Beijing(Chinese 北京, pal. Beijing, pinyin Běijīng, literally “Northern Capital”) is the capital and one of the central cities of the People's Republic of China. Beijing is surrounded on three sides by Hebei Province and borders Tianjin in the southeast. Beijing is the third most populous city in China after Chongqing and Shanghai. It is the largest railway and road junction and one of the main air hubs in the country. In addition, Beijing is the political, educational and cultural center of the PRC, while Shanghai and Hong Kong are considered the main economic centers. At the same time, Beijing has recently taken on more and more the role of a locomotive of entrepreneurial activity and the main field for creating innovative enterprises.
Beijing is one of the four ancient capitals of China. In 2008, the Summer Olympic Games were held in Beijing.
Name
Beijing (in normative northern pronunciation - Beijing, Chinese 北京, pinyin Běijīng) literally means "Capital of the North", following the common East Asian tradition of capital status being directly reflected in the name. Other cities with similar names are Nanjing in China (南京 - "Southern Capital"), Dongkinh (now Hanoi) in Vietnam, and Tokyo in Japan (with the same hieroglyphic spelling 東京 and the same meaning - "Eastern Capital"). The name of another Japanese city, Kyoto (京都) and the old name of Seoul, Gyeongseong (京城), simply mean “capital” or “capital city”. In Kazakhstan, the capital is the city of Astana, which translated from the Kazakh language means “capital”.
The name Beijing does not actually correspond to modern Chinese pronunciation. In the official Putonghua dialect (which largely follows the Beijing phonetic norm), the city's name is pronounced Beijing. In English and some other languages in the second half of the 20th century, the name of the city was brought into line with the real pronunciation and is usually written as Beijing. However, in Russian and in many languages the old name is still used (for example, Port. Pequim, Dutch. Peking, etc.). The same spelling is retained in the official English name of Peking University. The city was first named “Beijing” by French missionaries four hundred years ago, when the consonant shift had not yet occurred in the northern Chinese dialects, when almost all sounds were transformed into . In the southern dialects this shift did not occur, and, for example, in Cantonese the name of the capital of China is still pronounced "Bakgin".
Beijing has been known by different names in China throughout history. From 136 to 1405 and then from 1928 to 1949 it was called Beiping (Chinese: 北平, pinyin Beiping, literally "Northern Calm"). In both cases it was associated with the transfer of the capital from Beijing to Nanjing (first by the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the second - by the Kuomintang government of the Republic of China) and the loss of Beijing's capital status.
In 1949, after the proclamation of the People's Republic of China, the Communist Party of China returned the name Beijing (Beijing), thereby emphasizing the return of the city's functions as a capital. The government of the Republic of China, which fled to Taiwan, never officially recognized the name change, and in the 1950s and 1960s in Taiwan Beijing often continued to be called Peiping, indicating the illegitimacy of the PRC. However, today almost all Taiwanese, including Taiwanese authorities, use the name "Beijing", although some maps published in Taiwan still show the old name, as well as the pre-1949 administrative divisions of China.
The poetic name of Beijing - Yanjing (Chinese 燕京, pinyin Yānjīng, literally "Capital of Yan") goes back to the ancient times of the Zhou Dynasty, when the kingdom of Yan existed in these places. This name is reflected in the name of the local beer brand (Yanjing Beer) and in the name of Yanjing University (later incorporated into Peking University). During the Mongolian Yuan dynasty, the city was called Khanbalyk (Khan-Balyk, Kambaluk, Kabalut), it can be found in the notes of Marco Polo in the spelling Cambuluc.
Story
Cities in the Beijing area have existed since the first millennium BC. On the territory of the modern capital of China, the city of Ji (薊/蓟) was located - the capital of the kingdom of Yan, one of the states of the Warring States period (473-221 BC).
After the fall of Yan, the subsequent Han and Jin dynasties included this area in various counties. During the Tang Dynasty, this area became the headquarters of Jiedushi Fanyang, the military governor of the northern part of modern Hebei Province. The An Lushan Rebellion began here in 755, which is often seen as the starting point of the fall of the Tang Dynasty.
In 936, the northern Chinese Later Jin (936–947) gave most of the northern borderlands, including the territory of modern Beijing, to the Khitan Liao dynasty. In 938, the Liao dynasty established the second capital of its state on the site of present-day Beijing, calling it Nanjing (“Southern Capital”). In 1125, the Jurchen Jin Dynasty annexed the Liao Kingdom and in 1153 moved its capital to Nanjing, renaming it Zhongdu (中都 - "Central Capital"). It was located in the modern Tianning district, just southwest of the center of Beijing.
In 1215, Zhongdu was burned to the ground by Mongol troops (on the orders of Genghis Khan) and rebuilt a little further north in 1267. In preparation for the conquest of all of China, the future founder of the Yuan dynasty, Kublai Khan, made the city his capital and called it Dadu in Chinese (Chinese 大都, pinyin Dàdū, literally “Great Capital”), and in Mongolian - Khanbalik (Great Residence of the Khan). It was at this time that Marco Polo visited China, and in his records this city is found under the name Cambuluc. Previously, the capitals of the Chinese state were usually located in the central regions of the country, but Kublai Kublai's main base was located in Mongolia, so he chose this place because of its proximity. This decision of the khan elevated the status of the city, located on the northern outskirts of historical China. Dadu was located slightly north of the modern center of Beijing, between the northern sections of the current Second and Third Ring Roads. Remnants of Mongol fortress walls still stand in this area.
In 1368, the Yuan Dynasty fell, the city was again destroyed, but later rebuilt by the Ming Dynasty, and Shuntian County (順天) was established around it. In 1403, the third Ming (not to be confused with Ming) Emperor Yongle again moved the capital from Nanjing to this city, renaming it Beijing (Chinese 北京, pal. Beijing, literally “Northern Capital”). The city also became known as Jingshi (京師 - "capital"). During the Ming Dynasty, Beijing acquired its modern contours, and the Ming fortress wall served as the city wall of Beijing until recently, when it was demolished to build the Second Ring Road in its place.
It is believed that Beijing was the largest city in the world during the periods from 1425 to 1650 and from 1710 to 1825. The Forbidden City, the residence of the Ming and Qing emperors, was built in 1406-1420, after which the Temple of Heaven (1420) and other significant structures were built. The main entrance to the Forbidden City, the Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen Gate), which became the state symbol of the People's Republic of China and depicted on its coat of arms, burned twice during the Ming Dynasty and was finally restored in 1651.
The Manchus invaded China and overthrew the Ming Dynasty and founded the Qing Dynasty. Beijing remained the capital of Qing China throughout the dynasty's reign. As during the previous dynasty, the city was also called Qingshi, or in Manchu, Gemun Heceng. During the occupation of Beijing in 1860, the British and French plundered and burned the Yuanmingyuan Imperial Palace. In 1900, the city suffered a siege and invasion by a combined army of Western powers during the Boxer Rebellion.
