate of Heavenly Peace The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial Palace from the mid- Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. To the west of Tian'anmen is Zhongnanhai, residence of the paramount leaders of the People's Republic of China. The Zhongnanhai ( is a complex of buildings in Beijing, China adjacent to the Forbidden City which serves as the central headquarters for the Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Running through central Beijing from east to west is Chang'an Avenue, one of Beijing's main thoroughfares. Chang'an Avenue ( Hanyu Pinyin: cháng ān jiē 长安街 meaning "Long Peace Avenue" is a major through route in Beijing, People's Republic of China

The city's climate is a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dwa), characterised by hot, humid summers due to the East Asian monsoon, and generally cold, windy, dry winters that reflect the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclone. Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of The humid continental climate is a Climate found over large areas of land masses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving In Meteorology, an anticyclone (that is opposite to a Cyclone) is a Weather phenomenon in which there is a descending movement of the air and Average temperatures in January are at around -7 to -4 °C (19 to 24 °F), while average temperatures in July are at 25 to 26 °C (77 to 79 °F). The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 Highest temperature ever recorded is 42°C and lowest recorded is -27°C. ^[17] Annual precipitation is over 600 mm, with 75% of that in summer. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric ^[18]

Pollution

Heavy air pollution has resulted in widespread smog

Air pollution levels on an average day in Beijing are nearly five times above World Health Organization standards for safety. ^[20] China's extremely inefficient use of coal - the country's main source of energy - results in much of the pollution. Despite promises to stage a green 2008 Summer Olympics, Bejing has had persistent air pollution - thus city officials are planning to reduce its motor traffic by half during the Games to improve air quality. ^[21] In February 2008, the Chinese government announced that it would close 144 gas stations in Beijing, which amounts to about 10% of such stations in the city, to improve air quality in preparation for the Olympics. ^[22]

Since 2001, when Beijing won the right to hold the Olympics, nearly $17 billion has been spent to clean the air, but the city remains under smoggy conditions on many days and athletes frequently complain about the air quality. ^[23]

Dust storm

Dust from erosion of deserts in northern and northwestern China result in seasonal dust storms that plague the city; the Beijing Weather Modification Office sometimes artificially induces rainfall to fight such storms and mitigate their effects. The Beijing Weather Modification Office is a unit of the Beijing Meteorological Bureau tasked with Weather control in Beijing and its surrounding areas ^[24] In the first four months of 2006 alone, there were no fewer than eight such storms. ^[25] In April 2002, one dust storm alone dumped nearly 50,000 tons of dust onto the city before moving on to Japan and Korea. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ^[26]

City layout

Layout Map

Neighbourhoods

Southern end of Wangfujing Road (July 2004 image). Wángfǔjǐng street ( Simplified Chinese 王府井大街 Hanyu Pinyin: Wángfǔjǐng Dàjiē located in the Dongcheng District of Beijing

Beijing by night

Beijing Bookshop at Xidan

Major neighbourhoods in urban Beijing include the following. Xidan ( Chinese: 西[[wikt 单|单]] Pinyin: Xīdān is a famous traditional commercial area in Beijing, China. Neighbourhoods may overlap across multiple districts (see below):

• Andingmen 安定门
• Beiyuan 北苑
• Chaoyangmen 朝阳门
• Dongzhimen 东直门
• Fangzhuang 方庄
• Fuchengmen 阜成门
• Fuxingmen 复兴门
• Guomao 国贸
• Hepingli 和平里
• Wangjing 望京
• Wangfujing 王府井
• Wudaokou 五道口
• Xidan 西单
• Xizhimen 西直门
• Yayuncun 亚运村
• Zhongguancun 中关村

Several place names in Beijing end with mén (门), meaning "gate", as they were the locations of gates in the former Beijing city wall. Andingmen ( Manchu: Elhe toktoho duka) is the name of a gate in the former city wall of Beijing. Chaoyangmen ( Manchu: Šun be aliha duka) is the name of a gate in the former city wall of Beijing. Dongzhimen ( Manchu: Tob dergi duka lit "East Straight Gate" is the name of one of the gates in the old city walls of Beijing, it is now a transportation Fangzhuang (方庄is a vast residential area in southern Beijing. Fuchengmen ( Manchu: Elgiyen i mutehe duka is a former Beijing city gate which was located in the western parts of the city Fuxingmen (复兴门 is a road situated in central Beijing and on the northwestern stretch of the 2nd Ring Road. Guomao ( is an area in Beijing close to Dabeiyao and in the vicinity of the Beijing central business district. Hepingli ( Simplified and Traditional Chinese: 和平里 is an area predominantly residential in Beijing, China. Wángfǔjǐng street ( Simplified Chinese 王府井大街 Hanyu Pinyin: Wángfǔjǐng Dàjiē located in the Dongcheng District of Beijing Wudaokou ( literally in Chinese the fifth level crossing of the Jingbao Railway, is a neighborhood in the Haidian District of North West Beijing. Xidan ( Chinese: 西[[wikt 单|单]] Pinyin: Xīdān is a famous traditional commercial area in Beijing, China. Xizhimen (西直门: Xīzhímén Manchu: Tob wargi duka was formerly a gate in the Beijing city wall and is now the name of a transportation node in Beijing Yayuncun is the site of the 1990 Asian Games and a major residential area in the Chaoyang District of Beijing Zhongguancun ( or Zhong Guan Cun, is a technology hub in Haidian District, Beijing. The City wall of Beijing was a Fortification built around 1435 Other place names end in cūn (村), meaning "village", as they were originally villages outside the city wall.

