Etymology
Over the past 3,000 years, the city of Beijing has had numerous other names. The name ''Beijing'', which means "Northern Capital" (from the Chinese characters for ''north'' and for ''capital''), was applied to the city in 1403 during the Ming dynasty to distinguish the city from Nanjing (the "Southern Capital"). The English spelling ''Beijing'' is based on the government's official romanization (adopted in the 1980s) of the two characters as they are pronounced inHistory
Early history
The earliest traces of human habitation in the Peking municipality were found in the caves of Dragon Bone Hill near the village of Zhoukoudian in Fangshan District, where Peking Man lived. ''Early Imperial China
After the First Emperor unified China in 221 BC, Jicheng became aMing dynasty
In 1368, soon after declaring the new Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty, theQing dynasty
Dorgon established the Qing dynasty as a direct successor of the Ming (delegitimising Li Zicheng and his followers) and Beijing became China's sole capital. The Qing emperors made some modifications to the Imperial residence but, in large part, the Ming buildings and the general layout remained unchanged. Facilities for Manchu worship were introduced, but the Qing also continued the traditional state rituals. Signage was bilingual or Chinese. This early Qing Beijing later formed the setting for the Chinese novel '' Dream of the Red Chamber''. Northwest of the city, Qing emperors built several large palatial gardens including the Old Summer Palace and the Summer Palace. During theRepublic of China
The fomenters of the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 sought to replace Qing rule with a republic and leaders likePeople's Republic of China
In the final phases of the Chinese Civil War, the People's Liberation Army seized control of the city peacefully on 31 January 1949 in the course of the Pingjin Campaign. On 1 October that year, Mao Zedong announced the creation of the People's Republic of China from atop Tian'anmen. He restored the name of the city, as the new capital, to Beijing, a decision that had been reached by the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference just a few days earlier. In the 1950s, the city began to expand beyond the old walled city and its surrounding neighborhoods, with heavy industries in Shijingshan District, the west and residential neighborhoods in Hepingli Subdistrict, Beijing, the north. Many areas of the Beijing city fortifications, Beijing city wall were torn down in the 1960s to make way for the construction of the Beijing Subway and theGeography
Beijing is situated at the northern tip of the roughly triangular North China Plain, which opens to the south and east of the city. Mountains to the north, northwest and west shield the city and northern China's agricultural heartland from the encroaching desert steppes. The northwestern part of the municipality, especially Yanqing District and Huairou District, are dominated by the Jundu Mountains, while the western part is framed by ''Xishan'' or the Western Hills. The Great Wall of China across the northern part of Beijing Municipality was built on the rugged topography to defend against nomadic incursions from the steppes. Mount Ling (Beijing), Mount Dongling, in the Western Hills and on the border with Hebei, is the municipality's highest point, with an altitude of . Major rivers flowing through the municipality, including the Chaobai River, Chaobai, Yongding River, Yongding, Juma River (China), Juma, are all tributaries in the Hai River system, and flow in a southeasterly direction. The Miyun Reservoir, on the upper reaches of the Chaobai River, is the largest reservoir within the municipality. Beijing is also the northern terminus of the Grand Canal of China, Grand Canal to Hangzhou, which was built over 1,400 years ago as a transportation route, and the South–North Water Transfer Project, constructed in the past decade to bring water from the Yangtze River basin. The urban area of Beijing, on the plains in the south-central of the municipality with elevation of , occupies a relatively small but expanding portion of the municipality's area. The city spreads out in concentric Ring Roads of Beijing, ring roads. The Second Ring Road (Beijing), Second Ring Road traces the Beijing city wall, old city walls and the Sixth Ring Road connects satellite towns in the surrounding suburbs. Tian'anmen and Tian'anmen Square are at the center of Beijing, directly to the south of the Forbidden City, the former residence of the emperors of China. To the west of Tian'anmen is Zhongnanhai, the residence of China's current leaders. Chang'an Avenue, which cuts between Tiananmen and the Square, forms the city's main east–west axis.Cityscape
Architecture
Three styles of architecture are predominant in urban Beijing. First, there is the traditional architecture of imperial China, perhaps best exemplified by the massive Tian'anmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace), which remains the People's Republic of China's trademark edifice, the Forbidden City, the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Temple of Heaven. Next, there is what is sometimes referred to as the "Sino-Sov" style, with structures tending to be boxy and sometimes poorly constructed, which were built between the 1950s and the 1970s. Finally, there are much more modern architectural forms, most noticeably in the area of the Beijing CBD in east Beijing such as the new CCTV Headquarters, in addition to buildings in other locations around the city such as the Beijing National Stadium and National Centre for the Performing Arts (China), National Center for the Performing Arts. Since 2007, buildings in Beijing have received the CTBUH Skyscraper Award for best overall tall building twice, for the Linked Hybrid building in 2009 and the CCTV Headquarters in 2013. The CTBUH Skyscraper award for best tall overall building is given to only one building around the world every year. In the early 21st century, Beijing has witnessed tremendous growth of new building constructions, exhibiting various modern styles from international designers, most pronounced in the CBD region. A mixture of both 1950s design and neofuturistic style of architecture can be seen at the 798 Art Zone, which mixes the old with the new. Beijing's tallest building is the 528-meter China Zun. Beijing is famous for its ''siheyuans'', a type of residence where a common courtyard is shared by the surrounding buildings. Among the more grand examples are the Prince Gong Mansion and Former Residence of Soong Ching-ling (Beijing), Residence of Soong Ching-ling. These courtyards are usually connected by alleys called '' hutongs''. The ''hutongs'' are generally straight and run east to west so that doorways face north and south for good Feng Shui. They vary in width; some are so narrow only a few pedestrians can pass through at a time. Once ubiquitous in Beijing, ''siheyuans'' and ''hutongs'' are rapidly disappearing, as entire city blocks of ''hutongs'' are replaced by high-rise buildings. Residents of the ''hutongs'' are entitled to live in the new buildings in apartments of at least the same size as their former residences. Many complain, however, that the traditional sense of community and street life of the ''hutongs'' cannot be replaced, and these properties are often government owned.Climate
