Beijing history can
be traced back 500,000
years thanks to the discovery
of “Peking Man” in
1929 at Zhoukoudian.
The first human settlements
are about 3000 BC and
was originally called
Ji, later Yan. In 1153
Beijing became the capital
of the Jin Dynasty which
ruled from 1115 to 1234.
Beijing was called Zhong
Du at that time but little
remains to be seen as
Zhong Du was burnt to
the ground by the armies
of Genghis Khan in 1215.
Hublai Khan crowned himself
emperor in 1260 and founded
the Yuan dynasty in 1271.
In 1368 Zhu Yuanzhang
overthrew the Yuan dynasty
and started the Ming
dynasty. The city was
renamed Beiping. He died
in 1398 and his fourth
son Emperor Yongle took
over and he named the
capital Beijing meaning
Northern Capital. He
built the Forbidden palace,
Bell Tower and Temple
of Heaven and much the
city layout that still
survives today. The royal
cemetery the Mong Tombs
were also built at that
time.
In 1664 the Manchus
conquered Beijing and
kept the Ming administrative
and remained in power
until 1911. The Qing
built the Old Summer
Palace and many of the
gardens we see today.
In 1912 the Republic
of China was founded
by Sun Yat-sen.
In 1928 the capital
was moved away from Beijing
to Nanjing. Mao Zedong
was a founder member
of the Chinese Communist
Party in 1921. In 1937
the Japanese occupied
the city after defeating
the Chinese troops at
the Marco Polo Bridge.
The end of Second World
War was followed by civil
war won by the Communist
Party. On 31 January,1949
the People’s Liberation
Army entered the city
and in Tian’anmen
Square on 1 st October
1949 Mao Zedong proclaimed
the founding of the People’s
Republic of China.
In 1964 the old city
walls were taken down
to construct the Second
ring Road. Tian’anmen
Square was expanded and
the Great Hall of the
People and the National
Museum constructed (originally
called the Chinese History
and Revolution Museum).
A series of economic
reforms put in place
in 1978 by Deng Xiaoping
started an on gong process
of development. A boost
was the 1990 Asian Games
and the 50thj anniversary
of the Republic of China
in 1999.
Beijing’s successful
bid for the 2008 Olympic
Games has continued the
process of major development
and a focus on the environmental
issues facing Beijing.
On 12 January 2005 the
State Council approved
the Beijing Urban Development
Plan (2004 – 2020)
where Beijing is to be
developed into a “modern
metropolis, capital of
culture and a pleasing
city” and home
to 15 million people.
The city is to develop
a multi – polar
polycentric plan with
modern satellite cities
to reduce the traffic
problems in the city
centre.
With all the transformation,
development and major
infrastructure Beijing
is changing fast. An
area in the centre of
the city has been preserved
and the original Hutongs
and buildings will be
restored.
Government
The People’s Government
of the Beijing Municipality
is the executive body of
the Beijing Municipal People’s
Congress and the main administrative
body. It functions under
the State Council. The
Beijing Municipal Government
has a mayor, several deputy
mayors, a secretary – general
and Directors of different
municipal commissions,
offices and bureaus.