Towns

Towns within Beijing Municipality but outside the urban area include (but are not limited to):

• Changping 昌平
• Huairou 怀柔
• Miyun 密云
• Liangxiang 良乡
• Liulimiao 琉璃庙
• Tongzhou 通州
• Yizhuang 亦庄
• Xiaotangshan 小汤山

Subdivisions

See also: List of administrative divisions of Beijing

Beijing Municipality comprises 18 administrative sub-divisions, county-level units governed directly by the municipality (second-level divisions). Huairou District ( Simplified Chinese: 怀柔区 Traditional Chinese: 懷柔區 Hanyu Pinyin: Huáiróu Qū is situated at northern Beijing Miyun County ( Simplified Chinese: 密云县 Traditional Chinese: 密雲縣 Hanyu Pinyin: Mìyún Xiàn is situated at northeast Beijing. Xiaotangshan is a small town in the Changping District of Beijing in the People's Republic of China. Beijing, an independent municipality in China is divided into sixteen districts and two counties See also Administrative divisions of the Republic of China Due to China 's large Population and area the political divisions of China have consisted Of these, 16 are districts and 2 are counties. The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. In the context of Political divisions of China, county is the standard English translation of 县 ( xiàn) The urban and suburban areas of the city are divided into eight (8) districts:^[2]

The following six districts encompass the more distant suburbs and satellite towns, constituting part of the metropolitan area:

The other two districts and the two counties located further out govern semirural and rural areas:^[27]

Beijing's 18 districts and counties are further subdivided into 273 lower (third)-level administrative units at the township level: 119 towns, 24 townships, 5 ethnic townships and 125 subdistricts. See also Administrative divisions of the Republic of China Due to China 's large Population and area the political divisions of China have consisted When referring to Political Divisions of China, town is the standard English translation of the Chinese 鎮 (simplified 镇; pinyin zhèn Wade-Giles Township ( is the basic level of political divisions in China. In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' The subdistrict ( Chinese: 街道 Pinyin: Jiēdào is one of the smallest Political divisions of China.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Beijing

The Politics of Beijing is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in the mainland China. The politics of Beijing is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in the mainland of the People's Republic of China.

The Mayor of Beijing is the highest ranking official in the People's Government of Beijing. The politics of Beijing is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in the mainland of the People's Republic of China. Since Beijing is a centrally administered municipality, the mayor occupies the same level in the order of precedence as provincial governors. However, in the city's dual party-government governing system, the mayor has less power than the Beijing Communist Party of China Municipal Committee Secretary. The Communist Party of China ( CPC) ( also known as the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of the

Economy

The Beijing CBD area around Dawangqiao and Dabeiyao, as seen from the Jingtong Expressway. Dawangqiao is the starting point of the Jingtong Expressway, an express route linking central Beijing to Tongzhou District approximately 15 kilometres to Dabeiyao (Chinese大北窑 is a district in Beijing, China. It is very close to the Guomao (国贸 site and the China World Trade Centre The Jingtong Expressway (京通快速公路， Hanyu Pinyin: Jīngtōng Kuàisù Gōnglù is an Expressway with express road characteristics in Beijing,

Dawangqiao area around Beijing CBD

In 2006, Beijing's nominal GDP was 772. Dawangqiao is the starting point of the Jingtong Expressway, an express route linking central Beijing to Tongzhou District approximately 15 kilometres to 03 billion RMB (about 97 billion USD), a year-on-year growth of 12% from the previous year. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Its GDP per capita was 49,505 RMB, an increase of 8. 8% from the previous year and more than twice as much as in 2000. In 2005, Beijing's primary, secondary, and tertiary industries were worth 9. 77 billion RMB, 210. 05 billion RMB, and 461. 63 billion RMB. In 2008, Urban disposable income per capita was 21,989 yuan, a real increase of 10% from the previous year. Disposable income is Gross income minus Income tax on that income The distinction between real versus nominal value occurs in many fields Per capita pure income of rural residents was 9,559 RMB, a real increase of 10. 9%. Per capita disposable income of the 20% low-income residents increased 16. 7%, 11. 4 percentage points higher than the growth rate of the 20% high-income residents. The Engel's coefficient of Beijing's urban residents reached 31. Engel's law is an observation in Economics stating that with a given set of tastes and preferences as income rises the proportion of income spent on food falls 8% in 2005 and that of the rural residents was 32. 8%, declining 4. 5 percentage points and 3. 9 percentage points, respectively, compared with 2000.

Beijing's real estate and automobile sectors have continued to bloom in recent years. Real estate is a legal term (in some jurisdictions notably in the USA, United Kingdom In 2005, a total of 28. 032 million square metres of housing real estate was sold, for a total of 175. M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here 88 billion RMB. The total number of cars registered in Beijing in 2004 was 2,146,000, of which 1,540,000 were privately-owned (a year-on-year increase of 18. 7%). ^[28]