In 1911, China experienced the bourgeois Xinhai Revolution, which overthrew Qing rule and established a republic, and the capital was initially planned to be moved to Nanjing. However, after the high Qing dignitary Yuan Shikai sided with the revolutionaries and forced the emperor to abdicate, thereby ensuring the success of the revolution, the revolutionaries in Nanjing agreed that Yuan Shikai would become president of the established Republic of China and that the capital would remain in Beijing.
Yuan Shikai began to gradually consolidate power in his hands, which in 1915 culminated in him declaring the creation of the Chinese Empire and himself as emperor. This decision turned many revolutionaries away from him, and he himself died a year later. After his death, China disintegrated into regions controlled by local warlords, the strongest of which began frequent clashes for control of Beijing (Zhili-Anhui War, First Zhili-Fintian War and Second Zhili-Fintian War).
After the success of the Kuomintang's Northern Expedition, which pacified the northern warlords, in 1928 the capital of the Republic of China was officially moved to Nanjing, and Beijing was renamed Beiping - (Chinese 北平, pinyin Běipíng, literally "Northern Calm"), which was supposed to emphasize illegitimacy military government in Beijing.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Beijing fell into Japanese hands on July 29, 1937. During the occupation, the name "Beijing" was returned to the city, and the puppet Provisional Government of the Republic of China was established in it, under which the ethnically Chinese parts of the Japanese-occupied north of China were assigned. It was then merged with Wang Jingwei's main occupation government in Nanjing. The Imperial Japanese Army stationed Detachment 1855 for Bacteriological Research in the city, which was a subdivision of Detachment 731. Japanese doctors conducted experiments on humans there.
On August 15, 1945, simultaneously with the surrender of Japan in World War II, Beijing was again renamed Peiping.
On January 31, 1949, during the civil war, the city was taken by the communists without a fight. On October 1 of the same year, the CCP, led by Mao Zedong, announced the creation of the People's Republic of China in Tiananmen Square. A few days earlier, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference decided to establish the capital in Beiping and return its name to Beijing (Beijing).
At the time of the formation of the administrative unit of the central city of Beijing, it included only the urban area and the nearest suburbs. The urban area was divided into many small districts, which were located inside the modern Second Ring Road. Since then, several counties have entered the territory of the city of central subordination, thus increasing its area several times and giving its borders the current outline. Beijing's fortress wall was destroyed between 1965 and 1969. for the construction of the Second Ring Road in its place.
After Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms began, Beijing's urban area expanded significantly. If before this it was located inside the modern Second and Third Ring Roads, now it gradually extends beyond the recently built Fifth Ring Road and approaches the Sixth Ring Road under construction, occupying territories previously used for agriculture and developing them as residential or business areas. A new business center emerged in the Guomao area, Wangfujing and Xidan areas became booming commercial areas, and Zhongguancun Village became one of the main centers of China's electronics industry.
In recent years, urban expansion and urbanization have brought with them many problems, including traffic congestion, air pollution, the destruction of historic buildings and a significant influx of migrants from poorer regions of the country, especially rural areas.
In early 2005, the government adopted a plan designed to stop Beijing's expansion in all directions. It was decided to abandon further development of the city in the form of concentric rings, concentrating it in two semicircular stripes to the west and east of the city center.
Geography and climate
Beijing sits at the northern tip of the roughly triangular Great Plain of China. The plain extends on the southern and eastern sides of the city. The mountains located to the north and west of Beijing protect the city and the main agricultural breadbasket of northern China from the advance of the Mongolian deserts and steppes. The northwestern regions of Beijing's administrative territory, especially Yanqing County and Huairou District, include the Jundu Mountains, while the western regions of the city are bordered by the Xishan Mountains. The construction of the Great Wall of China, which in this section stretches along the mountain ridges along the northern border of Beijing, took advantage of these landscape advantages to protect against northern nomadic tribes. Mount Dongling, part of the Xishan Mountains and located on the border with Hebei Province, is the highest point in Beijing, its height is 2303 m. Among the major rivers flowing through Beijing, the Yunding River and the Chaobai River are both part of the Haihe River basin and flow in the southern direction. In addition, Beijing is the northern terminus of the Great Canal of China, which passes through the Great Chinese Plain and ends in the south at Hangzhou. The Miyun Reservoir, built on the upper reaches of the Chaobai River, is the largest in Beijing and is a key element of the city's water supply system.
The Beijing urban area is located at 39°54′20″ N. w. 116°23′29″ E. (G) (39.9056, 116.3914) in the central-southern part of the administrative territory of Beijing and occupies a smaller but constantly increasing part of its area. It diverges in circles between the concentric ring roads of Beijing, the fifth and largest of which, the Sixth Beijing Ring Road (ring numbering starts from 2), passes through the satellite cities of the Chinese capital. Tiananmen Gate and Tiananmen Square form the center of the city. Adjacent to the north is the Forbidden City, the former residence of Chinese emperors. West of Tiananmen is the government headquarters of Zhonnanhai. From east to west, the center of Beijing is crossed by Chang'anjie Street, one of the main transport arteries of the city.
Beijing is located in a monsoon-prone humid continental climate (Dwa according to the Köppen climate classification) or a subtropical monsoon climate (according to the Alisov climate classification), characterized by hot, humid summers due to the influence of the East Asian monsoons and cold, windy, dry winters influenced by the Siberian anticyclones. The average temperature in January is −7… −4°C, in July - 25… 26°C. There is more than 600 millimeters of precipitation per year, 75% of which falls in the summer, so in Beijing it can often be below -10 in winter, without snow.
A serious problem in Beijing is severe air pollution and poor air quality due to emissions from industrial plants and transport. Sand produced by desert erosion in northern and northeastern China leads to seasonal sandstorms that can paralyze city life. In the first four months of 2006 alone, there were eight sandstorms in Beijing. The fight against pollution has become one of the main tasks of the authorities in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Administrative division
Beijing's urban area is traditionally divided into the following areas. Their boundaries may not coincide with the official administrative divisions (see below):
Andingmen 安定门
Beiyuan
Chaoyangmen 朝阳门
Dongzhimen 东直门
Fangzhuang 方庄
Fuchengmen 阜成门
Fuxingmen 复兴门
Gomao 国贸
Hepingli 和平里
Wangjing 望京
Wangfujing 王府井
Wudaokou 五道口
Xidan 西单
Xizhimen 西直门
Yayuncun 亚运村
Zhongguancun 中关村
Many places' names end in men (门), which means "gate". In these areas the gates of the same name of the old fortress wall of the city were located.
Towns and cities
The following towns and cities are located outside the urban area of Beijing, but within its administrative territory:
Changping 昌平
Huairou
Miyun 密云
Liangxiang 良乡
Liulimiao 琉璃庙
Tongzhou 通州
Yizhuang 亦庄
Official division
The administrative territory of the central city of Beijing consists of 18 county (second) level units subordinate to the city government. Of these, 16 are districts and 2 are counties.