Beijing has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen: ''Dwa''), characterized by hot, humid summers due to the East Asian monsoon, and brief but cold, dry winters that reflect the influence of the vast Siberian High, Siberian anticyclone. Spring can bear witness to sandstorms blowing in from the Gobi Desert across the Mongolian-Manchurian grassland, Mongolian steppe, accompanied by rapidly warming, but generally dry, conditions. Autumn, similar to spring, is a season of transition and minimal precipitation. The monthly daily average temperature in January is , while in July it is . Precipitation (meteorology), Precipitation averages around annually, with close to three-quarters of that total falling from June to August. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 47% in July to 65% in January and February, the city receives 2,671 hours of bright sunshine annually. Extremes since 1951 have ranged from on 22 February 1966 to on 24 July 1999 (unofficial record of was set on 15 June 1942).Environmental issues
Beijing has a long history of environmental problems. Between 2000 and 2009 Beijing's urban extent quadrupled, which not only strongly increased the extent of anthropogenic emissions, but also changed the meteorological situation fundamentally, even if Exhaust gas, emissions of human society are not included. For example, surface albedo, wind speed and humidity near the surface were decreased, whereas ground and near-surface air temperatures, vertical air dilution and ozone levels were increased. Because of the combined factors of urbanization and pollution caused by burning of fossil fuel, Beijing is often affected by serious environmental problems, which lead to health issues of many inhabitants. In 2013 heavy smog struck Beijing and most parts of northern China, impacting a total of 600 million people. After this "pollution shock" air pollution became an important economic and social concern in China. After that the government of Beijing announced measures to reduce air pollution, for example by lowering the share of coal from 24% in 2012 to 10% in 2017, while the national government ordered heavily polluting vehicles to be removed from 2015 to 2017 and increased its efforts to transition the energy system to clean sources.Air quality
Joint research between American and Chinese researchers in 2006 concluded that much of the city's pollution comes from surrounding cities and provinces. On average 35–60% of the ozone can be traced to sources outside the city. Shandong Province and Tianjin Municipality have a "significant influence on Beijing's air quality", partly due to the prevailing south/southeasterly flow during the summer and the mountains to the north and northwest. In preparation for theReadings
Due to Beijing's high level of air pollution, there are various readings by different sources on the subject. Daily pollution readings at 27 monitoring stations around the city are reported on the website of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau (BJEPB). The American Embassy of Beijing also reports hourly particulates, fine particulate (PM2.5) and ozone levels on Twitter. Since the BJEPB and US Embassy measure different pollutants according to different criteria, the pollution levels and the impact to human health reported by the BJEPB are often lower than that reported by the US Embassy. (login required) The smog is causing harm and danger to the population. The air pollution does directly result in significant impact on the mobility rate of cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease in Beijing. Exposure to large concentrations of polluted air can cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems, emergency room visits, and even death.Dust storms
Dust from the erosion of deserts in northern and northwestern China results in seasonal dust storms that plague the city; the Beijing Weather Modification Office sometimes artificially induces rainfall to fight such storms and mitigate their effects. In the first four months of 2006 alone, there were no fewer than eight such storms. In April 2002, one dust storm alone dumped nearly 50,000 tons of dust onto the city before moving on to Japan and Korea.Government
The municipal government is regulated by the local Chinese Communist Party (CCP), led by the Beijing Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary, CCP Secretary (). The local CCP issues administrative orders, collects taxes, manages the economy, and directs a standing committee of the Municipal People's Congress in making policy decisions and overseeing the local government. Government officials include the Mayor of Beijing, mayor () and vice-mayor. Numerous bureaus focus on law, public security, and other affairs. Additionally, as the capital of China, Beijing houses all of the important national governmental and political institutions, including the National People's Congress.Administrative divisions
Beijing Municipality currently comprises 16 administrative County-level division, county-level subdivisions including 16 urban, suburban, and rural district of China, districts. On 1 July 2010, Chongwen District, Chongwen and Xuanwu District, Beijing, Xuanwu were merged into Dongcheng and Xicheng, respectively. On 13 November 2015 Miyun District, Miyun and Yanqing District, Yanqing were upgraded to districts.Towns
Beijing's 16 county-level divisions (districts) are further subdivided into 273 lower third-level administrative units at the Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China#Township level, township level: 119 town of China, towns, 24 Townships of the People's Republic of China, townships, 5 ethnic townships and 125 Subdistricts of China, subdistricts. Towns within Beijing Municipality but outside the urban area include (but are not limited to): * Changping District, Changping * Huairou * Miyun * Liangxiang, Beijing, Liangxiang * Liulimiao * Tongzhou District, Beijing, Tongzhou * Yizhuang, Beijing, Yizhuang * Tiantongyuan * Beiyuan, Beijing, Beiyuan * Xiaotangshan, Beijing, Xiaotangshan Several place names in Beijing end with ''mén'' (), meaning "gate", as they were the locations of gates in the former Beijing city fortifications, Beijing city wall. Other place names end in ''cūn'' (), meaning "village", as they were originally villages outside the city wall.Judiciary and procuracy
The Judicial system of the People's Republic of China, judicial system in Beijing consists of the Supreme People's Court, the highest court in the country, the Beijing Municipal High People's Court, the high people's court of the municipality, three intermediate people's courts, one intermediate Railway Transport Court (People's Republic of China), railway transport court, 14 basic people's court (one for each of the municipality's districts and counties), and one basic railway transport court. The Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court in Shijingshan oversees the basic courts of Haidian, Shijingshan, Mentougou, Changping and Yanqing. The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court in Fengtai oversees the basic courts of Dongcheng, Xicheng, Fengtai, Fangshan and Daxing. The Beijing No. 3 Intermediate People's Court in Laiguangying, is the newest of the three intermediate people's courts and opened on 21 August 2013. It oversees the district courts of Chaoyang, Tongzhou, Shunyi, Huairou, Pinggu and Miyun. Each court in Beijing has a corresponding Supreme People's Procuratorate, people's procuratorate.Economy
