Beijing History

Beijing has an incredibly long history, with evidence of human habitation in the area as early as 250,000 years ago. The first capital city on the site was called Ji and was the capital of the State of Yan, one of the powers of the Warring States Period (473-221 BC). Following the fall of the Yan, the city was destroyed and rebuilt on various different sites in what is now the greater Beijing area, but it was not until Kublai Kahn made Beijing (then named Dadu or ‘grand capital’) the capital of his northern empire (due to its convenient proximity to his power base in Mongolia) that the city began to have more influence. Originally, the Chinese capital had always been Nanjing, but in 1403 the Ming dynasty emperor moved it north to have more control over the northern border, having taken the area back from the Mongol invaders. It was during the Ming dynasty that the city of Beijing as we now know it began to take shape. The original city wall followed what is now the second ring road, and although it was destroyed to make way for the road’s construction, parts of the wall and some gates can still be seen today. Many of Beijing’s most famous historical sites were built during this period by the Ming emperors, including the Forbidden City (1406-1420) the Temple of Heaven (1420) and even Tiananmen Square (1651).
In 1644 the northern tribes of Manchu breached the Great Wall and besieged Beijing, already weakened by a major peasant uprising, and took control. This was the beginning of the Qing dynasty, which was to last nearly 300 hundred years. The Qing maintained political stability for a long time with a food distribution system to ensure their subjects were all well fed and satisfied, avoiding further rebellion. This stability created good conditions for commercial and cultural development, and markets and theatres flourished. The Qing Emperors were able to live in relative security and luxury, and amassed huge numbers of employees including actors, musicians and eunuchs, and many of the now traditional forms of Chinese entertainment took form in the imperial courts.
It was not until 1860 that western forces took control in Beijing, when French and British forces took over the city, destroying most of the Summer Palace on the way. In the early part of the twentieth century, the city suffered a number of violent attacks and was conquered repeatedly by different groups, including the Japanese from 1937-1945. It was not until January 1949 that Beijing surrendered to Communism and in October became the capital city of Mao Zedong’s People’s Republic of China, the great city that we know today.
Its turbulent past and multitude of ethnic influences have created a unique and fascinating city where history is found at every turn and culture abounds. Beijing is a history lover’s dream and a haven for anyone who wants to learn more about China’s extraordinary culture.