Economy
In 2005, Beijing's nominal GDP reached 681.45 billion yuan (about 84 billion US dollars), an increase of 11.1% over the previous year. GDP per capita was 44,969 yuan - 8.1% more than in 2004 and twice as much as in 2000. The primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy in 2005 are respectively 9.77 billion, 210.05 billion and 461.63 billion yuan. The per capita net income of urban residents was 7,860 yuan, an increase of 9.6% in real terms over the previous year. The per capita disposable income of the bottom 20% of residents increased by 16.5%, which is 11.4 percentage points greater than the increase in income of the top 20% of residents. The Engel coefficient for urban residents of Beijing in 2005 was 31.8%, for rural residents - 32.8%, decreasing compared to 2000 by 4.5 and 3.9 percentage points, respectively.
Some of the fastest growing sectors of Beijing's economy are real estate and automobiles. In 2005, 28.032 million square meters were sold. m of residential real estate worth 175.88 billion yuan. The total number of vehicles registered in Beijing reached 2,146,000 in 2004, of which 1,540,000 were privately owned (an increase of 18.7% year-on-year).
Beijing's central business district is located in the Gomao district. It is home to a large number of shopping centers, luxury housing and regional headquarters of various corporations. Beijing Financial Street in Fuxingmen and Fuchengmen districts is the traditional financial center of the city. The main shopping areas are Wangfujing and Xidan. Zhongguancun Village, already called the "Silicon Valley of China", is developing as an important center for the electronics and computer industries, as well as pharmaceutical research. At the same time, the Yizhuang area, located southeast of the urban area, is emerging as a new center for the pharmaceutical, IT, and materials technology industries.
Beijing's urban areas are also known for the sheer number of pirated goods, with copies of everything from the latest clothing designs to DVDs of the latest films found in markets throughout the city.
The city's main industrial area is the Shijingshan district, located on the western outskirts of the city. In rural areas of Beijing, the mainstay of agriculture is wheat and corn. In areas close to the urban area, vegetables are also grown to supply the city.
Recently, Beijing has become increasingly famous as a center for innovative entrepreneurship and successful venture capital. This growth is enhanced by a large number of Chinese and foreign venture capital firms, such as Sequoia Capital, headquartered in the Chaoyang region. Despite the fact that Shanghai is considered the economic center of China, this is largely due to the fact that a large number of large companies are located there, but Beijing is called the center of entrepreneurship in China. In addition, Beijing is a world leader in the production of melamine and melamine compounds (ammeline, ammelide and cyanuric acid).
Beijing continues to develop at a rapid pace, but economic growth has also created many challenges for the city. In recent years, Beijing has seen frequent smog, as well as energy conservation programs initiated by the authorities. Beijing residents and visitors often complain about poor water quality and the high cost of utilities such as electricity and domestic gas. In order to combat smog, major industrial enterprises in the suburbs of Beijing were ordered to make their production cleaner or leave Beijing. Most factories could not afford refurbishment and moved to other cities in China, such as Xi'an.
Architecture
Three architectural styles predominate in the Beijing urban area. First, there is the traditional architecture of Imperial China, one of the best examples of which is the Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen Gate), an architectural symbol of China, as well as the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. The second is the style of the 50s-70s. XX century, which is very reminiscent of Soviet buildings of the same time. And finally, modern architectural forms, mainly located in the Central Business District.
A striking mix of old and new architectural styles can be seen in the 798 Arts District, which fuses 1950s design with new influences. The influence of American urban forms and social values is felt in the suburban community of Orange County, an hour's drive north of Beijing.
Population
The population of the entire administrative territory of Beijing, defined as the total number of people living there for more than 6 months a year, was 15.38 million in 2005. Of these, 11.870 million were holders of Beijing registration, the rest lived on temporary permits. In addition, Beijing has a large number of migrant workers, mainly from rural areas called mingong (Chinese: 民工, pinyin míngōng - literally "peasant workers") who live in the city illegally, which is why they are also called Heiren (Chinese 黑人, pinyin hēirén - literally “black people”). This is the most unprotected and discriminated part of society, at the same time a source of cheap labor and crime (flash film about minguns - migrant workers in Beijing). The population of the urban area proper is about 7.5 million people.
Among Beijing residents, 95% are Han Chinese (that is, ethnic Chinese). The main national minorities are Manchus, Hui (Dungans), Mongols, etc. Beijing also has a Tibetan Secondary School for Tibetan children.
Beijing is home to a significant number of foreigners, mainly businessmen, representatives of foreign companies and students. Most foreigners settle in the densely populated northern, northeastern and eastern areas of the city. Recent years have seen a large influx of South Korean citizens, who already constitute the largest foreign diaspora in China. Most Koreans live in the Wangjing and Wudaokou areas.
Culture
For native Beijingers, the native dialect is the Beijing dialect, which is part of the group of northern dialects of the Chinese language. The Beijing dialect served as the basis for Putonghua (the official standard language of the People's Republic of China) and Guoyu (the official languages of Taiwan and Singapore). The dialects of rural Beijing differ from the speech of city dwellers and are close to those of the neighboring Hebei province.
Peking Opera (Chinese trad. 京劇, ex. 京剧, pinyin Jīngjù, pall. jingju) is one of the most famous art forms in Beijing. Peking Opera is considered one of the main achievements of Chinese culture. It is a combination of songs, dialogue and action sequences consisting of gestures, movement, fighting techniques and acrobatics. Most of the dialogue in Beijing opera is spoken in an archaic stage dialect, which is quite different from both Putonghua and the Beijing dialect; this creates serious difficulties for its understanding, including for native speakers. As a result, many Beijing Opera theaters now have electronic boards that display subtitles in Chinese and English.
Buildings in the Siheyuan style (Chinese: 四合院) are traditional for Beijing. They consist of a square plot on which a house with a courtyard inside is located close to its boundaries in a “P” shape. In courtyards you can often see a pomegranate or other tree, as well as flowers in pots or an aquarium with fish. Siheyuan, adjacent to each other, form hutong lanes (Chinese: 胡同), connecting different parts of the old city of Beijing. They are usually straight and run from east to west so that the gates to the plots face north and south, which corresponds to the principles of feng shui. They come in different widths, some are so narrow that only a few pedestrians can pass through them at a time.
Once upon a time, the whole of Beijing consisted of siheyuans and hutongs, but now they are quickly disappearing, entire neighborhoods of hutongs are being demolished and high-rise buildings are rising in their place, and the residents of the hutongs are provided with apartments of equal or larger area. However, many say that the sense of community and life in the hutongs cannot be replaced. Some of the most historical and picturesque hutongs are protected and restored by the state. One such example is the Nanchizi Hutong.