, Beijing's Gross domestic product, nominal GDP was US$458 billion (Renminbi, CN¥3.0 trillion), about 3.45% of the country's GDP and ranked List of Chinese administrative divisions by GDP, 12th among Administrative divisions of China, province-level administrative units; its nominal GDP per capita was US$21,261 (CN¥140,748) and ranked the List of Chinese administrative divisions by GDP per capita, 1st in the country. As of 2021, Beijing's gross regional products was Renminbi, CN¥4 trillion ($965 billion in GDP PPP), ranking among the tenth largest metropolitan economies in the world. Beijing's nominal GDP is projected to reach US$1.1 trillion in 2035, ranking among the world's top 10 largest cities (together with Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in China) according to a study by Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford Economics, and its nominal GDP per capita will reach US$45,000 in 2030. Due to the concentration of List of State-owned enterprises in China, state owned enterprises in the national capital, Beijing in 2013 had more Fortune Global 500 Company headquarters than any other city in the world."Jones Lang LaSalle Research Report – Five years after the Olympics – Growth in Beijing has continued, what to expect next?"Sector composition
The city has a post-industrial economy that is dominated by the Tertiary sector of the economy, tertiary sector (services), which generated 76.9% of output, followed by the Secondary sector of the economy, secondary sector (manufacturing, construction) at 22.2% and the primary sector (agriculture, mining) at 0.8%. The services sector is broadly diversified with professional services, wholesale and retail, information technology, commercial real estate, scientific research, and residential real estate each contributing at least 6% to the city's economy in 2013. The single largest sub-sector remains industry, whose share of overall output has shrunk to 18.1% in 2013. The mix of industrial output has changed significantly since 2010 when the city announced that 140 highly-polluting, energy and water resource intensive enterprises would be relocated from the city in five years. The relocation of Shougang Corporation, Capital Steel to neighboring Hebei province had begun in 2005. In 2013, output of automobiles, aerospace products, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and food processing all increased. In the farmland around Beijing, vegetables and fruits have displaced grain as the primary crops under cultivation. In 2013, the tonnage of vegetable, edible fungus and fruit harvested was over three times that of grain. In 2013, overall acreage under cultivation shrank along with most categories of produce as more land was reforested for environmental reasons.Economic zones
In 2006, the city government identified six high-end economic output zones around Beijing as the primary engines for local economic growth. In 2012, the six zones produced 43.3% of the city's GDP, up from 36.5% in 2007. The six zones are: # Zhongguancun, China's silicon village in Haidian District northwest of the city, is home to both established and start-up tech companies. In the first two quarters of 2014, 9,895 companies registered in the six zones, among which 6,150 were based in Zhongguancun. Zhongguancun is also the center of Beijing-Tianjin-Shijiazhuang Hi-Tech Industrial Belt. # Beijing Financial Street, in Xicheng District on the west side of the city between Fuxingmen and Fuchengmen, is lined with headquarters of large state banks and insurance companies. The country's financial regulatory agencies including the People's Bank of China, central bank, China Banking Regulatory Commission, bank regulator, China Securities Regulatory Commission, securities regulator, and State Administration of Foreign Exchange, foreign exchange authority are located in the neighborhood. # Beijing CBD, Beijing Central Business District (CBD), is actually located to the east of downtown, near the embassies along the eastern Third Ring Road between Jianguomenwai and Chaoyangmenwai. The CBD is home to most of the List of tallest buildings in Beijing, city's skyscraper office buildings. Most of the city's foreign companies and professional service firms are based in the CBD. # Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area, better known as Yizhuang, Beijing, Yizhuang, is an industrial park the straddles the southern Fifth Ring Road in Daxing District. It has attracted pharmaceutical, information technology, and materials engineering companies. # Beijing Airport Economic Zone was created in 1993 and surrounds the Beijing Capital International Airport in Shunyi District northeast of the city. In addition to logistics, airline services, and trading firms, this zone is also home to Beijing's automobile assembly plants. # Beijing Olympic Center Zone surrounds the Olympic Green due north of downtown and is developing into an entertainment, sports, tourism and business convention center. Shijingshan, on the western outskirts of the city, is a traditional heavy industrial base for steel-making. Chemical plants are concentrated in the far eastern suburbs. Less legitimate enterprises also exist. Urban Beijing is known for being a center of Copyright infringement, infringed goods; anything from the latest designer clothing to DVDs can be found in markets all over the city, often marketed to expatriates and international visitors.Demographics
In 2013, Beijing had a total population of 21.148 million within the municipality, of which 18.251 million resided in urban districts or suburban townships and 2.897 million lived in rural villages. The encompassing metropolitan area was estimated by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) to have, , a population of 24.9 million.Linked from the OECEducation and research
Beijing is a world leading center for scientific and technological innovation and has been ranked the List of cities by scientific output, No.1 city in the world with the largest scientific research output, as tracked by the Nature Index since 2016. The city is also leading the world with the highest share of articles published in the fields of Physical Sciences, physical sciences, chemistry, and earth and environmental sciences, especially in the United Nations'17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related output. Beijing has over List of universities and colleges in Beijing, 90 public colleges and universities, which is the largest urban public university system in Asia and the first city in China with most higher education institutions, and it is home to the two best universities (Culture
People native to urban Beijing speak the Beijing dialect, which belongs to the Mandarin subdivision of Chinese spoken language, spoken Chinese. This speech is the basis for ''putonghua'', the standard spoken language used in mainland China and Taiwan, and one of the four official languages of Singapore. Rural areas of Beijing Municipality have Jilu Mandarin, their own dialects akin to those of Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing Municipality. Beijing or Peking opera is a traditional form of Chinese theater well known throughout the nation. Commonly lauded as one of the highest achievements of Chinese culture, Beijing opera is performed through a combination of song, spoken dialogue, and codified action sequences involving gestures, movement, fighting and acrobatics. Much of Beijing opera is carried out in an archaic stage dialect quite different from Modern Standard Chinese and from the modern Beijing dialect. Beijing cuisine is the local style of cooking. Peking duck is perhaps the best known dish. Fuling jiabing, a traditional Beijing snack food, is a pancake (''bing'') resembling a flat disk with a filling made from ''Fu Ling, fu ling'', a fungus used in traditional Chinese medicine. Teahouses are also common in Beijing. The cloisonné (or ''Jingtailan'', literally "Blue of Jingtai Emperor, Jingtai") metalworking technique and tradition is a Beijing art speciality, and is one of the most revered traditional crafts in China. Cloisonné making requires elaborate and complicated processes which include base-hammering, copper-strip inlay, soldering, enamel-filling, enamel-firing, surface polishing and gilding. Beijing's lacquerware is also well known for its sophisticated and intricate patterns and images carved into its surface, and the various decoration techniques of lacquer include "carved lacquer" and "engraved gold". Younger residents of Beijing have become more attracted to the nightlife, which has flourished in recent decades, breaking prior cultural traditions that had practically restricted it to the upper class. Today, Houhai, Sanlitun and Wudaokou are Beijing's nightlife hotspots. In 2012 Beijing was named as City of Design and became part of the Creative Cities Network, UNESCO Creative Cities Network.Places of interest