The Beijing CBD, centred at the Guomao area, has been identified as the city's new central business district, and is home to a variety of corporate regional headquarters, shopping precincts, and high-end housing. Guomao ( is an area in Beijing close to Dabeiyao and in the vicinity of the Beijing central business district. A central business district ( CBD) is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city The Beijing Financial Street, in the Fuxingmen and Fuchengmen area, is a traditional financial centre. Beijing Financial Street ( Pinyin: Beijing Jinrong Jie or BFS is a 35 block area which offers a collaborative environment for foreign and domestic Fuxingmen (复兴门 is a road situated in central Beijing and on the northwestern stretch of the 2nd Ring Road. Fuchengmen ( Manchu: Elgiyen i mutehe duka is a former Beijing city gate which was located in the western parts of the city The Wangfujing and Xidan areas are major shopping districts. Wángfǔjǐng street ( Simplified Chinese 王府井大街 Hanyu Pinyin: Wángfǔjǐng Dàjiē located in the Dongcheng District of Beijing Xidan ( Chinese: 西[[wikt 单|单]] Pinyin: Xīdān is a famous traditional commercial area in Beijing, China. Zhongguancun, dubbed "China's Silicon Valley", continues to be a major centre in electronics- and computer-related industries, as well as pharmaceuticals-related research. Zhongguancun ( or Zhong Guan Cun, is a technology hub in Haidian District, Beijing. Electronics refers to the flow of charge (moving Electrons through Nonmetal conductors (mainly Semiconductors, whereas electrical A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions. A drug, broadly speaking is any chemical substance that when absorbed into the body Meanwhile, Yizhuang, located to the southeast of the urban area, is becoming a new centre in pharmaceuticals, IT, and materials engineering. ^[29] Urban Beijing is also known for being a centre of pirated goods and anything from the latest designer clothing to the latest DVDs can be found in markets all over the city, often marketed to expatriates and international visitors. ^[30] It is also a world leader in the production and distribution of melamine and melamine-related compounds. ^[31]

A corner of the emerging Beijing CBD.

Major industrial areas include Shijingshan, located on the western outskirts of the city. Shijingshan District ( is a district of the municipality of Beijing. Agriculture is carried out outside the urban area of Beijing, with wheat and maize (corn) being the main crops. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica Vegetables are also grown in the regions closer to the urban area in order to supply the city. The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however

Beijing is increasingly becoming known for its innovative entrepreneurs and high-growth start-ups. An entrepreneur is a person who has possession over a company enterprise, or Venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome This culture is backed by a large community of both Chinese and foreign venture capital firms, such as Sequoia Capital, whose head office in China resides in Chaoyang, Beijing. Venture capital (also known as VC or Venture) is a type of Private equity capital typically provided to immature high-potential growth companies Sequoia Capital is a Venture capital firm founded by Don Valentine in 1972 Though Shanghai is seen as the economic centre of China, this is typically based on the numerous large corporations based there, rather than as a centre for Chinese entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is the practice of starting new Organizations or revitalizing mature Organizations particularly new Businesses generally in response to identified

The development of Beijing continues to proceed at a rapid pace, and the vast expansion of Beijing has created a multitude of problems for the city. Beijing is known for its smog as well as the frequent "power-saving" programmes instituted by the government. Smog is a kind of Air pollution; the word "smog" is a Portmanteau of Smoke and Fog. Citizens of Beijing as well as tourists frequently complain about the quality of the water supply and the cost of the basic services such as electricity and natural gas. The major industrial areas outside of Beijing were ordered to clean their operations or leave the Beijing area in an effort to alleviate the smog that covers the city. Most factories, unable to update, have moved and relocated to other cities such as Xi'an, China. UserEl_C --> Xi'an ( Postal map spelling: Sian is the Capital of the Shaanxi province in the

Beijing also holds the record for the largest settlement based in the eastern and northern hemispere reaching over 3 million people.

Demographics

The Wangjing neighbourhood, in Chaoyang District, Beijing, known for its Koreatown. Wangjing ( 望[[wikt 京|京]] Hanyu Pinyin: Wàngjīng is a major residential area in Chaoyang District, in the northeast of Beijing, China Chaoyang District (or Precinct ( lit "facing the sun" is a district of northeastern Beijing, China.

Wangfujing Cathedral

The population of Beijing Municipality, defined as the total number of people who reside in Beijing for 6 months or more per year, was 17. 43 million in 2007. 12. 03 million people in Beijing Municipality had Beijing hukou (permanent residence) and the remainder were on temporary residence permits. ^[32] In addition, there is a large but unknown number of migrant workers (min gong) who live illegally in Beijing without any official residence permit (or unregistered people). The term migrant worker has different official meanings and connotations in different parts of the world the United Nations' definition is very broad essentially including anyone The population of Beijing's urban core (city proper) is around 7. 5 million.

Over 95% of Beijing's residents belong to the Han Chinese majority. Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world. Other major ethnic minorities include the Manchu, Hui, and Mongol, etc. The Manchu people ( Manchu: Manju;, Mongolian: Манж Russian: Маньчжуры are a Tungusic people who originated in The Hui people ( Xiao'erjing: حُوِ ذَو) are a Chinese ethnic group, typically distinguished by their practice of Islam. A Tibetan high school exists for youth of Tibetan ancestry, nearly all of whom have come to Beijing from Tibet expressly for their studies. High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European

A sizable international community exists in Beijing, mostly attracted by the highly growing foreign business and trade sector, and many live in the Beijing urban area's densely populated northern, northeastern and eastern sections. In recent years there has also been an influx of South Koreans who live in Beijing predominantly for business and study purpose. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː Many of them live in the Wangjing and Wudaokou areas. Wudaokou ( literally in Chinese the fifth level crossing of the Jingbao Railway, is a neighborhood in the Haidian District of North West Beijing.

Excludes members of the People's Liberation Army in active service. The People's Liberation Army ( PLA) ( is the unified Military organization of all land sea and air forces of the People's Republic of China.
^[33]

Architecture

Three styles of architecture predominate in urban Beijing. First, the traditional architecture of imperial China, perhaps best exemplified by the massive Tian'anmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace), which remains the PRC's trademark edifice, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. The Tian'anmen ( literally the "Gate of Heavenly Peace" is a famous monument in Beijing, the capital of People's Republic of China. The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial Palace from the mid- Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Tian Tan redirects here For the Big Buddha statue in Hong Kong, see Tian Tan Buddha The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar Next there is what is sometimes referred to as the "Sino-Sov" style, built between the 1950s and the 1970s, which tend to be boxy, bland, and poorly made. Finally, there are much more modern architectural forms — most noticeably in the area of the Beijing CBD. Pictured below are some images of Beijing architecture — blending the old and the new.