Beijing cuisine is a famous variety of Chinese cuisine. Perhaps its most famous dish is Peking duck. Another famous dish of Beijing cuisine is manhan quanxi (满汉全席 - "Manchu-Chinese full banquet"), which was usually served to the Qing emperors, who were ethnic Manchus. It still remains very expensive and prestigious.
There are also many teahouses in Beijing. Chinese tea comes in many varieties and it is believed that expensive varieties of tea have a strong healing effect.
The Beijing Jingtailan cloisonne enamel technique is one of the traditional types of folk craftsmanship in China. Beijing lacquerware with patterns and carvings applied to their surfaces is also famous in China.
Fuling Jiabing is a traditional Beijing snack that is a pancake (bing) filled with fuling (mulberry mushroom), a traditional ingredient in Chinese medicine.
Stereotypes about Beijingers
Other Chinese generally consider Beijingers to be open-minded, self-confident, humorous, gallant, interested in politics, art, culture and other "big" matters, unconcerned with money worries and calculations, and fond of playing a leading role in various affairs. They are also said to be aristocratic, arrogant, calm, arrogant towards "provincials", like to push others around and attach importance to the social status of themselves and others. The existence of such stereotypes may be explained by Beijing's metropolitan status for most of the last 800 years and the resulting large concentration of officials and nobility.
Transport
With the city's growth spurred by economic reforms, Beijing has become an important transportation hub. Five road rings, nine expressways, eleven state highways, and seven railway lines pass through and around the city. A large international airport is also located on the administrative territory of Beijing.
Railway
Beijing is served by three major train stations: Beijing Station, Beijing South Station and Beijing West Station. In addition, there are three railway stations located in the urban area: Beijing East, Beijing North and Fengtai Station. There are also several stations located in the suburban area.
As of August 1, 2006, Beijing Station received 167 trains daily, and Beijing West Station received 176 trains daily.
Beijing is a railway hub. Railway lines lead from Beijing to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Harbin, Baotou, Taiyuan, Chengde and Qinhuangdao.
Most international passenger trains, including those to Moscow and Pyongyang, depart from Beijing. There are also direct trains from Beijing to Kowloon (Hong Kong SAR).
In 2008, the Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway opened.
Roads and expressways
Beijing is connected by road network to all parts of China. Nine expressways (with six more planned or under construction) and eleven national highways exit from Beijing. Beijing itself has five traffic circles, which are more reminiscent of squares in shape, since Beijing is characterized by a rectangular structure, with the streets located in the cardinal directions.
One of Beijing's biggest transportation problems is traffic jams, which have become an everyday occurrence in the city during rush hour, and in some places outside of it. Most often, traffic jams are observed on ring roads and main streets in the area of Chang'anjie Avenue.
In recent years, large-scale reconstruction of roads inside the Third Ring has been carried out, during which the streets between the rings are rebuilt as traffic-light-free expressways and connected to expressways outside the Third Ring. This should solve the problem of "jumping between rings" for Beijing drivers. One of the measures to solve the transport problem was the introduction of dedicated lanes for public transport, along which other cars are prohibited during peak hours.
Chang'anjie Avenue runs through Beijing from east to west, crossing Tiananmen Square. It is often called "China's First Street".
Airports
Beijing's main airport is called "Capital" (Beijing Capital Airport, PEK). It is located near Shunyi, 20 km northeast of Beijing urban area. The capital's airport serves most domestic and almost all international flights. It is China's main air gateway and the base airport of national carrier Air China. It is connected to the city by the Airport Expressway, which takes about 40 minutes to reach the city center. For the 2008 Olympics, another expressway was built to the airport, as well as a light rail line.
The following airports are also located in the administrative territory of Beijing: Liangxiang Airport, Nanyuan Airport, Xijiao Airport, Shahe Airport and Badaling Airport. They are mainly used for military purposes.
Public transport
The Beijing Metro consists of eight lines. Several lines opened at the start of the 2008 Olympics. In 2004, there were 599 bus and trolleybus routes in Beijing.
Cash payment:
Routes 1-199 (mostly in the city center) 1 yuan per trip.
Routes 200–299 (night): 2 yuan per trip.
Routes 300–899 (mainly on the outskirts and suburbs): 1 yuan for the first 12 km, then 0.5 yuan for every 5 km.
Routes 900-999 (mainly from the city center to rural areas): 1 yuan for every 10 km.
Ikatun prepaid smart card:
Routes 1-499: 0.4 RMB per trip.
Routes 500–899: 0.4 yuan for the first 12 km, then 0.2 yuan for every 5 km.
Routes 900-999: 0.8 yuan for every 10 km.
Passes for 3, 7 and 14 days are also sold.
Previously, travel on air-conditioned buses was more expensive, but this fee has been abolished.
A metro ride costs 2 yuan. The exception is the line to the airport, which costs 25 yuan.
In Beijing, you can always see taxis on the highways. There are also illegal private taxis in the city. As of August 30, 2008, the fare for an official taxi was 10 yuan (about 40 rubles) for the first 3 km or less, plus 2 yuan for each subsequent kilometer. A fee is also charged for downtime. Most taxi car models are Hyundai Elantra and Volkswagen Jetta (Bora). After 15 km, the fee for each subsequent kilometer increases by 50%. Between 11 pm and 5 am there is an increased night rate: the starting price is 11 yuan, the tax per kilometer is 2.4 yuan.
Sights and tourism
Despite the wars and turmoil of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including damage caused by European invasion, Japanese occupation and the Cultural Revolution, as well as intense urbanization in recent years that led to the demolition of many hutongs, Beijing remains rich in landmarks with ancient history.
The most famous of these are the Gate of Heavenly Peace, both in itself and as the main entrance to the Forbidden City, and also as part of the Tiananmen Square ensemble. Other world-famous attractions include the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven.