At the historical heart of Beijing lies the Forbidden City, the enormous palace compound that was the home of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties; the Forbidden City hosts the Palace Museum, which contains imperial collections of Chinese art. Surrounding the Forbidden City are several former imperial gardens, parks and scenic areas, notably Beihai Park, Beihai, Shichahai, Zhongnanhai, Jingshan Park, Jingshan and Zhongshan Park (Beijing), Zhongshan. These places, particularly Beihai Park, are described as masterpieces of Chinese gardening art, and are tourist destinations of historical importance; in the modern era, Zhongnanhai has also been the political heart of various Chinese governments and regimes and is now the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party and the State Council. From Tiananmen Square, right across from the Forbidden City, there are several notable sites, such as the Tiananmen, Qianmen, the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China, the Monument to the People's Heroes, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. The Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace both lie at the western part of the city; the former, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, contains a comprehensive collection of imperial gardens and palaces that served as the summer retreats for the Qing imperial family. Among the best known religious sites in the city is the Temple of Heaven (''Tiantan''), located in southeastern Beijing, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties made visits for annual ceremonies of prayers to Heaven for good harvest. In the north of the city is the Temple of Earth (''Ditan''), while the Temple of the Sun (''Ritan'') and the Temple of the Moon (China), Temple of the Moon (''Yuetan'') lie in the eastern and western urban areas respectively. Other well-known temple sites include the Beijing Dongyue Temple, Dongyue Temple, Tanzhe Temple, Miaoying Temple, White Cloud Temple, Yonghe Temple, Fayuan Temple, Wanshou Temple and Big Bell Temple. The city also has its own Beijing Temple of Confucius, Confucius Temple, and a Guozijian (Beijing), Guozijian or Imperial Academy. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Beijing, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, built in 1605, is the oldest Catholic church in Beijing. The Niujie Mosque is the oldest mosque in Beijing, with a history stretching back over a thousand years. Beijing contains several well-preserved pagodas and stone pagodas, such as the towering Pagoda of Tianning Temple (Beijing), Pagoda of Tianning Temple, which was built during the Liao dynasty from 1100 to 1120, and the Pagoda of Cishou Temple, which was built in 1576 during the Ming dynasty. Historically noteworthy stone bridges include the 12th-century Lugou Bridge, the 17th-century Baliqiao bridge, and the 18th-century Jade Belt Bridge. The Beijing Ancient Observatory displays pre-telescopic spheres dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Fragrant Hills (''Xiangshan'') is a public park that consists of natural landscaped areas as well as traditional and cultural relics. The Beijing Botanical Garden exhibits over 6,000 species of plants, including a variety of trees, bushes and flowers, and an extensive peony garden. The Taoranting Park, Taoranting, Longtan Park, Longtan, Beijing Chaoyang Park, Chaoyang, Haidian Park, Haidian, Milu Yuan and Purple Bamboo Park, Zizhu Yuan parks are some of the notable recreational parks in the city. The Beijing Zoo is a center of zoological research that also contains rare animals from various continents, including the Chinese giant panda. There are 144 museums and galleries () in the city. In addition to the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City and the National Museum of China, other major museums include the National Art Museum of China, the Capital Museum, the Wanshou Temple, Beijing Art Museum, the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution, the Geological Museum of China, the Beijing Museum of Natural History and the Paleozoological Museum of China. Located at the outskirts of urban Beijing, but within its municipality are the Ming tombs, Thirteen Tombs of the Ming dynasty, the lavish and elaborate burial sites of thirteen Ming emperors, which have been designated as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The archaeological Peking Man site at Zhoukoudian is another World Heritage Site within the municipality, containing a wealth of discoveries, among them one of the first specimens of ''Intangible cultural heritage
The cultural heritage of Beijing is rich and diverse. Starting 2006, the Beijing government started the process of selecting and preserving cultural heritages. Five cultural heritage lists have been published over the years. 288 distinct practices are categorized as cultural heritage. These 288 cultural heritages are further divided into ten categories, namely folk music, folk dance, traditional opera, melodious art, juggling and game, folk art, traditional handicraft, traditional medicine, folk literature and folklore.http://whlyj.beijing.gov.cn/ggfw/wh/fyml/202010/P020201010563736046358.pdf http://whlyj.beijing.gov.cn/ggfw/wh/fyml/202010/P020201010563737848152.pdf http://whlyj.beijing.gov.cn/ggfw/wh/fyml/202010/P020201010563739463702.pdf http://whlyj.beijing.gov.cn/ggfw/wh/fyml/202010/P020201010563741385357.pdf http://whlyj.beijing.gov.cn/ggfw/wh/fyml/202110/P020211026621144096433.pdf * Folk music ** Zhihua Temple music ** Tongzhou Sea shanty, shanty * Folk dance ** Tongzhou Dragon dance ** Miliangtun Stilts * Traditional opera ** Kunqu ** Peking opera * Melodious art ** Xiangsheng * Acrobatic Performance and game ** Go (game), Weiqi(Go) ** Xiangqi * Folk art ** Ivory carving * Traditional handicraft ** Peking duck manufacturing techniques ** Cloisonné manufacturing techniques * Traditional medicine ** Tong Ren Tang culture * Folk literature *Religion
The religious heritage of Beijing is rich and diverse as Chinese folk religion, Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam and Christianity all have significant historical presence in the city. As the national capital, the city also hosts the State Administration for Religious Affairs and various state-sponsored institutions of the leading religions. In recent decades, foreign residents have brought other religions to the city. According to Wang Zhiyun of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 2010 there were 2.2 million Buddhists in the city, equal to 11.2% of the total population. According to the Chinese General Social Survey of 2009, Christians constitute 0.78% of the city's population.China General Social Survey (CGSS) 2009. Report byChinese folk religion and Taoism
