Beijing (北京, Hanyu Pinyin: Běijīng, Wade-Giles: Pei-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Peking), is the capital city of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the 4 municipalities of the People's Republic of China, which have a provincial-level status, and is under the direct control of the central government. Beijing has been a municipality since the beginning of the PRC.

Beijing is one of the largest cities in China, second only to Shanghai as the nation's biggest. It is also a major transportation hub, with dozens of roads and expressways departing the capital city in all directions.

北京市
Běijīng Shì

Abbreviation: 京 (pinyin: Jīng)
Origin of Name	北 běi - north 京 jīng - capital put together: northern capital
Area  - Total  - % of national  - % water	Ranked 29th 16,808 km² 0.175% xx%
Population  - Total (2001)  - % of national  - Density	Ranked 26th 13,820,000 1.08% 822/km²
GDP in RMB¥  - Total (2002)  - % of national  - per capita	Ranked 15th 313.0 billion ¥ 3.06% 22600 ¥
City trees	Chinese arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis) Pagoda tree (Sophora japonica)
City flowers	Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) Chinese rose (Rosa chinensis)
Administration Type	Municipality
Mayor	Wang Qishan
CPC Beijing Committee Secretary	Liu Qi
County-level subdivisions	18
Township-level subdivisions	318
ISO 3166-2	CN-11

Names

Beijing literally means "northern capital" (as opposed to Nanjing, meaning "southern capital" and Tonkin and Tokyo, both of which mean "eastern capital"). Beijing is sometimes referred to as Peking. The term originated with French missionaries four hundred years ago, and corresponds to an archaic pronunciation which does not take into account a 'k' to 'j' sound shift in Mandarin that occurred during the Qing dynasty.

In China, the city has had many names. Between 1928 [1] (http://www.bartleby.com/67/2470.html) and 1949, it was known as Beiping (北平 Wade-Giles Peip'ing) or "Northern Peace". The name was changed because jing means "capital" and the Kuomintang government in Nanjing wanted to emphasize that Beijing was not the capital of China, and Beijing's warlord government was not legitimate. From 1937 to 1945, Beijing was occupied by the Japanese.

The name was changed back by the Communist Party of China in 1949 in part to emphasize that Beijing was the capital of China. The government of the Republic of China on Taiwan has not formally recognized the name change, and during the 1950s and 1960s it was common for Beijing to be called Peiping on Taiwan. Today, almost everyone on Taiwan, including the ROC government, uses the term Beijing, although some maps of China from Taiwan still use the old name along with pre-1949 provincial boundaries.

The GDP per capita was ¥24077 (US$2907), ranked no. 41 among all 659 Chinese cities.

For the historical names of Beijing, see Capital of China.

History

Map of central Beijing (1988)

The metropolitan area of Beijing had been settled in the 1st millennium BC and the capital of Kingdom Yan (燕) was established there, who named it Ji (蓟). Ji has often been claimed to be the beginning of Beijing; but in reality Ji had been abandoned no later than the 6th century. The exact location of Ji remains unknown despite much effort in recent decades to identify the site.

During the great Tang and Song dynasties, only townships existed in this area. Numerous ancient poets came here to mourn the lost city, as testified by their surviving compositions.

By the early 10th century, Kingdom Liao had set up a "secondary capital" in the city proper, and called it Nanjing ("the Southern Capital").

The Jin Dynasty that annexed Liao and ruled northern China built its capital there, called Zhongdu (中都), or "the Central Capital".

Mongol forces burned Zhongdu to the ground in 1215 and rebuilt its own "Grand Capital" (大都) to the north of the Jin capital in 1267, which was the true beginning of contemporary Beijing. Apparently, Kublai Khan, who wanted to become a Chinese emperor, established his capital in Beijing instead of more traditional sites in central China because Beijing was closer to his power base in Mongolia. The decision of the Khan greatly enhanced the status of a city that had been situated on the northern fringe of China proper.

In 1403, the 3rd Ming emperor Zhu Li, who had just grabbed the throne by killing his brother after a bloody civil war and moved the capital from southern China to his own power base in the north, renamed the city Beijing (北京), or "Northern Capital".

The Forbidden City was constructed soon after that (1406-1420), followed by the Temple of Heaven (1420), and numerous other construction projects. Tian'anmen, which has become a state symbol of the PRC in modern times, was burned down twice during the Ming Dynasty and the final reconstruction was carried out in 1651.

Beijing's Tian'anmen Square, as seen from the Tian'anmen Chenglou Building (taken in July of 2004)

Geography

Beijing borders Hebei province to the north, west, south, and for tiny fraction to the east. The southwestern part borders with Tianjin municipality.

Hills dominate the scene to the north, northwest and west of Beijing. The mountains to the west are known as Xishan, which is Chinese for Western Hills.