Beijing's Taimiao	The boxy look of buildings built in the 1970s	Modern Architecture	Details of traditional architecture
A mix of 70s and 90s styles	Mix and match of the old and the new	Tian'anmen	Wangfujing, a major commercial street

A mixture of both old and new styles of architecture can be seen at the 798 Art Zone, which mixes 1950s-design with a blend of the new. 798 Art Zone ( or Dashanzi Art District, is a part of Dashanzi in the Chaoyang District of Beijing that houses a thriving Artist The influence of American urban form and social values in manifest in the creation of Orange County, China, a suburban development about one hour north of the city.

Culture

A Beijing performance of the classic opera Farewell my Concubine (September 2002).

People native to urban Beijing speak the Beijing dialect, which belongs to the Mandarin subdivision of spoken Chinese. Beijing dialect ( is the Dialect of Mandarin spoken in the urban area of Beijing, China. Spoken Chinese ( comprises many regional variants the largest of which are Mandarin, Wu, Cantonese, and Min. Beijing dialect is the basis for Standard Mandarin, the language used in the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China on Taiwan, and Singapore. Beijing dialect ( is the Dialect of Mandarin spoken in the urban area of Beijing, China. Standard Mandarin, also known as Standard Spoken Chinese, is the official modern Chinese spoken language used in mainland China and Taiwan Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. Singapore Rural areas of Beijing Municipality have their own dialects akin to those of Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing Municipality. ( Postal map spelling: Hopeh) is a northern province of the People's Republic of China.

Beijing Opera, or Peking Opera (Jingju京剧), is well-known throughout the national capital. Beijing opera or Peking opera ( is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music vocal performance mime dance and acrobatics Commonly lauded as one of the highest achievements of Chinese culture, Beijing Opera is performed through a combination of song, spoken dialogue, and codified action sequences, such as gestures, movement, fighting and acrobatics. The Culture of China (traditional Chinese 中國文化 simplified Chinese 中国文化 is home to one of the world's oldest and most complex Civilizations covering a history Much of Beijing Opera is carried out in an archaic stage dialect quite different from modern Standard Mandarin and from the Beijing dialect; this makes the dialogue somewhat hard to understand, and the problem is compounded if one is not familiar with Chinese. Beijing dialect ( is the Dialect of Mandarin spoken in the urban area of Beijing, China. As a result, modern theaters often have electronic titles in Chinese and English.

A ts of a square housing compound, with rooms enclosing a central courtyard. This courtyard often contains a pomegranate or other type of tree, as well as potted flowers or a fish tank. The pomegranate ( Punica granatum) is a Fruit -bearing Deciduous Shrub or small Tree growing to between five and eight metres tall An aquarium (plural aquariums or aquaria) is a Vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which Water -dwelling Plants

Siheyuans line Hutongs (胡同), or alleys, which connect the interior of Beijing's old city. Hutongs ( are narrow streets or Alleys most commonly associated with Beijing, China. They are usually straight and run east to west so that doorways can face north and south for Feng Shui reasons. Feng shui ( ˈfəŋˌʃueɪ fehng-shway in English is an ancient Chinese system of Aesthetics believed to utilize the Laws of both heaven (astronomy and earth (geography They vary in width — some are very narrow, enough for only a few pedestrians to pass through at a time.

Once ubiquitous in Beijing, siheyuans and hutongs are now rapidly disappearing, as entire city blocks of hutongs are leveled and replaced with high-rise buildings. Residents of the hutongs are entitled to apartments in the new buildings of at least the same size as their former residences. Many complain, however, that the traditional sense of community and street life of the hutongs cannot be replaced. Some particularly historic or picturesque hutongs are being preserved and restored by the government, especially for the 2008 Olympics. One such example can be seen at Nanchizi.

Mandarin cuisine is the local style of cooking in Beijing. Beijing cuisine ( is a Cooking style in Beijing, China. It is also formally known as Mandarin cuisine. Peking Roast Duck is perhaps the most well-known dish. Peking Duck, or Peking Roast Duck is a famous Duck dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the Yuan Dynasty, and is now considered one The Manhan Quanxi ("Manchu-Han Chinese full banquet") is a traditional banquet originally intended for the ethnic-Manchu emperors of the Qing Dynasty; it remains very prestigious and expensive. The Manchu people ( Manchu: Manju;, Mongolian: Манж Russian: Маньчжуры are a Tungusic people who originated in Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world. The Manchu people ( Manchu: Manju;, Mongolian: Манж Russian: Маньчжуры are a Tungusic people who originated in Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China

Teahouses are also common in Beijing. A tea house or tearoom is a venue centered on drinking Tea. Their function varies widely depending on the culture and some cultures have a variety of distinct Chinese tea comes in many varieties and some rather expensive types of Chinese tea are said to cure an ailing body extraordinarily well. Tea refers to the cured agricultural product of the leaves leaf buds and internodes of Camellia sinensis, which have been prepared and cured for the market

The cloisonné (or Jingtailan) metalworking technique and tradition is a specialty of Beijing's cultural art, and is one of the most revered traditional crafts in China. Cloisonné, an ancient Metalworking technique is a multi-step enamel process used to produce Jewelry, Vases and other decorative items Beijing lacquerware is well known for the patterns and images carved into its surface. Lacquerware is objects which are decoratively covered with Lacquer which is sometimes inlaid or carved

The Fuling Jiabing is a traditional Beijing snack food, a pancake (bing) resembling a flat disk with filling, made from fu ling (Poria cocos (Schw. Fuling jiabing ( is a traditional Snack food of Beijing and is an integral part of their Culture. ) Wolf, or "tuckahoe"), an ingredient common in traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine (also known as TCM,) includes a range of traditional medical practices originating in China.