Beijing has many temples dedicated to Chinese gods and immortals, folk religious and communal deities, many of which are being reconstructed or refurbished in the 2000s and 2010s. Yearly sacrifices to the Tian, God of Heaven () at the Temple of Heaven have been resumed by Confucianism, Confucian groups in the 2010s. There are temples dedicated to the worship of the Goddess () in the city, one of them near the Beijing Olympic Village, Olympic Village, and they revolve around a major cult center at Mount Miaofeng. There are also many temples consecrated to the Dragon King, Dragon God, to the Medicine Master (), to Guan Yu, Divus Guan (Guan Yu), to the Fire God (), to the Caishen, Wealth God, temples of the Chenghuangshen, City God, and at least one temple consecrated to the Yellow Emperor, Yellow Deity of the Big Dipper, Chariot axis mundi, Shaft () in Pinggu District. Many of these temples are governed by the Beijing Taoist Association, such as the Huode Zhenjun Temple, Fire God Temple of the Shicha Lake, while many others are not and are governed by popular committees and locals. A great Temple of Xuanyuan Huangdi will be built in Pinggu (possibly as an expansion of the already existing shrine) within 2020, and the temple will feature a statue of the deity which will be amongst the list of tallest statues, tallest in the world. The national Chinese Taoist Association and Chinese Taoist College have their headquarters at the White Cloud Temple of Quanzhen Taoism, which was founded in 741 and rebuilt numerous times. The Beijing Dongyue Temple outside Chaoyangmen is the largest temple of Zhengyi Taoism in the city. The local Beijing Taoist Association has its headquarters at the Lüzu Temple near Fuxingmen.Buddhism
11% of the population of Beijing practices East Asian Buddhism. The Buddhist Association of China, the state's supervisory organ overseeing all Buddhist institutions in mainland China, is headquartered in the Guangji Temple (Beijing), Guangji Temple, a temple founded over 800 years ago during the Jin dynasty (1115–1234) in what is now Fuchengmennei (). The Beijing Buddhist Association along with the Buddhist Choir and Orchestra are based in the Guanghua Temple (Beijing), Guanghua Temple, which dates to the Yuan dynasty over 700 years ago. The Buddhist Academy of China and its library are housed in the Fayuan Temple near Caishikou. The Fayuan Temple, which dates to the Tang dynasty 1300 years ago, is the oldest temple in urban Beijing. The Tongjiao Temple inside Dongzhimen is the city's only Buddhist nunnery. The Xihuang Temple originally dates to the Liao dynasty. In 1651, the temple was commissioned by the Shunzhi Emperor, Qing Emperor Shunzhi to host the visit of the 5th Dalai Lama, Fifth Dalai Lama to Beijing. Since then, this temple has hosted the 13th Dalai Lama as well as the Lobsang Palden Yeshe, 6th Panchen Lama, Sixth, Thubten Choekyi Nyima, 9th Panchen Lama, Ninth and Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama, Tenth Panchen Lamas. The largest Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Beijing is the Yonghe Temple, which was decreed by the Qianlong Emperor, Qing Emperor Qianlong in 1744 to serve as the residence and research facility for his Buddhist preceptor of Changkya Rölpé Dorjé, Rölpé Dorjé the third Changkya Khutukhtu, Changkya (or living Buddha of Inner Mongolia). The Yonghe Temple is so-named because it was the childhood residence of the Yongzheng Emperor, and retains the Chinese glazed roof tile, glazed tiles reserved for imperial palaces. While the "High-level Tibetan Buddhism College of China", China's highest institution college of Tibetan Buddhism, situated near the Yonghe Temple. The Lingguang Temple (Beijing), Lingguang Temple of Badachu in the Western Hills also dates to the Tang dynasty. The temple's Zhaoxian Pagoda () was first built in 1071 during the Liao dynasty to hold a tooth relic of the Gautama Buddha, Buddha. The pagoda was destroyed during theIslam
Beijing has about 70 mosques recognized by the Islamic Association of China, whose headquarters are located next to the Niujie Mosque, the oldest mosque in the city. The Niujie Mosque was founded in 996 during the Liao dynasty and is frequently visited by Muslim dignitaries. The Chinese Muslim community reportedly celebrated Ramadan and made Eid prayers at the mosque on 2021. The largest mosque in Beijing is ChangYing mosque, located in ChaoYang district, with an area of 8,400 square meters. Other notable mosques in the old city include the Dongsi Mosque, founded in 1346; the Huashi Mosque, founded in 1415; Nan Douya Mosque, near Chaoyangmen; Jinshifang Street Mosque, in Xicheng District; and the Dongzhimen Mosque. There are large mosques in outlying Muslim communities in Haidian, Madian, Beijing, Madian, Tongzhou, Changping, Changying, Shijingshan and Miyun. The China Islamic Institute is located in the Niujie neighborhood in Xicheng District.Christianity
Catholicism
In 1289, John of Montecorvino came to Beijing as a Franciscan missionary with the order from the Pope. After meeting and receiving the support ofProtestantism
The earliest Protestant churches in Beijing were founded by Protestant missions in China 1807–1953, British and American missionaries in the second half of the 19th century. Protestant missionaries also opened schools, universities and hospitals which have become important civic institutions. Most of Beijing's Protestant churches were destroyed during theEastern Orthodox
There was a significant amount of Orthodox Christians in Beijing. Orthodoxy came to Beijing with Albazinians, Russian prisoners from the Sino-Russian border conflicts of the 17th century. In 1956, Viktor, the bishop of Beijing returned to the Soviet Union, and the Soviet embassy took over the old cathedral and demolished it. In 2007, the Russian embassy built a new church in its garden to serve the Russian Orthodox Christians in Beijing.Media
Television and radio
Beijing Television broadcasts on channels 1 through 10, and China Central Television, China's largest television network, maintains its headquarters in Beijing. Three radio stations feature programmes in English: ''Hit FM'' on FM 88.7, ''Easy FM'' by China Radio International on FM 91.5, and the newly launched ''Radio 774'' on AM 774. Beijing Radio Stations is the family of radio stations serving the city.Press
The well-known ''Beijing Evening News'', covering news about Beijing in Chinese, is distributed every afternoon. Other newspapers include ''Beijing Daily'', ''The Beijing News'', the ''Beijing Star Daily'', the ''Beijing Morning News'', and the ''Beijing Youth Daily'', as well as English-language weeklies ''Beijing Weekend'' and ''Beijing Today''. The ''People's Daily'', ''Global Times'' and the ''China Daily'' (English) are published in Beijing as well. Publications primarily aimed at international visitors and the expatriate community include the English-language periodicals ''Time Out Beijing'', ''City Weekend'', ''Beijing This Month'', ''Beijing Talk'', ''That's Beijing'', and ''The Beijinger''.Beijing rock
Beijing rock (Chinese: 北京摇滚) is a wide variety of rock and roll music made by rock bands and solo artists from Beijing. The first rock band in Beijing is Peking All-Stars, which was formed in 1979 by foreigners. Famous rock bands and solo artists from Beijing include Cui Jian, Dou Wei, He Yong (rock musician), He Yong, Pu Shu, Tang Dynasty (band), Tang Dynasty, Black Panther (band), Black Panther, The Flowers (Chinese band), The Flowers, Wang Feng (singer), 43 Baojia Street, etc.Beijing born celebrities
