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The future Beijing was developed as an auxiliary capital under the Liao (907–1125) and Jin dynasties (1115–1234), at which time it was known as Zhongdu. In 1215 it was invaded and razed by a Mongol army led by the fearsome Genghis Khan.
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The Ming emperor Yongle (r. 1403–24) destroyed the palaces of his Mongol predecessors in order to rebuild the city, which he renamed Beijing (Northern Capital). He is credited with laying the foundations for the city as it is today, and the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven began to take shape during his reign.
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Western powers, frustrated by the reluctance of the Chinese to open up to foreign trade, put the imperial court under pressure, eventually going to war to protect their trade in opium. In 1900, championed by the Empress Cixi, a band of rebels from north China known as the Boxers attacked Beijing’s Foreign Legation Quarter. A joint eight-nation army had to be sent to lift the siege.
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The last emperor, Pu Yi, ascended the throne at the age of three. Four years later, in February 1912, his brief reign was brought to a premature end when he was forced to abdicate by general Yuan Shikai’s new National Assembly.
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On January 31, 1949, Communist forces led by Mao Zedong seized Beijing. On October 1, Mao proclaimed the foundation of the People’s Republic of China from the gallery of the Tian’an Men.
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Having socialized industry and agriculture, Mao called on the masses to transform society itself. All distinctions between manual and intellectual work were to be abolished and class distinction was to be eradicated. The revolution reached its violent peak in 1967, with the Red Guards spreading fear and havoc.
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On September 9, 1976 Mao died. The destructive policies of the Cultural Revolution were abandoned. Mao’s long-time opponent Deng Xiaoping emerged as leader, implementing reforms that encouraged greater economic freedom.
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In July 2001 International Olympic Committee members meeting in Moscow awarded China the 2008 Games. Thousands flocked to Tian’an Men Square to celebrate – the first unscripted mass gathering here since 1989’s massacre.
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Unearthed in the 1920s from a cave at Zhoukoudian, 30 miles (45 km) SW of Beijing, 40-odd fossilized bones and primitive implements were identified as the prehistoric remains of Peking Man (Homo erectus Pekinensis), who lived in the vicinity over 500,000 years ago.
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(King Hu; 1969), Sword-play films, have been popular in China since the 1920s, but this revitalized the genre.
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Beijing Longqing Gorge Ice and Snow FestivalThe Chinese turn winter into a poetic and colourful fiesta of ice and light. The majestic Longqing Gorge, 80km outside Beijing, is the scene for fireworks, ice sculptures and ice fishing. Massive... Read more
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Badaling - Great WallThe largest man-made construction ever built, the ancient majesty of the Great Wall of China can be spotted by anyone who happens to be journeying through space, although not, as is commonly... Read more
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Tian'anmenTiananmen, in the centre of Beijing, is an attraction in itself. The world's largest square may not be beautiful, but it is where Mao founded the People's Republic in 1949 and where hundreds were... Read more
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Forbidden City (Palace Museum)Despite occasional scaffolding, the central Forbidden City is still China's most important, and arguably spectacular, tourist sight. It's vast and today houses the Palace Museum. Visit the... Read more
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