Beijing Houhai ("Back Sea") lake area with traditional architecture, where many trendy bars and restaurants are located.

Younger residents of Beijing have become more attracted to the nightlife, which has flourished in recent times breaking prior cultural traditions that practically restricted it to the upper class. NightLife with Tony Delroy is a popular late night talkback show across ABC Local Radio, Broadcasting from the 702 ABC Sydney studios in Ultimo ^[34]

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Beijing

With the growth of the city following economic reforms, Beijing has evolved as an important transportation hub. Beijing, as the Capital and a municipality of the People's Republic of China (PRC is a transportation hub with a sophisticated network Encircling the city are five ring roads, nine expressways and city express routes, eleven China National Highways, several railway routes, and an international airport.

Rail

Beijing has two major railway stations: Beijing Railway Station (or the central station) and Beijing West Railway Station. Beijing Railway Station ( is one of Beijing 's Railway stations opened in the 1950s as can be seen from its architecture (which merges traditional architecture with Beijing 's West Railway Station or just abbreviated as Beijing West ( Hanyu Pinyin: Běijīng Xīkèzhàn Simplified and Traditional Three other railway stations in Metropolitan Beijing handle regular passenger traffic: Beijing East, Beijing North, and Fengtai. Beijing North Railway Station ( formerly known as Xizhimen Railway Station, is a Railway station in Beijing, China. There are also several other small stations serving suburban area.

As of August 1, 2006, Beijing Railway Station has 167 trains stopping daily, while Beijing West Railway Station has 176 trains. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Beijing Railway Station ( is one of Beijing 's Railway stations opened in the 1950s as can be seen from its architecture (which merges traditional architecture with Beijing 's West Railway Station or just abbreviated as Beijing West ( Hanyu Pinyin: Běijīng Xīkèzhàn Simplified and Traditional

Beijing is a railway hub. There are railway lines from Beijing to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Harbin, Baotou, Taiyuan, Chengde and Qinhuangdao. Rail transport is the most commonly used mode of long-distance transportation in the People's Republic of China. Guangzhou ( Jyutping: Gwong²zau¹; Yale: Gwóngjàu) is the Capital and a Sub-provincial city Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million ( Russian Kharbin) is a Sub-provincial city and the Capital of the Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. Baotou ( Buɣutu) is a Prefecture-level city and the largest city in Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan ( lit "Great Plains" is a Prefecture-level city and the capital of Shanxi province China. Chengde ( is a Prefecture-level city in Hebei province People's Republic of China, situated northeast of Beijing. Qinhuangdao ( Postal map spelling: Chinwangtao) is a city in Hebei province China. Direct trains to Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR also depart from Beijing. Kowloon refers to an urban area in Hong Kong made up of Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon, bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders A special administrative region or SAR may be;People's Republic of China Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, present-day

International trains, including lines to cities in Russia and Pyongyang, North Korea (DPRK), all run through Beijing. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Pyongyang (pʰjʌŋjaŋ is the Capital and largest City of North Korea, located on the Taedong River, at. North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia,

Construction on a Beijing-Tianjin high-speed rail began on July 4, 2005, and is scheduled to be completed in 2007. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Roads and expressways

See: Ring Roads of Beijing, Expressways of Beijing and China National Highways of Beijing for more related information. Beijing is one of the very few cities to possess multiple ring roads (or Beltways. Beijing was first linked to outside areas by the Jingshi Expressway in the late 1980s and early 1990s Beijing, as a transportational hub of China, is the starting point for eleven of the twelve series-100 China National Highways These are major (some toll truck

An air-conditioned articulated bus operating on Beijing Bus Rapid Transit Line 1.

Beijing is connected via road links from all parts of China. Nine expressways of China (with six wholly new expressways under projection or construction) connect with Beijing, as do eleven China National Highways. This article is about the expressways of Mainland China. See also List of roads and streets in Hong Kong, List of roads in Macau, Highway System The China National Highways ( are a series of trunk roads throughout all of Mainland China. Within Beijing itself, an elaborate network of five ring roads has developed, but they appear more rectangular than ring-shaped. Roads in Beijing often are in one of the four compass directions (unlike, for example, Tianjin). ( Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is the second largest city in northern coastal China.

One of the biggest concerns with traffic in Beijing deals with its apparently ubiquitous traffic jams. Traffic in the city centre is often gridlocked, especially around rush hour. Even outside of rush hour, several roads still remain clogged up with traffic. Urban area ring roads and major thoroughfares especially near Chang'an Avenue, are normally cited as high congestion areas. Chang'an Avenue ( Hanyu Pinyin: cháng ān jiē 长安街 meaning "Long Peace Avenue" is a major through route in Beijing, People's Republic of China

Recently expressways have been extended (in some cases reconstructed as express routes) into the territories within the 3rd Ring Road. The 3rd Ring Road ( Simplified Chinese:三环路 Hanyu Pinyin:Sān Huán Lù is a 48-kilometer city ring road that encircles the centre of the city of As they are either expressways or express routes, drivers do not need to pass through intersections with traffic lights. This may finally solve the difficulties in "hopping between one ring and another".