Mei Lanfang (22 October 1894 – 8 August 1961) is a Beijing opera singer. At age 15, he became an orphan and was adopted by his uncle's family. He started stage life in 1905 and became famous at 25 years old during performances in Japan. He was a pre-modern superstar, and famous for his portrayal of the Dan role, the elegant female archetype. After the Communist revolution, he served as an opera and performing art counselor in China. In November 2007, a theater namely Mei Lanfang Grand Theater opened in Xicheng District, Beijing to memorize him. Yuan Longping (7 September 1930- 22 May 2021) is a Chinese agronomist. He studied at Southwest Agricultural University. He encountered national famine at the beginning of his career. This made him determined to solve the food shortage in China. He worked as a pioneer on hybrid rice back in 1960. His research on cross breeding wild abortive rice with mutated male-sterile rice was later involve a lot of research around the globe. In 2004, Yuan Longping was awarded the World Food Prize because he conducted pioneer research that helped transform China from food deficiency to food security within three decades. Cui Jian (August 1960 – present) is a Chinese rock singer. Various media praised him as the father of China's rock music. He introduces western Rock to China in 1986 and mixed it with Chinese traditional music. Some of his songs are associated with movements in Chinese society such as "Nothing to My Name" and "Rock 'n' Roll on the New Long March". He also directed one movie called "Blue Sky Bones" at age 52. Yang Jiang (17 July 1911- 25 May 2016) is a Chinese writer and translator. She was educated at a Chinese university and Oxford University. Ms. Yang was known for her fiction, plays, essay, and nonfiction. She is the first person who translates "Don Quixote" into Chinese. Later, she taught at Tsinghua University for many years and retired in 1980. Some of her representative works are the essay collection "We three" and the novel "Baptism". She died on 25 May 2016, at a hospital in Beijing. Shu Qingchun (3 Feb 1899 – 24 August 1966), pen name Lao She, is a Chinese writer, linguist, and artist. He wrote eight million Chinese characters in entire life, is famous for long novels and scripts. In his iconic works, there are two long novels, two novellas, six short stories, and three scripts. Most of his works are depicting the poor life of Chinese citizens in the late Qing dynasty. He has been living in Britain, Singapore, and United States. During the Chinese Culture Revolution, he committed suicide by drowning in Taiping Lake.Sports
Events
Beijing has hosted numerous international and national sporting events, the most notable was the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2008 Summer Olympic and 2008 Summer Paralympics, Paralympic Games. Other multi-sport event, multi-sport international events held in Beijing include the 2001 Universiade and the 1990 Asian Games. Single-sport international competitions include the Beijing Marathon (annually since 1981), China Open (tennis), China Open of Tennis (1993–97, annually since 2004), ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Cup of China (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010), World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, WPBSA China Open (snooker), China Open for Snooker (annually since 2005), Union Cycliste Internationale Tour of Beijing (since 2011 Tour of Beijing, 2011), 1961 World Table Tennis Championships, 1987 IBF World Championships, 1987 IBF Badminton World Championships, the 2004 AFC Asian Cup (football), and 2009 Barclays Asia Trophy (football). Beijing hosted the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, 2015 IAAF World Championships in Athletics. Beijing's LeSports Center is one of the main venues for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The city hosted the second National Games of China, Chinese National Games in 1914 and the first four National Games of China in 1959, 1965, 1975, 1979, respectively, and co-hosted the 1993 National Games with Sichuan and Qingdao. Beijing also hosted the inaugural National Peasants' Games in 1988 and the sixth National Minority Games in 1999. In November 2013, Beijing made a Beijing bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics, bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. On 31 July 2015, the International Olympic Committee awarded the 2022 Winter Olympics to the city becoming the first ever to host both Summer and Winter Olympics also for the 2022 Winter Paralympics becoming the first ever to host both Summer and Winter Paralympics.Venues
Major sporting venues in the city include the Beijing National Stadium, National Stadium, also known as the "Birds' Nest", Beijing National Aquatics Center, National Aquatics Center, also known as the "Water Cube", Beijing National Indoor Stadium, National Indoor Stadium, all in the Olympic Green to the north of downtown; the MasterCard Center at Wukesong station, Wukesong west of downtown; the Workers' Stadium and Workers Indoor Arena, Workers' Arena in Sanlitun just east of downtown and the Capital Indoor Stadium, Capital Arena in Baishiqiao, northeast of downtown. In addition, many universities in the city have their own sport facilities.Clubs
Professional sports teams based in Beijing include: * China Baseball League ** Beijing Tigers * Chinese Basketball Association ** Beijing Ducks ** Beijing Royal Fighters * Women's Chinese Basketball Association ** Beijing Shougang * Kontinental Hockey League ** HC Kunlun Red Star * Chinese Super League ** Beijing Guoan F.C., Beijing Guoan * China League One ** Beijing Sport University F.C., Beijing BSU * China League Two ** Beijing Institute of Technology F.C., Beijing BIT * Chinese Women's National League ** Beijing BG Phoenix F.C., Beijing BG Phoenix The Beijing Olympians of the American Basketball Association (2000–present), American Basketball Association, formerly a Chinese Basketball Association team, kept their name and maintained a roster of primarily Chinese players after moving to Maywood, California in 2005. China Bandy Federation is based in Beijing, one of several cities in which the potential for bandy development is explored.Transportation
Beijing is an important transport hub in North China with six Ring roads of Beijing, ring roads, 1167 km (725 miles) of expressways, 15 National Highways, nine conventional railways, and six high-speed railways converging on the city.Rail and high-speed rail