In Beijing urban area
Buildings, monuments and historical sites
Forbidden City (World Heritage Site)
Tiananmen Square is the largest square in the world and the site of protests in 1919, 1976 and 1989. On the square are located:
Tiananmen Gate (Gate of Heavenly Peace)
Great Hall of the People (seat of the highest legislative body of the People's Republic of China)
National Museum of China
Monument to People's Heroes
Mausoleum of Mao Zedong
Summer Palace (World Heritage Site)
Ruins of the Old Summer Palace
Bell and Drum Towers
Hutongs and siheyuan in old areas
Lugouqiao Bridge (Marco Polo Bridge)
Wanping Fortress (near the Marco Polo Bridge)
Balitsyao Bridge (Bridge of Eight Miles)
Gunwangfu (House of Prince Gun)
Peking Opera Theater Zheng Yiqi
Lyulichan Street
Old Beijing Observatory
Geological Museum of China
Temples, churches and mosques
Temple of Heaven (World Heritage Site) in southern Beijing
Earth Temple in northern Beijing
Sun Temple in eastern Beijing
Temple of the Moon (Beijing) in western Beijing
Tanzhe Temple
Zetai Temple
Yunju Temple
Yonghe Temple (Buddhist temple of Tibetan tradition)
Guangji Temple
Temple of Confucius
Temple of the White Cloud
Temple of the Great Bell
Fayuan Temple
Miaoying Temple
Zhenjue Temple
Wanshou Temple
Temple of the Five Pagodas
Zhihuasi Temple
Temple of Azure Clouds
Temple of the Reclining Buddha
White Dagobah Temple in Beihai Park
Badacu
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Church of the Holy Savior
Niujie Mosque
Parks and gardens
Beihai Park
Yuanmingyuan Park
Shishahai
Jingshan Park
Xiangshan (Fragrant Hills)
Daguanyuan
Beijing Botanical Garden
Taozhanting Park 
Beijing Zoo
Shopping and business areas
Wangfujing - Beijing's main shopping street
Xidan
Silk Street
Beijing Central Business District
Beijing financial center
Zhongguancun
Yizhuang
Yabaolu - “Russian” quarter
Outside the urban area
Sections of the Great Wall of China (World Heritage Site):
Badaling
Juyunguan
Mutianyu
Symatai
Jinshanling
Jiankou
Tombs of the Ming Dynasty (World Heritage Site)
Location of Sinanthropus in Zhoukoudian (World Heritage Site)
Shidu
Hotels
For two decades after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, there were practically no hotels in Beijing in the Western sense of the word. Accommodation for visitors was temporarily provided by the so-called zhaodaiso - guest houses subordinate to one or another department or government body. Some of them are still in use today.
In the late 1970s, Deng Xiaoping's policy of reform and opening up was launched, and the construction of many hotels and other tourism infrastructure began to attract and serve international business. Today, Beijing is one of the most frequently visited cities and important economic, political and cultural centers in Asia, with a huge number of hotels operating in the city, many of which meet the highest international standards.
The most famous hotel is the state-owned Beijing Hotel. Other famous hotels include Great Wall Sheraton Hotel, Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center, Jianguo Hotel, Raffles Beijing Hotel, China World Hotel, St. Regis, Grand Hyatt at Oriental Plaza and Peninsula Palace Hotel, which is managed by Hong Kong-based Peninsula Group.
Youth hostels have become increasingly popular all over the world in recent years, including in Beijing. Most hostels are located on the eastern section of the Third Ring Road or in the city center in old hutongs.
Night life
Beijing's nightlife is rich in various entertainment. Most nightclubs are located around Sanlitun Road or near the Workers' Stadium, to the north and west of it.
Vibrant nightlife can also be found in the Wudaokou district, in northwest Beijing. It is mainly visited by Koreans and other foreigners, mainly students.
The most famous areas for bars and nightclubs open late are:
Sanlitun
Houhai
Yuandadu
Education
Beijing is home to a large number of colleges and universities, including several international universities, notably two of China's most prestigious universities: Peking University and Tsinghua University.
Due to Beijing's status as the political and cultural capital of China, Beijing is home to a significant portion of the country's higher education institutions - at least 59. Beijing hosts many international students from Korea, Japan, North America, Europe and Southeast Asia. There are also many Russian students studying at Beijing universities. The number of foreign students studying in Beijing is growing every year. Below is a list of higher education institutions in Beijing under the Ministry of Education:
Peking University (北京大学) (founded in 1898), is best known for teaching humanities, science, business and law.
Tsinghua University (清华大学) (founded 1911), best known for its engineering majors
Chinese People's University (中国人民大学) (founded 1937)
Beijing Aviation and Space University (北京航空航天大学)
Beijing Normal University (北京师范大学, Beijing Normal University) (founded 1902)
Beijing Polytechnic University (北京理工大学)
Beijing Transport University (北京交通大学)
Central University of Finance and Economics (中央财经大学)
University of International Business and Economics (对外经济贸易大学)
University of International Relations (国际关系学院)
Beijing University of Science and Technology (北京科技大学)
China University of Politics and Law (中国政法大学)
Beijing Industrial University (北京工业大学, Beijing University of Technology)
Beijing Foreign Studies University
Beijing Linguistic University (北京语言大学, Beijing Language and Culture University)
China Agricultural University (中国农业大学)
Beijing University of Chemical Technology (北京化工大学, Beijing University of Chemical Technology)
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (北京中医药大学)
China University of Petroleum (石油大学, Beijing University of Petroleum)
Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (北京邮电大学)
Capital Normal University (首都师范大学, Capital Normal University)
Beijing Forestry University (北京林业大学)
Chinese University of Information (中国传媒大学, Communication University of China)
Central Theater Academy (中央戏剧学院)
Central Conservatory (中央音乐学院)
Central Academy of Fine Arts (中央美术学院)
Beijing Film Academy (北京电影学院)
Central University of Nationalities (中央民族大学, Central University for Nationalities)
École Centrale de Pekin
Mass media
Radio and television
Beijing Television (BTV) broadcasts on ten channels, numbered from 1 to 10. Unlike China Central Television, Beijing Television does not have a citywide channel broadcasting in English.
Three radio stations in Beijing have English programming: Hit FM on FM 88.7, Easy FM, China Radio International on FM 91.5, and the new radio station Radio 774 on AM 774.
Other radio stations in Beijing:
Beijing Radio StationsFrequency/Internet Description
Xinwen – Internet stream News
Gudian - Internet stream Classical music
Jingji - Internet stream Beijing Economy
Tunsu - Internet stream Pop music
Jiaotong - Internet stream Traffic news
Jiaoxue - Internet Stream Educational Radio Station
Wenyi - Internet stream Chinese literature
Wenxue Yingshi - Internet stream Chinese cinema
Tiyuy – Internet stream Sports
Xiquzongyi - Internet stream Dramatic works
Inyue - Internet stream/97.4 FM Music
Yazhou Liuxing - Internet stream Asian pop music
Shenhuo - Internet stream City life
Qingyingyue - Internet stream Easy music
Vayuy – Internet stream Foreign languages
DAB - Internet streaming Digital radio
Qingmeng - Internet stream Romantic music
Press
The well-known Beijing Evening Newspaper (Beijing Wanbao) is distributed every afternoon, covering Beijing city news. Other newspapers include Beijing News (Xin Jing Bao), Beijing Star Daily, Beijing Morning News, Beijing Youth Newspaper (Beijing Qingnian Bao), and the English-language weeklies Beijing Weekend and Beijing Today (the English-language version of the Youth Newspaper). The national newspapers People's Daily and the English-language China Daily are also published in Beijing.
Publications for foreign visitors and the expat community include the following English-language periodicals: City Weekend, Beijing This Month, Beijing Talk, thats Beijing and MetroZine.
The world-famous Rolling Stone magazine will locate the editorial staff of the Chinese version of the magazine in Beijing.
In international hotels and Druzhba stores you can purchase foreign publications (mostly in English and Japanese), usually with full content.