Exacerbating Beijing's traffic problems is its underdeveloped mass transit system. Frequently cited is the city's subway system which has 5 lines for its 17 million citizens. In comparison, New York City has 26 lines for its 8 million citizens. The New York City Subway is a Rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency Beijing's urban design layout further complicates the situation of the transportation system. ^[35] Compounding the problem is patchy enforcement of traffic regulations, and road rage. Road rage is the behavior by a driver of an automobile or other motor vehicle which thus causes collisions or incidents on roadways Beijing authorities claim that traffic jams may be a thing of a past come the 2008 Olympics. The authorities have introduced several bus lanes where, during rush hour, all vehicles except for public buses must keep clear.

Chang'an Avenue runs east-west through the centre of Beijing, past Tian'anmen. Chang'an Avenue ( Hanyu Pinyin: cháng ān jiē 长安街 meaning "Long Peace Avenue" is a major through route in Beijing, People's Republic of China The Tian'anmen ( literally the "Gate of Heavenly Peace" is a famous monument in Beijing, the capital of People's Republic of China. It is a major through route and is often called the "First Street in China" by authorities. ^[36]

Air

Beijing's main airport is the Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) near Shunyi, which is about 20 km northeast of Beijing city centre. Beijing Capital International Airport, ( is the main international Airport that serves the capital city of Beijing, People's Republic of China. Shunyi District ( Simplified Chinese: 顺义区 Traditional Chinese: 順義區 Hanyu Pinyin: Shùnyì Qū) Most domestic and nearly all international flights arrive and depart at Capital Airport. Capital Airport is the main hub for Air China. Not to be confused with China Airlines, the national airline of the Republic of China (Taiwan. It is linked to central Beijing by the Airport Expressway and is a roughly 40-minute drive from the city centre during good traffic hours. The Airport Expressway (机场高速公路 Hanyu Pinyin: Jīchǎng Gāosù Gōnglù is an Expressway in Beijing, China, which links central In preparation for the 2008 Olympics, another expressway is being built to the Airport, as well as a lightrail system.

Other airports in the city include Beijing Liangxiang Airport, Beijing Nanyuan Airport, Beijing Xijiao Airport, Beijing Shahe Airport and Beijing Badaling Airport. Beijing Nanyuan Airport is an airport in Beijing, People's Republic of China. However, these are primarily for military use and less well-known to the public.

Inside Beijing's Tian 'An Men Subway station (Line 1)

Public transit

The evolving Beijing Subway has five lines (two above ground, three underground), with several more being built in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The Beijing Subway ( is a Rapid transit rail network that serves the urban and suburban districts of Beijing Municipality. There were 599 bus and trolleybus routes in Beijing as of 2004. [2]

Beijing has simplified its bus fare system from Jan 1, 2007 as follows:

Pay by cash:

• Lines 1-199 (Mainly operated in inner city) 1 Yuan per trip. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
• Lines 200-299 (Night services): 2 Yuan per trip.
• Lines 300-899 (Mainly operated in outer city / suburb): 1 Yuan for the first 12 km and another 0. 5 yuan for each additional 5 km.
• Lines 900-999 (Mainly operated from city center to rural area): 1 Yuan per 10 km.

Pay by prepaid Yikatong smartcard:

• Lines 1-499: 0. Beijing Municipal Administration and Communications Card (北京市政交通一卡通 is a store-value contactless smart card used in Beijing, China, for 4 Yuan (USD$ 5 cents, EUR 4 Cents) per single journey.
• Lines 500-899: 0. 4 Yuan for the first 12 km and another 0. 2 Yuan for each additional 5 km.
• Lines 900-999: 0. 8 Yuan per 10 km.

3-day, 7-day and 14-day bus passes are available for travelers.

Surcharges of air-conditioned buses have been canceled.

Since October, Subway tickets cost only 2 Yuan. No matter where you get on and where you get down. There is no discount for smartcard users.

Registered Taxis can be found throughout Beijing although a large number of unregistered taxis also exist. A taxis (plural taxes, ˈtæksiːz is an Innate behavioural response by an Organism to a directional stimulus. As of June 30, 2008 all fares on legal taxis start at 10 Renminbi for the first 3 km and 2. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 00 Renminbi per additional kilometer not counting idling fees. Most taxis are Hyundai Elantras, Hyundai Sonatas, Peugeot Citroen and Volkswagen Jettas. After 15 km, the base fare is increased by 50% (but only applied to the portion of the distance over 15 km, so that the passenger is not retroactively charged extra for the first 15 km). Between 11pm and 6am, the fee is increased by 20%, starting at 11 RMB and increasing at a rate of 2. 4 RMB per km. Rides over 15 km and between 11pm and 6am apply both charges, for a total increase of 80% (120%*150%=180%).

Education

Main article: List of colleges and universities in Beijing

Beijing is home to a great number of colleges and universities, including several well-regarded universities of international stature. See also List of universities in the People's Republic of China Colleges and universities of Beijing There are at least 59 establishments of higher education Particularly of note are China's two most prestigious institutions, Peking University, and Tsinghua University. Peking University ( of Beijing, colloquially known in Chinese as Beida (北大 Běidà) is the first formally established university and the first Tsinghua University ( THU;) is a University in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Owing to Beijing's status as the political and cultural capital of China, a larger proportion of tertiary-level institutions are concentrated here than any other city in China, reaching at least 59 in number. Many international students from Japan, Korea, North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere come to Beijing to study every year. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. The institutions listed here are administered by China's Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China ( Chinese: 中华人民共和国教育部 formerly State Education Commission from 1985 to 1998 is headquartered