Beijing serves as a large rail hub in Rail transport in the People's Republic of China, China's railway network. Ten conventional rail lines radiate from the city to: Beijing–Shanghai railway, Shanghai (Jinghu Line), Beijing–Guangzhou railway, Guangzhou (Jingguang Line), Beijing–Kowloon railway, Kowloon (Jingjiu Line), Beijing–Harbin railway, Harbin (Jingha Line) (including Beijing–Qinhuangdao railway, Qinhuangdao (Jingqin Line)), Beijing–Baotou railway, Baotou (Jingbao Line), Beijing–Chengde railway, Chengde (Jingcheng Line), Beijing–Tongliao railway, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia (Jingtong Line), Beijing–Yuanping railway, Yuanping, Shanxi (Jingyuan Line) and Fengtai–Shacheng railway, Shacheng, Hebei (Fengsha Line). In addition, the Datong–Qinhuangdao railway passes through the municipality to the north of the city. Beijing also has six high-speed rail lines: the Beijing–Tianjin intercity railway, which opened in 2008; the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway, which opened in 2011; the Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway, which opened in 2012; and the Beijing–Xiong'an intercity railway and the Beijing–Zhangjiakou intercity railway, both of which opened in 2019. The Beijing–Shenyang high-speed railway was completed in 2021. The city's main railway stations are the Beijing railway station, which opened in 1959; the Beijing West railway station, which opened in 1996; and the Beijing South railway station, which was rebuilt into the city's high-speed railway station in 2008; The Beijing North railway station, was first built in 1905 and expanded in 2009; The Qinghe railway station, was first built in 1905 and expanded in 2019; The Beijing Chaoyang railway station opened in 2021; The Beijing Fengtai railway station opened in 2022; and the Beijing Sub-Center railway station is under construction. Smaller stations in the city including Beijing East railway station and Daxing Airport station handle mainly commuter passenger traffic. In outlying suburbs and counties of Beijing, there are over 40 railway stations. From Beijing, Passenger rail transport in China, direct passenger train service is available to most large cities in China. International train service is available to Mongolia, Russia, Vietnam and North Korea. Passenger trains in China are numbered according to their railroad direction, direction in relation to Beijing.Roads and expressways
Beijing is connected by road links to all parts of China as part of the National Trunk Road Network. Many expressways of China serve Beijing, as do 15 China National Highways. Beijing's urban transport is dependent upon the "Ring Roads of Beijing, ring roads" that concentrically surround the city, with the Forbidden City area marked as the geographical center for the ring roads. The ring roads appear more rectangular than ring-shaped. There is no official "1st Ring Road". TheAir
Beijing Capital International Airport
Beijing has two of the world's largest airports. The Beijing Capital International Airport (IATA: PEK) located northeast of the city center in Chaoyang District, Beijing, Chaoyang District bordering Shunyi District, is the World's busiest airports by passenger traffic, second busiest airport in the world after Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Capital Airport's Terminal 3, built during the expansion for the 2008 Olympics, is one of the largest in the world. Capital Airport is the main hub for Air China and Hainan Airlines. The Airport Expressway (Beijing), Airport Expressway and 2nd Airport Expressway, Second Airport Expressway, connect to Capital Airport from the northeast and east of the city center, respectively. Driving time from city center is about 40 minutes under normal traffic conditions. The Capital Airport Express line of Beijing Subway and the Beijing Airport Bus, Capital Airport Bus serves the Capital Airport.Beijing Daxing International Airport
The Beijing Daxing International Airport (IATA: PKX) located south of the city in Daxing District bordering the city of Langfang, Hebei Province, opened on 25 September 2019. The Daxing Airport has one of the world's largest terminal buildings and is expected to be a major airport serving Beijing, Tianjin and northern Hebei Province. Daxing Airport is connected to the city via the Beijing–Xiong'an intercity railway, the Daxing Airport Express line of the Beijing Subway and two expressways.Other airports
With the opening of the Daxing Airport in September 2019, the Beijing Nanyuan Airport (IATA:NAY), located south of center in Fengtai District, has been closed to civilian airline service. Other airports in the city at Liangxiang, Xijiao, Shahe and Badaling are primarily for military use.Visa requirements for air passengers
, tourists from 45 countries are permitted a 72-hour visa-free stay in Beijing. The 45 countries include Singapore, Japan, the United States, Canada, all EU and EEA countries (except Norway and Liechtenstein), Switzerland, Brazil, Argentina and Australia. The programme benefits transit and business travellers with the 72 hours calculated starting from the moment visitors receive their transit stay permits rather than the time of their plane's arrival. Foreign visitors are not permitted to leave Beijing for other Chinese cities during the 72 hours."Beijing 72-hour Visa-free" ChinaTour.NetPublic transit
The Beijing Subway, which began operating in 1969, now has 25 lines, 459 List of Beijing Subway stations, stations, and of Line length, lines. It is the List of metro systems, longest subway system in the world and Metro systems by annual passenger rides, first in annual ridership with 3.66 billion rides delivered in 2016. In 2013, with a flat fare of Renminbi, ¥2.00 (US$0.31) per ride with unlimited transfers on all lines except the Airport Express, Beijing Subway, Airport Express, the subway was also the most affordable rapid transit in China, rapid transit system in China. The subway is undergoing rapid expansion and is expected to reach 30 lines, 450 stations, in length by 2022. When fully implemented, 95% of residents inside the 4th Ring Road, Fourth Ring Road will be able to walk to a station in 15 minutes. The Beijing Suburban Railway provides commuter rail service to outlying suburbs of the municipality. On 28 December 2014, the Beijing Subway switched to a distance-based fare system from a fixed fare for all lines except the Airport Express, Beijing Subway, Airport Express. Under the new system a trip under will cost Renminbi, ¥3.00(US$0.49), an additional Renminbi, ¥1.00 will be added for the next and the next until the distance for the trip reaches . For every after the original an additional Renminbi, ¥1.00 is added. For example, a trip would cost Renminbi, ¥ 8.00. There are nearly 1,000 Beijing Bus, public bus and trolleybus lines in the city, including four bus rapid transit lines. Standard bus fares are as low as ¥1.00 when purchased with the ''Yikatong'' metrocard.Taxi
Metered taxicab, taxi in Beijing start at ¥13 for the first , ¥2.3 Renminbi per additional and ¥1 per ride fuel surcharge, not counting idling fees which are ¥2.3 (¥4.6 during rush hours of 7–9 am and 5–7 pm) per 5 minutes of standing or running at speeds lower than . Most taxis are Hyundai Elantras, Hyundai Sonatas, Peugeots, Citroëns and Volkswagen Jettas. After , the base fare increases by 50% (but is only applied to the portion ''over'' that distance). Different companies have special colours combinations painted on their vehicles. Usually registered taxis have yellowish brown as basic hue, with another color of Prussian blue, hunter green, white, umber, tyrian purple, rufous, or sea green. Between 11 pm and 5 am, there is also a 20% fee increase. Rides over and between 23:00 and 06:00 incur both charges, for a total increase of 80%. Tolls during trip should be covered by customers and the costs of trips beyond Beijing city limits should be negotiated with the driver. The cost of unregistered taxis is also subject to negotiation with the driver.Bicycles