Administrative Divisions

The municipality governs 16 districts and 2 counties. 8 of the districts govern the urban and suburban areas of the city:

• Dongcheng District (东城区: Dōngchéng Qū)
• Xicheng District (西城区: Xīchéng Qū)
• Chongwen District (崇文区: Chóngwén Qū)
• Xuanwu District (宣武区: Xuānwǔ Qū)
• Chaoyang District (朝阳区: Cháoyáng Qū)
• Haidian District (海淀区: Hǎidiàn Qū)
• Fengtai District (丰台区: Fēngtái Qū)
• Shijingshan District (石景山区: Shíjǐngshān Qū)

8 of the districts are found further out, and govern distant suburbs, satellite towns, and some rural areas:

• Fangshan District (房山区: Fángshān Qū)
• Mentougou District (门头沟区: Méntóugōu Qū)
• Shunyi District (顺义区: Shùnyì Qū)
• Tongzhou District (通州区: Tōngzhōu Qū)
• Changping District (昌平区: Chāngpíng Qū)
• Daxing District (大兴区: Dàxīng Qū)
• Pinggu District (平谷区: Pínggǔ Qū)
• Huairou District (怀柔区: Huáiróu Qū)

The 2 counties govern very distant towns and rural areas:

• Miyun County (密云县: Mìyún Xiàn)
• Yanqing County (延庆县: Yánqìng Xiàn)

Economy

Demographics

Culture

Transportation

Roads and Expressways

The Badaling Expressway near the intersection with the Northern 6th Ring Road (taken in November of 2002)

The city is served by four completed concentric ring roads (with a fifth nearing completion); these are:

• 2nd Ring Road
• 3rd Ring Road
• 4th Ring Road
• 5th Ring Road (98 km)
• 6th Ring Road (when completed in full, approx. 188 km)

The western part of the 6th Ring Road is still partially under construction. Rare sources have mentioned a potential 7th Ring Road, but no further details have been given.

Oddly enough, there is the lack of a 1st Ring Road. This may have referred to a rectangle of roads around the intersections at Dongdan, Xidan, Dongsi, and Xisi; it may also be a mapmaker's fiction.

For more on Beijing's ring roads, see the article Ring Roads of Beijing.

Nine toll expressways link Beijing to its suburbs, outlying regions, and other cities; these are:

• Badaling Expressway to the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China
• Jingcheng Expressway to Chengde (completed from the NE 4th Ring Road through to Gaoliying) (21 km)
• Airport Expressway to Beijing Capital International Airport (under 20 km)
• Jingtong Expressway to Tongzhou district (approx. 15 km)
• Jingha Expressway to Harbin (apparantly abandoned as of Yanjiao, Hebei)
• Jingshen Expressway to Shenyang (658 km)
• Jingjintang Expressway (or Jingtang Expressway) to Tianjin and Tanggu
• Jingkai Expressway to Kaifeng (interrupted as of Yufa, Beijing)
• Jingshi Expressway to Shijiazhuang

Further planned are expressways linking Beijing city to Pinggu district, and a second expressway (possibly linking with Tianjin) between the current-day Jingtong and Jingshen Expressways. Also, an eastern part of an expressway, running between the E. 5th Ring Rd. and the E. 6th Ring Rd., is on the drawing board.

City Transportation

The evolving Beijing Subway has four lines (two above ground, two underground), with several more being built in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The number of bus routes is approaching one thousand. There are also many trolleybus routes in the city. Taxis are nearly ubiquitous in appearance and some can accept Yikatong cards for payment.

Traffic in the city centre is gridlocked, especially around rush hour. The authorities have attempted several moves with limited success. One big problem is that public transportation is underdeveloped (the underground system is presently minimal) and that even busses are jam-packed with people around rush hour. Beijing authorities trumpet that traffic jams may be a thing of a past come the 2008 Olympics.

Rail

Beijing has two major railway stations: Beijing Railway Station (or the central station) and Beijing West Railway Station. Beijing North Railway Station, Beijing East Railway Station and Beijing South Railway Station all exist, but they handle only limited traffic. Hepingli Railway Station seems to have been completely abandoned and is apparently no longer in service.

International trains, including lines to Russia and Pyongyang, North Korea (DPRK), all run through Beijing. Direct trains to Hong Kong also leave Beijing. Nationwide, lines to all major cities and minor cities in the mainland leave Beijing.

Air

Beijing's main airport is the Beijing Capital International Airport near Shunyi, which is about 20 kilometres northeast of Beijing proper. Flights from all major continents land in Beijing. This airport is also where a lot of domestic lines land.

Other airports in the city include Liangxiang Airport, Nanyuan Airport and Xijiao Airport. However, these are lesser well-known.

