Changes

In English the city was called '''Peking''' until the 1980s. When [[Chiang Kai-shek]] moved the capital from Peking to [[Nanjing]] in the Republican period, Peking became '''Peiping''', which means, "Northern Peace" ([[Traditional Chinese]] and [[Simplified Chinese]]: 北平; [[Hanyu Pinyin]]: Běipíng), to show that it was no longer the capital - there have been many different capitals of China and various Chinese states throughout history, and Beijing has been the capital of the People's Republic since its founding in October 1949.

In English the city was called '''Peking''' until the 1980s. When [[Chiang Kai-shek]] moved the capital from Peking to [[Nanjing]] in the Republican period, Peking became '''Peiping''', which means, "Northern Peace" ([[Traditional Chinese]] and [[Simplified Chinese]]: 北平; [[Hanyu Pinyin]]: Běipíng), to show that it was no longer the capital - there have been many different capitals of China and various Chinese states throughout history, and Beijing has been the capital of the People's Republic since its founding in October 1949.

Beijing was elected the host city for the games of the [[XXIX Olympiad]] in 2008. The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games emblem shows a "Chinese Seal, Dancing Beijing".

Beijing was elected the host city for the games of the [[XXIX Olympiad]] in 2008. The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games emblem shows a "Chinese Seal, Dancing Beijing".[[File:China2.jpg|thumb|220px]]

==History==

==History==  

The city had a powerful strategic location at the tip of the North China Plain. Lying on major trade routes to [[Mongolia]], [[Manchuria]], and [[Korea]], it served both as a citadel for defense of the lowlands against invasions from the north and as a base for Chinese expansion into these areas. Beijing has been a major settlement at least since 1027 BC, when the feudal state of [[Yan dynasty|Yan]] established its capital, ''Ji'', in the area of modern Beijing. Yan was destroyed during the unification of China by the Emperor [[Qin Shi Huang]] in the third century BC. The city of Ji became the administrative center of the Guangyang Commandery. Ji was the capital of one of thirty six prefectures under the new feudal government system of [[Qin dynasty]] China. In 608 AD the [[Sui dynasty|Sui]] emperor, Yang, built a canal from the [[Yellow River]] to Ji to supply troops engaged in his campaigns against Korea. The canal was later linked with others to the south to form the [[Grand Canal]], part of which, near Beijing, is still in use today. After the fall of the Tang dynasty in 906, Ji came under the control of the [[Qidans]] (Khitans) who founded the [[Liao dynasty]] in the North East of modern China. Ji became the second capital of the Liao and was renamed Nanjing or Yanjing which means 'Southern Capital'. The Liao fell to the [[Nuzhen]] (Jurchen) people who founded the [[Jin dynasty]]. In 1153, Wan Yanliang moved the Jin capital to Yanjing and renamed the city Zhongdu (Central Captial). During the Jin period, the city was five kilometers wide with a registered population of 225,592 households (estimated to be around one million people). In 1261, the Mongol emperor, [[Kublai Khan]], after conquering the Jin, chose the site as the chief capital of his new Yuan dynasty. Dadu (Great Capital), as the new capital was called, quickly developed into a cosmopolitan city, visited (probably) by [[Marco Polo]] and other Europeans by the the 13th century. In 1367, however, Dadu fell to Han Chinese forces under the command of the first [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] emperor, who moved his capital to [[Nanjing]] in [[Jiangsu]] Province and renamed Dadu, Peiping, or Northern Peace. In 1420 the capital was returned to Peiping, which was promptly renamed Beijing, or Northern Capital.  It has remained China's capital ever since.<ref> Except for a brief interlude from 1928 to 1949.</ref>

The city had a powerful strategic location at the tip of the North China Plain. Lying on major trade routes to [[Mongolia]], [[Manchuria]], and [[Korea]], it served both as a citadel for defense of the lowlands against invasions from the north and as a base for Chinese expansion into these areas. Beijing has been a major settlement at least since 1027 BC, when the feudal state of [[Yan dynasty|Yan]] established its capital, ''Ji'', in the area of modern Beijing. Yan was destroyed during the unification of China by the Emperor [[Qin Shi Huang]] in the third century BC. The city of Ji became the administrative center of the Guangyang Commandery. Ji was the capital of one of thirty six prefectures under the new feudal government system of [[Qin dynasty]] China. In 608 AD the [[Sui dynasty|Sui]] emperor, Yang, built a canal from the [[Yellow River]] to Ji to supply troops engaged in his campaigns against Korea. The canal was later linked with others to the south to form the [[Grand Canal]], part of which, near Beijing, is still in use today. After the fall of the Tang dynasty in 906, Ji came under the control of the [[Qidans]] (Khitans) who founded the [[Liao dynasty]] in the North East of modern China. Ji became the second capital of the Liao and was renamed Nanjing or Yanjing which means 'Southern Capital'. The Liao fell to the [[Nuzhen]] (Jurchen) people who founded the [[Jin dynasty]]. In 1153, Wan Yanliang moved the Jin capital to Yanjing and renamed the city Zhongdu (Central Captial). During the Jin period, the city was five kilometers wide with a registered population of 225,592 households (estimated to be around one million people). In 1261, the Mongol emperor, [[Kublai Khan]], after conquering the Jin, chose the site as the chief capital of his new Yuan dynasty. Dadu (Great Capital), as the new capital was called, quickly developed into a cosmopolitan city, visited (probably) by [[Marco Polo]] and other Europeans by the the 13th century. In 1367, however, Dadu fell to Han Chinese forces under the command of the first [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] emperor, who moved his capital to [[Nanjing]] in [[Jiangsu]] Province and renamed Dadu, Peiping, or Northern Peace. In 1420 the capital was returned to Peiping, which was promptly renamed Beijing, or Northern Capital.  It has remained China's capital ever since.<ref> Except for a brief interlude from 1928 to 1949.</ref>