Beijing's City Province is home to the Peking Man's site. Proving that the earliest inhabitants of this area lived some 500.000 years ago. Earlier remnants from the neo-lithic age can be found in the basement of Oriental Plaza in the Dongcheng District. Further archeological records, discovered by chinese and other scientists prove that a city has been in excistance at the current site of Beijing for some 3000 years.
Beijing has been the Capital of China no less than 7 times. It is believed that Beijing was first chosen to be the Capital City of China during the 11th Century Liao Dynasty. In 1215 AD the
Mongol Armies finally reached the Jin Capital of Yanjing,
levelling it after a short siege. Eversince, the Yuan-, Ming-, and
Ching Dynasties have all chosen Beijing as their Capital City.
Although Beijing lost the status of Capital to Nanjing (in 1368
AD and AD1928 AD, respectively) and other cities' several
times, since the establishment op the Peoples Republic of
China on October 1st, 1949 AD, Beijing is once more the
proud political Capital of China.
A Historic Introduction to the City of Beijing
One of the Magnificient Ceremonial Instruments from Tiantan Parks newly opened Divine Musical Administration (Opened Sept 2004).
Beijing - Earliest History as The Capital of China
Beijing became the Capital of China for the first time during the years of the Liao Dynasty, of whcih remnants can still be found in the city today. It was so chosen by Imperial Decree in the year 1153 AD, and named Zhongdu.
In the following period of the Jin Dynasty, the City of Beijing was the Capital of China under the Name Yanjing. During the Liao and Jin Dynasties, the Northern Tribes (Mongols) had become an increasingly strong military power. After capturing western lands along the famous the Silk Road, The Mongols moved on Jin China. Under leadership of Genghis Khan, war was declared in 1211 AD, and in the resulting war the Jin suffered continuous loss of territory. In 1215 AD laready, the 3 Mongol Armies dispatched reached the Jin Capital, which was taken and destroyed after a short siege. The Jin Empire however wasn't broken completely and the fleeing Emperor moved his Capital to Kaifeng, due East of LuoYang the current Capital of Henan Province. His the final
Earliest Origins of Today's Beijing
After the armies of Djenghis Khan conquered Yanjing and raised it to the ground, slums emerged due south of the Mongol nomadic Encampments, creating the earliest Xuanwu District. In 1276 the reconstruction of the city began. Renaming what was left, the Yuan Mongols rebuilt the City, creating their it as their Capital, the City of Dadu. Later after the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty in 1278 AD, the Capital of Beijing, would become the home of a giant Imperial Palace. The remnants of this ancient palace city can roughly be located in Dongcheng- & Xicheng Districts and North of DeshengMen (Moral Victory Gate) on the 2nd Ring Road. The circular city of Beihai Park is said to be another remnant, a part of the inner Palace of the Kublai.
Starting with the settling of the Mongol Kublai's and the subsequent Yuan Dynasty , Beijing has been the Capital City of China, with some interruptions, since the Year 1280 AD.
defeat at the hands of the Mongols came in the year 1234 AD.
Beijing during the Ming Dynasty
At the end of the short-lived Yuan Dynasty the City briefly lost it's Capital to Southern Nanjing during the first 2 reigns of the Ming Dynasty. However, during the 3rd Reign (1403 AD - 1425 AD) ofthe Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD ), in 1406 AD, the Capital City was moved back from southern Nanjing to BeiPing, renaming it Beijing. The original lay-out of today's Beijing, with a Central Axis running North-South through the City, and the Forbidden City's Main Ceremonial Throne Hall (TaiheDian) in the exact center of
Ching Dynasty Beijing
Throughout the Ming Dynasty and subsequent Ching Dynasty (1644 -1911 AD ) the Imperial Capital expanded. The Qianlong Emperor of the Ching Dynasty was particularly active in making changes and additions to the Palace and imperial Gardens. Other Emperors followed suit. In 1887 AD the XianFeng Emperor had the Imperial Palace enlarged in a westerly direction incorporating the ZhongnanHai Area into the Imperial City, with a Gate directly connecting both. Only minor changes were made after, leaving very roughly the layout of the (Central) City today, minus TiananMen Square, packed with interesting sites to visit and enjoy.
Beijing after 1911 and the Fall of the Ching Dynasty.
Beijing lost the status of Capital once more in the year 1928 AD, when the KuoMinTang
political party, after various successes on the so-called Northern Expedition (1926-1927), established a National Governement at Southern Nanjing. The City of Nanjing would remain the Capital of China for some considerable period, the so-called National Governement first being led by Dr. Sun Yat Sen, it's founder, who was soon replaced by the infamous General Chiang Kai Shek. In the intervening period, Beijing reverted to it's Old name of Beiping, but with westerners was known as Peking.
The City of Beijing feel under Japanese occupation shortly after the Marco Polo Bridge-incident and stayed under occupation for 10 years, untill march of the year 1949 AD, when victorious Communist Party Armies marched into the City to liberate it. The occasion was celebrated with the first Grand Military Review of the Peoples Liberation Army, now a rare but steady tradition occuring in TiananMen Square.
After Chongqing had been the wartime Capital, the communist party of China, originally the left wing of the KuoMinTang, establised their dominance over all of China (except the island of Taiwan which claims to be the real China). When the Peoples Republic of China was declared on
October 1st 1949 AD in TiananMen Square, Beijing, the City once more became the
Capital of China. Much of the City lay-out has changed since the declaration of the
Peoples Republic. Immediatly after the year 1949, population numbers increased
dramatically as china and Beijing were industrializing, as wealth was more equally
distributed, disease eradicated and of course, due to the Importance of the City as
Capital.
everything was created on orders of 3rd Ming Emperor Zhu Di, Yongle. He also ordered the construction of Tiantan, the Temple of Heaven Park, oversaw large reconstructions and improvements on the Great Wall throughout China and further. Last but not least the Yongle Emperor ordered the construction of the large Shisan Ling Ming Tombs in the Province, North of Beijing.