• Peking University (北京大学) (founded in 1898), also University of Beijing, which is regarded as the best university in humanities, natural sciences, economics, business and law in China. Peking University ( of Beijing, colloquially known in Chinese as Beida (北大 Běidà) is the first formally established university and the first Peking University ( of Beijing, colloquially known in Chinese as Beida (北大 Běidà) is the first formally established university and the first
• Tsinghua University (清华大学) (founded in 1911), which is often regarded as the best university in applied sciences and engineering in China. Tsinghua University ( THU;) is a University in Beijing, People's Republic of China.
• Renmin University of China (中国人民大学) (founded in 1937), which is known for its law school, social sciences and humanities. Renmin University of China (RUC previously known as People's University of China ( colloquially Renda ( is a national comprehensive university located in
• Beijing Normal University (北京师范大学) (founded 1902)
• Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Beihang University) (北京航空航天大学) (founded in 1952)
• Beijing Institute of Technology (北京理工大学)
• Beijing Foreign Studies University (北京外国语大学)
• Central University of Finance and Economics (中央财经大学)
• Beijing Forestry University (北京林业大学)
• Beijing Language and Culture University (北京语言大学)
• Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (北京邮电大学)
• Communication University of China (中国传媒大学)
• Beijing Jiaotong University (北京交通大学)
• Beijing Film Academy (北京电影学院)
• Beijing University of Chemical Technology (北京化工大学)
• Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (北京中医药大学)
• Beijing University of Petroleum (石油大学)
• Beijing University of Technology (北京工业大学)
• Capital Normal University (首都师范大学)
• Central Academy of Drama (中央戏剧学院)
• Central Academy of Fine Arts (中央美术学院)
• Central Conservatory of Music (中央音乐学院)
• Central University for Nationalities (中央民族大学)
• China Agricultural University (中国农业大学)
• China Conservatory of Music (中国音乐学院)
• China University of Political Science and Law (中国政法大学)
• North China Electric Power University (华北电力大学)
• University of International Business and Economics (对外经济贸易大学)
• University of International Relations (国际关系学院)
• University of Science and Technology Beijing (北京科技大学)

Media

Xinhua News Agency. Beijing Normal University ( is a university located in Beijing, P Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, now known as Beihang University ( abbreviated as BUAA or Beihang) is a Public university Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT ( formerly known as 北京工业学院, is a leading public, Co-educational, national key university Beijing Foreign Studies University (北京外国语大学 is a university in Weigongcun, Beijing, China. The Central University of Finance and Economics (中央财经大学 colloquially known in Chinese as Zhongcai（中财）or Yangcai (央财 and formerly as the Central Institute Beijing Forestry University ( Simplified Chinese: 北京林业大学 is one of the key national forestry institutes in China Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU Běijīng yǔyán dàxué 北京语言大学 colloquially known in Chinese as Beiyu (北语 Běiyǔ is the only one of its kind Schools of BUPT BUPT is a key national university distinguished by the teaching and research in the field of cable communications wireless communications computer and electronic The Communication University of China, CUC ( Simplified Chinese: 中国传媒大学 Pinyin: Zhongguo Chuanmei Daxue is a university in Beijing, China Beijing Jiaotong University ( Chinese Beijing Film Academy ( abbreviated BFA is a Coeducational state-run higher education institution in Beijing, China. Beijing University of Chemical Technology (北京化工大学 BUCT is one of the most outstanding universities in China Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (北京中医药大学 is a university in Beijing, China. The China University of Petroleum ( Chinese: 中国石油大学 Zhōngguó Shíyóu Dàxué) is is one of the major state universities under the jurisdiction of the Beijing University of Technology (Simpified Chinese北京工业大学 Traditional Chinese北京工業大學 (formerly known as Beijing Polytechnic University) often Capital Normal University (首都师范大学 is a university in Beijing, China. The Central Academy of Drama (中央戏剧学院 (or Central Drama Academy; Central Drama College) is a Drama school in China. See also List of universities in the People's Republic of China Colleges and universities of Beijing There are at least 59 establishments of higher education The Central Conservatory of Music ( is the national leading musical institution in Beijing, China. Central University of Nationalities ( is a national-level University located in Beijing, China designated for minority nationalities. China Agricultural University (中国农业大学 Pinyin: zhōngguó nóngyè dàxué 农大 or nóng dà for short is a University in Beijing, The China Conservatory of Music (Chinese 中国音乐学院 also called China Conservatory, Chinese Conservatory of Music, or China College of Music) China University of Political Science and Law ( CUPL;) is a university in Beijing, China. North China Electric Power University (华北电力大学 is a university in Beijing, China under the national Ministry of Education that specializes in Polytechnic The University of International Business and Economics ( abbr University of International Relations (UIR ( is one of the National key universities in China. University of Science and Technology Beijing ( Chinese:北京科技大学 Pinyin: Běijīng KēJÌ Dàxúe formerly as Beijing Steel and Iron Institute

Television and radio

Beijing Television (BTV) broadcasts on numbered channels 1 through 10. China Beijing TV Station ( is a government-owned Television network in the People's Republic of China and is chiefly broadcast in the Chinese language Unlike China Central Television (CCTV), there is at present no exclusive English-language TV channel on a citywide level in Beijing. China Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV ( is the major television broadcaster in Mainland China

Three radio stations feature programmes in English: Hit FM on FM 88. 7, Easy FM by China Radio International (CRI) on FM 91. China Radio International (CRI, (Chinese 中国国际广播电台 Pinyin Zhōng Guó Guó Jì Guǎng Bō Diàn Tái the former Radio Beijing and originally Radio 5, and the newly launched Radio 774 on AM 774.