Today's Beijing is modern glass buildings and imperial palaces, expensive cars, ancient architecture and, at the same time, sights protected by UNESCO, the capital of the 2008 Olympics.
As of 2014, the population of Beijing is 21,150,000 people. In addition, about 10 million migrant workers live and work here - they are in the city illegally.
It is correct to say Beijing, not Beijing, which means the Northern capital. Beijing is the name of the capital in the southern dialect; it was this name that Europeans were originally introduced to. The situation is similar, for example, with Portuguese (Pequim) and Dutch (Peking) pronunciation.
Geographical position
Beijing is located in the northern part of the Great Chinese Plain. On the northern and western sides of the Chinese capital there are mountains that protect the metropolis from the treacherous Mongolian deserts. The most famous mountains are Xishan (translated as “Western Mountains”), the highest point of 562 meters, located about 22 kilometers from the city center. Here is the large Xiangshan Park, with many Buddhist temples dating back to 1186.
Many rivers flow through the city, one major one can be singled out - Yundinghe, its length is 746 km. The main source of drinking water is the Miyun reservoir, whose area is 188 square meters. km.
Weather
The climate in Beijing is temperate. The typical temperature for January is -3 degrees Celsius. In July the average air temperature is +27 degrees. The average annual temperature is +13 °C. About 550 millimeters of precipitation falls annually, most of which occurs in the summer. In winter there is very little snow here, sometimes there may be none at all.
Economy
Recently, the real estate sector in Beijing has shown incredible growth. The capital of China is one of the generally recognized leaders in rising housing prices, which makes it attractive to investors; over 5 years, the cost has increased by approximately 85%, now the average cost per square meter is $17,800.
Beijing also has its own scientific center; the Zhongguancun district is called the “Chinese Silicon Valley” in the media; the Academy of Sciences, research centers and headquarters of Microsoft, Nokia, IBM, Lenovo, Intel are located here, the largest Chinese search engine Baidu, which is an analogue of Google, is also located has its office here.
Previously, many large industrial enterprises were concentrated in the Beijing area, but most of them have now either been closed or moved to other locations. In particular, in 2010, a large metallurgical plant was moved to the western coast of the Bohai Bay.
Today, in the Chinese capital, as in some other large regions, a moratorium has been introduced on the construction of new industrial enterprises in order to relieve the environmental situation.
Architecture
In Beijing, you can experience the traditional architecture of imperial China by visiting the Forbidden City, the largest palace complex. In general, in Beijing, perhaps, everything is the best; the largest cultural Temple in the world is located here - the Temple of Heaven. And one of the largest squares, Tiananmen Square, measuring 440 thousand square meters. m., which is considered the heart of the Celestial Empire.
The communist capital has many Soviet-era buildings that will constantly remind you of the Soviet Union. These are standard panel houses, which differ little from the housing built in the USSR.
Of course, there are also modern glass buildings. Famous attractions include, for example, the headquarters of China Central Television, popularly called “pants.” There is also a skyscraper 330 meters high, which houses offices, a shopping center, restaurants, a hotel and an observation deck. True, sometimes the observation deck is closed due to the wind, if you are unlucky, don’t despair, go to a restaurant or bar, you can just sit and drink a delicious cocktail for 50 yuan or look into the cigar shop and enjoy the inspiring views of the capital.
Watch this wonderful video in miniature style and you will understand the beauty of Beijing:
Problems of modern Beijing
There are a number of problems here, including air pollution, influx of migrants from poor areas, transport and excessive growth.
Ecology
The rapid economic growth of the city led to disastrous consequences, since previously the authorities did not pay due attention to environmental protection.
Beijing air is considered very dirty. Recently, several days a year there has been strong and thick smog, sometimes visibility does not exceed 100 meters. The main cause of smog is considered to be motor vehicles (more than 30% of harmful emissions) and coal power plants.
In 2008, during the Olympics, the authorities took an unprecedented step, almost completely banning the use of motor vehicles in order to reduce emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere and reduce traffic jams. Today, city authorities offer various subsidies to car owners so that they dispose of old vehicles that do not meet modern requirements and then buy new cars. The city trolleybus network is also actively developing.
Beijing residents also complain about dirty tap water. Therefore, when you are in the capital of China, drink only bottled water.
Huge traffic jams and overabundance of cars
The capital of China is already literally suffocating from traffic jams. And this is despite the fact that the state constantly allocates huge budgets for the development of transport infrastructure; there are many interchanges and highways. There are 6 ring roads built around the city.
Previously, every year city residents bought almost 1 million new cars; for comparison, Russians bought only 3 million cars in 2013. 
The Beijing authorities are constantly developing new measures to combat this scourge; now you can’t just go out and buy a personal car, a quota is needed. It is issued only when the owner of another car has died, while your own can be bequeathed by inheritance. Sometimes the quota is played out in a lottery, which is almost impossible to win, since there are more than a million people in line to register. Now approximately 130-160 thousand new cars are registered per year.
In addition, on weekdays, cars with even and odd numbers drive in turns. Only on weekends can everyone use a personal car. If you break this rule, you will receive a fine of 200 yuan (1,100 rubles), but it is noteworthy that violations are recorded by CCTV cameras on the roads and can be issued every 3 hours, i.e. You can catch many fines in a day.
We advise you to use the metro. The Beijing subway, of course, is one of the most developed in the world, second in size only to the Shanghai metro. The fare costs only 2. The metro is even connected to the airport terminal, which is located 20 kilometers from Beijing, and a ticket to the city costs 25 yuan.
We invite you to watch an interesting TV show about the capital of China:
brief information
Throughout its long history, China has changed several names. Once upon a time, China was called “The Celestial Empire”, “The Middle Country”, “Blossoming Xia”. But after changing the name, the Chinese remained the same people as before. China is now one of the most powerful countries in the world. Every year, tens of millions of tourists visit China to see this unique country in person. China will be of interest to any traveler - there are a huge number of attractions, ski and beach resorts, beautiful nature, friendly people and very tasty cuisine.
Geography of China
China is located in East Asia. In the north, China borders with Mongolia, in the northeast with North Korea and Russia, in the northwest with Kazakhstan, in the southwest with India, Bhutan, Pakistan and Nepal, in the west with Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. and in the south - with Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar (Burma). The total area of this country, including the islands, is 9,596,960 square meters. km., and the total length of the state border is more than 22 thousand km.
The coasts of China are washed by three seas - East China, South China, and Yellow. The largest island that is part of China is Taiwan.
From Beijing to Shanghai lies the Great Plain of China. In northern China there is a whole belt of mountains. In the east and south of China there are small mountains and plains. The highest peak in China is Mount Qomolangma, whose height reaches 8,848 meters.
More than 8 thousand rivers flow through China. The largest of them are the Yangtze, Yellow River, Amur, Pearl and Mekong.
Capital
The capital of China is Beijing, which is now home to about 17.5 million people. Archaeologists claim that the city on the site of modern Beijing existed already in the 5th century. BC.