Tourism

Famous landmarks around Beijing include:

• Forbidden City
• Tiananmen Square, site of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1919, 1975, 1989
• The Great Wall
• The Temple of Heaven
• The Summer Palace
• Ruins of the Old Summer Palace
• Gulou - The Drum Tower
• Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian (World Heritage Site)
• Military Museum including tanks, rockets, weapons etc

Important tourist attractions also include:

• Beihai Park
• Jingshan Park
• Tanzhe Temple
• Jietai Temple
• Yunju Temple
• Beijing Zoo
• The Fragrant Hills
• Beijing's Hutongs

Famous Theatres of Beijing include:

• Zheng Yici Peking Opera Theatre

Colleges and Universities

[National]

• Peking University (北京大学) (founded in 1898)
  • Beijing University Health Science Center (formally Beijing Medical University) (北京大学医学部, 原北京医科大学)
• Beijing Normal University (北京师范大学) (founded 1902)
• Tsinghua University (清华大学) (founded in 1911)
• Beihang University (北京航空航天大学)
• Beijing Jiaotong University (北京交通大学)
• China University of Geosciences (中国地质大学)
• China University of Mining & Technology (中国矿业大学)
• Beijing University of Petroleum (石油大学)
• Beijing University of Chemical Technology (北京化工大学)
• Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (北京邮电大学)
• Beijing University of Technology (北京工业大学)
• China Agricultural University (中国农业大学)
• Beijing Forestry University (北京林业大学)
• Peking Union Medical College (中国协和医科大学)
• Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (北京中医药大学)
• Renmin University of China (中国人民大学)
• China University of Political Science and Law (中国政法大学)
• Beijing Foreign Studies University (北京外国语大学)
• Beijing Language and Culture University (北京语言大学)
• University of International Business and Economics (对外经济贸易大学)
• Central University of Finance and Economics (中央财经大学)
• Foreign Affaires College (外交学院)
• Central University for Nationalities (中央民族大学)
• Beijing Broadcasting Institute (北京广播学院)
• Central Conservatory of Music (中央音乐学院)
• Central Academy of Drama (中央戏剧学院)
• Central Institute of Fine Arts (中央美术学院)
• Beijing Sports University (北京体育大学)

[Public]

• Beijing Union University (北京联合大学)
• Capital Normal University (首都师范大学)
• Capital University of Economics and Business (首都经济贸易大学)
• University of Science and Technology Beijing (北京科技大学)
• Beijing Institute of Technology (北京理工大学)
• Beijing Information Technology Institute (北京信息工程学院)
• Beijing Institute of Civil Engineering and Architecture (北京建筑工程学院)
• SG Institute of Technology (首钢工学院)
• Beijing Institute of Machinery (北京机械工业学院)
• North China Electric Power University (华北电力大学(北京))
• Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology (北京石油化工学院)
• Beijing International Studies University (北京第二外国语学院)
• China College of Music (中国音乐学院)
• Academy of Traditional Chinese Opera (中国戏曲学院)
• Beijing Film Academy (北京电影学院)
• Beijing Dance Academy (北京舞蹈学院)
• Central Radio and TV University (中央广播电视大学)
• Beijing Sports University(北京体育大学)

[Private]

• Beijing City College (北京城市学院)

Note: Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed.

Media

TV and Radio

Beijing has nine TV programmes, numbered channels 1 through 9. Unlike CCTV, there is at present no exclusive English-language TV channel on a citywide level in Beijing.

The TV programmes are run by Beijing TV.

There are two radio stations which feature programmes in English. They are Hit FM on FM 88.7 and Easy FM by CRI on FM 91.5.

Press

The well-known Beijing Evening News newspaper appears without delay every Beijing afternoon, covering news in Chinese about Beijing. Other newspapers are the Beijing Star Daily, the Beijing Morning News and the English-language Beijing Weekend.

Nationwide newspapers are also available in Beijing.

Publications catering to the expat community include City Weekend, that's Beijing and MetroZine, among others.

International newspapers in most languages, including English and Japanese, are available in hotels and Friendship Stores, and content often appears complete.

Miscellaneous topics

Beijing will be the site of the 2008 Summer Olympics and of the 2008 Summer Paralympics.

Sports teams based in Beijing include:

Chinese Football Association Super League

• Beijing Xiandai

Chinese Basketball Association

• Beijing Aoshen Olympians
• Beijing Shougang Ducks

See also:

• Mandarin cuisine
• Mandarin
• List of Mayors of Beijing

See also

• Solar eclipses as seen from Beijing

External links

• Satellite image of Beijing (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov:81/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=15309) at NASA's Earth Observatory
• Beijing Travel (http://www.beijingtrip.com/)
• Beijing The Virtual City ( under construction ) (http://www.beijingvirtualcity.com/)
• Official site (English version) (http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/)

Edit (http://www.irelandinformationguide.com/Template:Provinces_of_China?action=edit)	Province-level divisions of the People's Republic of China
Provinces¹: Anhui | Fujian | Gansu | Guangdong | Guizhou | Hainan | Hebei | Heilongjiang | Henan | Hubei | Hunan | Jiangsu | Jiangxi | Jilin | Liaoning | Qinghai | Shaanxi | Shandong | Shanxi | Sichuan | Yunnan | Zhejiang Autonomous Regions: Guangxi | Inner Mongolia | Ningxia | Tibet | Xinjiang Municipalities: Beijing | Chongqing | Shanghai | Tianjin Special Administrative Regions: Hong Kong | Macau ¹