Other Beijing Radio Stations are listed as follows:

Press

The well-known Beijing Evening News (Beijing Wanbao) newspaper is distributed every afternoon, covering news about Beijing in Chinese. Beijing Evening News ( Chinese: 北京晚报 Pinyin: Běijīng Wǎnbào is a Chinese language Newspaper in the People's A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. Other newspapers include The Beijing News (Xin Jing Bao), the Beijing Star Daily, the Beijing Morning News, the Beijing Youth Daily (Beijing Qingnian Bao), as well as English-language weeklies Beijing Weekend and Beijing Today (the English-language edition of Youth Daily). The China Youth Daily ( Chinese:中国青年报 Pinyin:Zhōngguó Qīngnián Bào) is a popular official daily Newspaper and the first independently People's Daily and China Daily (English) are also published in Beijing. The People's Daily ( a daily Newspaper, is the organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, published worldwide with a circulation The China Daily ( is an English-language daily newspaper published in the People's Republic of China.

Nationally-circulated Chinese newspapers are also available in Beijing.

Publications primarily aimed at international visitors and the expatriate community include the English-language periodicals City Weekend, Beijing This Month, Beijing Talk, that's Beijing and MetroZine. City Weekend is free bi-weekly entertainment event and venue listing magazine based out of China Beijing This Month (BTM is a free monthly English language Magazine, published in Beijing by the Beijing Foreign Cultural Exchanges Centre that's Beijing is a free monthly English Magazine that covers Art, cinema, Music, Nightlife, Dining

The international press, including English and Japaneselanguage newspapers and magazines, are available in major international hotels and Friendship stores, and content often appears complete. A Friendship Store or Youyi Shangdian ( is a state-run store in China, which initially sold exclusively to tourists foreigners Diplomats,

Sports

Beijing will host the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Paralympics. The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17 2008 According to author Mike Davis in his book Planet of Slums, which details urban population growth and the urban poor in developing nations, Beijing removed and relocated 350,000 people for the construction of the stadium that will house the Olympics.

Professional sports teams based in Beijing include:

• Chinese Football Association Super League
  • Beijing Guoan
• Chinese Football Association Jia League‎
  • Beijing Hongdeng
  • Beijing Institute of Technology FC
• Chinese Basketball Association
  • Beijing Ducks
• Women's Chinese Basketball Association
  • Beijing Shougang
• Asia League Ice Hockey
  • China Sharks
• China Baseball League
  • Beijing Tigers

The Beijing Aoshen Olympians of the ABA, formerly a CBA team, kept their name and maintained a roster of primarily Chinese players after moving to Maywood, California in 2005. The Chinese Football Association Super League ( Simplified Chinese: 中国足球协会超级联赛 commonly known as Chinese Super League (中超联赛 or CSL Beijing Guoan Football Club ( Simplified Chinese: 北京国安 is a Chinese Super League team and is part of CITIC Group (China International Trust The Chinese Football Association Jia League ( Simplified Chinese: 中国足球协会甲级联赛 is the second tier league of the People's Republic of China. Beijing Hongdeng ( Simplified Chinese: 北京宏登 is a Football Club based in Beijing, China, currently playing in the Chinese Football Association Beijing Institute of Technology Football Club (BIT FC ( Simplified Chinese: 北京理工大学足球俱乐部 is a Chinese Football ( Soccer) club playing The Chinese Basketball Association ( CBA; Chinese 中国男子篮球职业联赛 is the premier professional Basketball league in China. Beijing Jinyu Ducks (北京金隅鸭 or Beijing Ducks or Beijing Jinyu is a Basketball team in the North Division of the Chinese Basketball Association The Asia League Ice Hockey is a professional Ice hockey league based in East Asia, with teams from Japan, China, South Korea, Changchun Fuao The Changchun Fuao franchise originated as the Snow Leopards who played in Qiqihar for two seasons in 2004-05 and 2005-06 at the Qiqihar The China Baseball League or Chinese Baseball League (中国棒球联赛 or CBL is a fledgling professional Baseball league under the administration The Beijing Tigers ( is one of the four charter teams in the China Baseball League. Beijing Aoshen Olympian (北京奥神 or Beijing Olympian or Beijing Olympians or Beijing Aoshen are a basketball team that formerly played in the The Chinese Basketball Association ( CBA; Chinese 中国男子篮球职业联赛 is the premier professional Basketball league in China. Maywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States.

City and regional partnerships

Beijing maintains partnerships or "sister city" status with the following international locations. (Note: some locations are provinces or regional-level units, not cities properly. A province is a territorial unit almost always an Administrative division. The article is about the geographic sense of the term For other uses including Regions and Regional, see Region (disambiguation. Beijing itself is not technically a city, being a Chinese municipality). Direct-controlled municipality (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) is the highest level classificiation for Cities used by Chinese governments with status equal to ^[37]

See also

• Lao zihao
• List of mayors of Beijing
• List of hospitals in Beijing
• 2045 Peking - the name of an asteroid
• Yanjing Beer
• Tourist attractions of Beijing

References

Further reading

• Li, Lillian; Dray-Novey, Alison & Kong, Haili (2007), Beijing: From Imperial Capital to Olympic City, New York, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 1403964734 
• MacKerras, Colin & Yorke, Amanda (1991), The Cambridge Handbook of Contemporary China, Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521387558, <http://books.google.com/books?id=yiq_f71uXboC&printsec=frontcover&dq=beiping+beijing&source=gbs_summary_r> 

External links

This article contains Chinese text. The City of New York Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately-held International Publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck The city of Cambridge (ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England Cambridge University Press (known colloquially as CUP is a Publisher given a Royal Charter by Henry VIII in 1534 Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters. Mojibake is the happenstance of incorrect unreadable characters (garbage characters shown when Computer software fails to render a text correctly according to its associated A Chinese character, also known as a Han character ( is a Logogram used in writing Chinese (hanzi Japanese (

• Beijing Government website(Chinese)
• Beijing Government website(English)
• Beijing travel guide from Wikitravel
• Beijing tours(Chinese)