Official language of China
The official language in China is Chinese, which belongs to the Chinese branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family.
Religion
The dominant religions in China are Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. In addition, many Muslims and Christians live in China.
Chinese government
According to the current Constitution, China is a People's Republic. Its head is the President, who traditionally is also the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China.
Chinese Parliament - National People's Congress (2,979 deputies who are elected for 5 years by regional people's congresses).
Climate and weather
The climate in China is very diverse, due to its very large territory and geographical location. Basically, China is dominated by dry and monsoon seasons. China has 5 climate (temperature) zones. The average annual air temperature is +11.8C. The highest average air temperature is observed in June and July (+31C), and the lowest in January (-10C). The average annual precipitation is 619 mm.
Sea in China
The coasts of China are washed by three seas - East China, South China, and Yellow. The total length of the coastline is almost 14.5 thousand km. The largest island that is part of China is Taiwan.
Rivers and lakes
More than 8 thousand rivers flow through China. The largest of them are the Yangtze, Yellow River, Amur, Pearl and Mekong. As for Chinese lakes, among them we should first of all mention lakes Qinghai, Xingkai, Poyang, Dongting and Taihu.
History of China
The history of China goes back thousands of years. Archaeologists claim that Homo sapiens appeared in China approximately 18 thousand years ago. The first Chinese dynasty was called Xiayu. Its representatives ruled China from about 2205 BC. e. until 1766 BC e.
There are 17 dynasties in Chinese history. In addition, in 907-959 there was the so-called. era of the Five Dynasties.
The last Chinese emperor (from the Qing dynasty) abdicated the throne in 1912 (or rather, Empress Longyu abdicated on behalf of her infant son the emperor) after the Xinhai Revolution.
It was after the Xinhai Revolution that the Republic of China was proclaimed (in 1912). In 1949, the People's Republic of China was formed, which still exists today.
Culture
Chinese culture is so unique and diverse that dissertations need to be written about it. The basis of Chinese culture is Confucianism and Buddhism.
We recommend that tourists in China visit traditional local festivals, which are held almost without interruption. The most popular Chinese festivals are Lantern Festival, Lichun, New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, Harvest Festival, Memorial Day (Qingming Festival), Mid-Autumn Festival, Winter Solstice. , "Little New Year".
Wedding traditions in China are very interesting. Every bride in China should be able to cry. Typically, a Chinese bride starts crying 1 month before the wedding (but not later than 2-3 weeks before the wedding). If a girl cries well before marriage, this is a sign of her virtue.
Girls learn to cry properly for a wedding from the age of 12. The mothers of some girls even invite special teachers to teach the future bride how to cry correctly. When Chinese girls turn 15, they visit each other to find out which one of them is the better cryer and exchange experiences on this important issue.
When Chinese girls cry about their marriage, they often sing songs about their “unhappy life.” The origins of these traditions go back to the era of feudalism, when Chinese girls were married off against their wishes.
Chinese cuisine
As such, there is no single Chinese cuisine - there are Chinese provincial cuisines. The main food product in China is rice. The Chinese have come up with a lot of ways to cook rice. Beans, meat, vegetables, eggs and other products are added to rice. The Chinese usually eat rice with pickles, bamboo shoots, salted duck eggs and tofu.
Noodles are also very popular in Chinese cuisine. The first mention of noodles in China dates back to the Han Dynasty, and during the Song Dynasty, noodles became very popular among the Chinese. Chinese noodles can be thin or thick, but always long. The fact is that among the Chinese, long noodles symbolize the longevity of human life.
At the moment, there are hundreds of noodle dishes in China, and each province has its own methods of preparing it.
The Chinese are very fond of vegetables, which, along with rice and noodles, are staple foods in China. Note that the Chinese prefer boiled rather than raw vegetables. In addition, the Chinese love to salt vegetables.
It is possible that more eggs are consumed in China each year than in other countries in the world. The most exotic Chinese egg dish is salted duck eggs. Fresh duck eggs are soaked for 1 month in salted brine, resulting in a very tasty product.
Fish is of great importance in the Chinese culinary tradition. The fact is that for the Chinese, fish is considered a symbol of abundance and prosperity. During the holidays, fish is the main dish on the family table. One of the most popular fish dishes among the Chinese is fish stew with brown sauce. Fish must be on the Chinese table during the celebration of the local New Year, because... it will bring prosperity in the coming year.
Another popular dish in China is tofu (bean curd). It is made from soy milk. Tofu is low in fat but high in calcium, protein and iron. Most often, tofu is served with spices and marinades.
In Chinese cuisine, meat plays a prominent role. The Chinese eat pork, beef, lamb, poultry, duck, and pigeons. Most often, the Chinese eat pork. The most famous Chinese meat dish is Peking Duck. Moreover, “Peking Duck” must be eaten in a special way - it must be cut into 120 thin pieces, each of which consists of meat and skin.
An important part of Chinese cuisine is soup. When preparing soups, the Chinese use meat, vegetables, noodles, fruits, fish and seafood, eggs, mushrooms and fruits.
- Peking duck, Beijing
- Rice noodles, Guilin
- Bun soup, Shanghai
- Hotpot (hotpot), Chengdu
- Dumplings, Xi'an
- “Dim Sum” (small dumplings of different shapes and with different fillings), Hong Kong.
The most popular non-alcoholic drink among the Chinese is green tea, which they have been drinking for 4 thousand years. For a long time, tea in China was used as a medicinal herb. Tea began to be used as an everyday drink in China during the Tang Dynasty. It was from China that tea came to Japan, where the famous Japanese tea ceremony then developed. However, the Chinese ceremony can rival it in complexity and symbolism.
Traditional alcoholic drinks in China are rice beer and vodka, which is infused with a variety of ingredients.
Sights of China
According to official information, there are now several tens of thousands of historical, cultural, archaeological and ethnographic monuments in China. Many of them are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List (Temple and Tomb of Confucius, Temple of Heaven in Beijing, Yungang Cave Temples, etc.). The top ten best Chinese attractions, in our opinion, may include the following:
- The great Wall of China
- Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an
- Temple of Confucius near Qufu City
- Potala Palace in Lhasa
- Fuzi Confucian Temple in Nanjing
- Temple of Heaven in Beijing
- Tibetan monasteries
- Buddhist Yungang Caves
- Shaolin Monastery on Songshan Mountain
- Linggu Ta Pagoda in Nanjing
Cities and resorts
The largest Chinese cities are Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Tianjin, and, of course, Beijing.
Due to its geographical location, China has excellent conditions for a beach holiday. The most popular beach resorts are Qinhuangdao, Beidaihe, Dalian, Hainan Island (and the city of Sanya on this island). By the way, the tourist season in Sanya lasts all year. However, the entire island of Hainan is a year-round beach resort, where the sea temperature ranges from +26C to +29C. Even in January on Hainan Island the average air temperature is +22C. The beaches on Hainan Island consist of white, fine sand.
