Beijing History

As one of China’s four ancient capitals, Beijing enjoys a city history of over 3,000 years and capital city of over 850 years. It assembles a splendid culture of China since Yuan Dynasty.

Beijing is one of the four ancient capital cities in China. Known to have been resided with Beijing Man (Homo erectus pekinensis), it is a cradle of humanity where also assembles a splendid culture of the old China.
 

In Ancient Period

As early as 500,000 years ago, a tribal group named Beijing Man was spotted at caves of Dragon Bone Hill near the village of Zhoukoudian in Beijing for the existed Homo erectus fossils from the cave.

Beijing was originally a city for Ji State during Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century B.C.-771 B.C.), and later being the capital under the name of Yanjing or Yandu by Yan State.

After the collapse of Yan during the Warring States period, Beijing continued to be appointed as prefectural capital with various names.

During the early Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), Emperor Taizong of Song was failed in the battle with Liao at Gaolianghe (Haidian District, Beijing) and Liao established Peidu in Beijing area. In 1153, Beijing was officially a capital under the name of Zhongdu by Emperor Hailing in Song Dynasty.

In 1215, the city at the site of present-day Beijing was torched by the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan (1162–1227), who built a new city called Dadu. Later under the rule of Kublai Khan (1215–1294) in the thirteenth century, it became the capital of a vast empire, and it has been China's national capital almost continuously ever since.

At the beginning of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), it was changed to Beiping belonging to Shandong province. After the Prince of Yan obtained the reign, Beiping was renamed Beijing in the year of Yongle and made it the capital.
 

Ruled during Qing Dynasty (1644-1912)

Since the Manchus came into Beijing, it experienced a large scale renovation and expansion despite the basic character of the city during the Ming period was largely preserved. At this period, successive emperors of Qing lived in the palace of Beijing which was named Forbidden City.

During the late Qing Dynasty, Beijing was captured by French and British forces during the second Opium War (1858–1860) since the signature of Convention of Peking. Thus, Beijing was in a mess and the Summer Palaces were burned down.
 

During Republic of China

After ending Chinese imperial rule, Kuomintang under Chiang Kai-shek was in power. In 1912, the Republic of China moved its capital to Beijing from Nanjing until Beijing was occupied by the Northern Expeditionary Army in 1928 and renamed Beiping. Owing to the July 7 Incident of 1937, Beiping was captured by Japanese army. It remained under occupation until the end of World War II (1939–1945), Beijing was retaken and held by the Kuomintang during the ensuing civil war.
 

After Liberation of China

In 1949, Beijing finally fell to the Communists under the leadership of Mao Zedong (1893–1976) in January and became the capital of the People's Republic of China the following October as well as the nation's political, cultural, and financial hub.