Beijing has long been well known for the number of bicycles on its streets. Although the rise of motor traffic has created a great deal of congestion and bicycle use has declined, bicycles are still an important form of local transportation. Many cyclists can be seen on most roads in the city, and most of the main roads have dedicated bicycle lanes. Beijing is relatively flat, which makes cycling convenient. The rise of electric bicycles and electric scooters, which have similar speeds and use the same cycle lanes, may have brought about a revival in bicycle-speed two-wheeled transport. It is possible to cycle to most parts of the city. Because of the growing traffic congestion, the authorities have indicated more than once that they wish to encourage cycling, but it is not clear whether there is sufficient will to translate that into action on a significant scale. On 30 March 2019, a 6.5 km (4 mile) bicycle-dedicated lane was opened, easing the traffic congestion between Huilongguan and Shangdi where there are many high-tech companies. Cycling has seen a resurgence in popularity spurred by the emergence of a large number of dockless app based Bicycle-sharing system, bikeshares such as Mobike, Bluegogo and Ofo (bike sharing), Ofo since 2016.Defence and aerospace
The command headquarters of China's military forces are based in Beijing. The Central Military Commission (China), Central Military Commission, the political organ in charge of the military, is housed inside the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China, Ministry of National Defense, located next to the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution in western Beijing. The Second Artillery Corps, which controls the country's Intercontinental ballistic missile, strategic missile and nuclear weapons, has its command in Qinghe Subdistrict, Beijing, Qinghe, Haidian District. The headquarters of the Central Theater Command, one of five nationally, is based further west in Gaojing. The CTR oversees the Beijing Capital Garrison as well as the 27th Army (People's Republic of China), 27th, 38th Army (People's Republic of China), 38th and 65th Army (People's Republic of China), 65th Armies, which are based in Hebei. Military institutions in Beijing also include academies and thinktanks such as the PLA National Defence University and PLA Academy of Military Science, Academy of Military Science, military hospitals such as the 301 Military Hospital, 301, 307 Hospital, 307 and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, and army-affiliated cultural entities such as 1 August Film Studios and the Chinese People's Liberation Army Naval Song and Dance Troupe, PLA Song and Dance Troupe. The China National Space Administration, which oversees country's Chinese space program, space program, and several space-related state owned companies such as China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, CASTC and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, CASIC are all based in Beijing. The Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center, in Haidian District tracks the country's Shenzhou program, manned and unmanned flight and other space exploration initiatives.Nature and wildlife
Beijing Municipality has 20 nature reserves that have a total area of . The mountains to the west and north of the city are home to a number of protected wildlife species including leopard, leopard cat, wolf, red fox, wild boar, masked palm civet, raccoon dog, hog badger, Siberian weasel, Amur hedgehog, roe deer, and mandarin rat snake. The Beijing Aquatic Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center protects the Chinese giant salamander, Amur stickleback and mandarin duck on the Huaijiu and Huaisha Rivers in Huairou District. The Milu Yuan, Beijing Milu Park south of the city is home to one of the largest herds of Père David's deer, now extinct in the wild. The Beijing barbastelle, a species of vesper bat discovered in caves of Fangshan District in 2001 and identified as a distinct species in 2007, is endemic to Beijing. The mountains of Fangshan are also habitat for the more common Beijing mouse-eared bat, large myotis, greater horseshoe bat and Rickett's big-footed bat. Each year, Beijing hosts 200–300 species of Bird migration, migratory birds including the common crane, black-headed gull, swan, mallard, common cuckoo and the endangered yellow-breasted bunting. In May 2016, Common cuckoos nesting in the wetlands of Cuihu (Haidian), Hanshiqiao (Shunyi), Yeyahu (Yanqing) were tagged and have been traced to far as India, Kenya and Mozambique. In the fall of 2016, the Beijing Forest Police undertook a month-long campaign to crack down on illegal hunting and trapping of migratory birds for sale in local bird markets. Over 1,000 rescued birds of protected species including streptopelia, Eurasian siskin, crested myna, coal tit and great tit were handed to the Beijing Wildlife Protection and Rescue Center for repatriation to the wild. The city flowers are the Rosa chinensis, Chinese rose and chrysanthemum. The city trees are the Chinese arborvitae, an evergreen in the cypress Cupressaceae, family and the pagoda tree, also called the Chinese scholar tree, a deciduous tree of the family Fabaceae. The oldest scholar tree in the city was planted in what is now Beihai Park during the Tang dynasty.International relations
The capital is the home of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a multilateral development bank that aims to improve economic and social outcomes in Asia and the Silk Road Fund, an investment fund of the Chinese government to foster increased investment and provide financial supports in countries along the One Belt, One Road. Beijing is also home to the headquarters of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), making it an important city for diplomacy, international diplomacy.Twin towns and sister cities
Beijing is Sister city, twinned with the following regions, cities, and counties: * Addis Ababa, Ethiopia * Ankara, Turkey * Astana, Kazakhstan * Athens, Greece * Bangkok, Thailand * Berlin, Germany * Brussels, Belgium * Bucharest, Romania * Budapest, Hungary * Buenos Aires, Argentina * Cairo, Egypt * Canberra, Australia * Cologne, Germany * Copenhagen, Denmark * Delhi, India * Doha, Qatar * Dublin, Ireland * Hanoi, Vietnam * Havana, Cuba * Île-de-France, France * Islamabad, Pakistan * Jakarta, Indonesia * Johannesburg, South Africa * Kyiv, Ukraine * Lima, Peru * London, England, United Kingdom * Manila, Philippines * Minsk, Belarus * Mexico City, Mexico * Moscow, Russia * New South Wales, Australia * New York City, United States * Ottawa, Canada * Phnom Penh, Cambodia * Riga, Latvia * Rio de Janeiro, Brazil * San José, Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica * Santiago, Chile * Seoul, South Korea * Tallinn, Estonia * Tehran, Iran * Tel Aviv, Israel * Tirana, Albania * Tokyo, Japan * Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia * Vientiane, Laos * Washington D.C., United States * Wellington, New ZealandForeign embassies and consulates
In 2019, China had the largest diplomatic network in the world. China hosts a List of diplomatic missions in China, large diplomatic community in its capital city of Beijing. At present, the capital of Beijing hosts 172 embassies, 1 consulate and 3 representatives, excluding Hong Kong and Macau trade office. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * (consulate) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Representative offices and delegations
* (Representative Office) * (Representative Office) * (European Union Ambassador to China, Delegation of the European Union to China)See also
* Beijing city fortifications * Historical capitals of China * Large Cities Climate Leadership Group * List of hospitals in Beijing * List of mayors of Beijing * List of twin towns and sister cities in China * List of diplomatic missions in China * Uyghurs in BeijingNotes
References
Citations
Sources
* * *Further reading
* * * * (Print & eBook). *External links