Most Chinese beach resorts have traditional Chinese medicine centers where tourists can improve their health if they wish. So, even on the island of Hainan there are thermal springs.
In general, many hotels in China offer spa services to their visitors. The skills of Chinese spa specialists, including massage therapists, are highly rated in many countries around the world. Traditional Chinese spa programs include hot stone massage, aroma massage, whitening, Tui Na massage, body wrap, Mandara massage, Mandarin massage. A mandatory attribute of a spa in China is herbal tea.
China also has several dozen ski centers, although there are few foreign tourists there. Basically, these ski resorts are aimed at local residents. However, an inquisitive traveler and ski lover will find it useful to visit Chinese ski resorts. In recent years, more and more tourists from Russia, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore can be found at Chinese ski resorts. Thus, Russian tourists most often go skiing in China to the province of Heilongjiang (this is the northeast of the country). Tourists from Australia and Thailand prefer the Beijing-Nanshan ski resort.
The ski season at ski resorts in China lasts from mid-December to the end of March.
Souvenirs/shopping
From China, tourists usually bring silk, green tea, porcelain, folk art products (embroidery, ceramics, engravings, etc.), jade, Chinese paintings, parchments with samples of Chinese calligraphy, wines and alcoholic drinks, traditional Chinese medicinal products as souvenirs traditional medicine (from herbs, rhizomes, etc.), including ginseng.
Office hours
Government agencies:
Mon-Fri: 08:00-17:00
Pictured is the capital of China
Capital: Beijing
Beijing is the capital of China. Not the largest city in the country in terms of population, it ranks only third. The area occupied by the city is 1,6808 km², and the number of people inhabiting the city, according to the 2009 census, is 19,720,000 people. Translated from Chinese, the name of the city means “northern capital”.
In recent years, Beijing has increasingly developed business activities on its territory, becoming the main business center of the country. Nevertheless, a considerable number of ancient monuments, landmarks, and architectural buildings have been preserved on its territory.
The official language of the country is Chinese, with some dialects occurring in some areas. The national currency of China is the Yuan or Renminbi (CNY). The Yuan exchange rate to the Russian ruble is 10 CNY = 47 RUR.
In 2008, Beijing hosted the Olympic Games for the first time.
The time difference with Moscow is +10 hours, which significantly affects the process of tourists adapting to the time zone change.
The Forbidden City is one of the main attractions of the capital - it is the largest palace complex in the world, which served as the residence of rulers from the 15th to the beginning of the 20th century. The Forbidden City is located in the very center of the state capital. The walls of the residence remember 24 rulers of the state. Currently, the Forbidden City is listed as a UNESCO heritage site. The area of the palace complex is 720 thousand square meters, and the number of rooms is 8,707. According to legend there are about 9,999 rooms, it is likely that the palace contains many secret rooms that have not yet been discovered.
Tombs of the Ming Dynasty Emperors – represented by thirteen tombs of the Ming Dynasty emperors. The tombs are located 50 kilometers from Beijing. This is one of the most visited attractions. The construction of the mausoleum was carried out with all the rules of Feng Shui. The choice of these lands was made due to the presence of mountain ranges, which partly contributed to the fencing of the shrine from conquerors.
The Gate of Heavenly Peace is the main entrance to the Forbidden City, the largest palace complex. The gate was destroyed several times, first struck by lightning, then destroyed during the end of the Ming Dynasty, then destroyed by rebels, each time the gate was rebuilt. After the last restoration, it was decided to name the gate “Gate of Heavenly Peace.”
The city also has a vibrant nightlife, so in addition to excursions and sightseeing, you can go to a noisy party in the evening, or to a bar - many establishments are open until the morning. As a rule, the main representatives of nightlife are students.
The issue of languages and dialects is extremely complex, especially when it comes to the names of cities, countries, and other objects. Even if we take the capital of Russia, the Russians themselves call it Moscow, and the Europeans call it Moscow. The situation is exactly the same with Beijing, but here everything turns out to be even more complicated. Plus, a large number of Russian tourists making connecting flights to Beijing are perplexed and do not understand where to go, not seeing the word Beijing on the board.
In China itself there is a fairly large number of dialects, and in each of them the city has its own name - the sounds are sometimes transformed beyond recognition. And accordingly, everything is even more complicated with the name of the city as it sounds in European languages, and in Russian too. Chinese phonetics is extremely complex for a European, which is where even more serious transformations occur.
The original name of the city in the local dialect actually sounds like Beijing (Beijing). This is exactly how it sounds in the official Putonghua dialect, which is relevant today in the territory where Beijing is located. And during the period when it ceased to be an unknown point on the map, or rather, starting from the second half of the twentieth century, with the intensification of trade relations, a number of languages, including English, adopted this name exactly as it sounded among local residents . That is, the name of the city was written as Beijing. And this became something new, because in the past the city was called only by the old name Beijing, which remained in Russian usage.
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Where did the word Beijing come from?
The name Beijing appeared 400 years ago, since missionaries from France arrived on this land - it was they who assigned this name to the city. And the original, unmodified word Beijin is translated from the local language as “northern capital”. The city really has a northern location and is the capital, and is centrally subordinate to the PRC. It is located in Hebei province, also bordering Tianjin.
The French were partly right in calling the city Beijing in those distant times, and it is worth knowing that this name appeared before the revolution of the local language with the shift of consonants. After this happened, the sounds turned into , and accordingly, the sound of the words changed. This happened precisely in the northern dialects, but in the southern dialects such a modification was not recorded. Thus, one of the southern dialects, Cantonese, still calls the northern capital Bakgin, which is much closer in sound to the well-known Beijing.
Linguistic oddities are sometimes surprising, and people wonder why such a shift could occur in the language. In fact, there is nothing surprising in this at all, and exactly the same shift occurred at one time even in the Latin language - it was because of this that Caesar suddenly became Caesar. The reasons for such shifts are unknown, but they do occur - in northern China this happened relatively recently.
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Why is China called "The Celestial Empire"?
The whole world still remembers Beijing as Beijing, but in China itself, it is the northern dialects that are considered more significant and are a priority, and the capital itself is located precisely in the northern regions. And so the new name stuck, taking into account the sound after the transformation, and many European countries recognized it - although others still operate with the word Beijing or a word close to it in sound.
And while the British accepted the new sound of Beijin, other countries chose not to change anything. In Russia the same city is called Beijing, in France - Pekin, in Italy - Pechino, and so on.
Beijing in the modern world
Today Beijing is one of the most important cities in China. It is not an industrial or economic center like Shanghai, for example, or Hong Kong. However, it has enormous political, cultural and educational significance. This is one of the historical Chinese capitals - there were four of them. Nanjing is translated as “the southern capital”, as befits the Asian tradition; many cities here have their status right in their name. There were periods when Beijing bore the name Beiping, but later it was returned to its original name.