Beijing

Introduction & Top Questions
Character of the city
Landscape
- City site
- Climate
- Plant life
- City layout
- Housing
- Architecture
  - Traditional dwellings
  - Public and commercial buildings
People
Economy
- Agriculture
- Industry
- Commerce and finance
- Tourism
- Transportation
Administration and society
- Government
- Municipal services
- Health
- Education
Cultural life
- The arts
- Museums and libraries
- Recreation
History
- The early empires
- Centuries of growth
  - The Ming and Qing dynasties
  - The modern city

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Map of eastern Asia highlighting China and its neighboring countries, with an arrow pointing to Beijing Municipality in northeastern China. The map includes international boundaries, disputed borders, and lines of control, and shows major surrounding countries such as Russia, Mongolia, India, Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. An inset at the bottom left shows the location of China within Asia.

A large group of people practice tai chi chuan in coordinated stances outdoors on a paved area in Beijing, China.

Mao Zedong Memorial Hall with a red roof and white columns stands in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, flanked by large stone statues and guarded by soldiers.

At a Glance

View of the Gate of Heavenly Peace at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, featuring a large portrait of Mao Zedong and red banners with Chinese characters.

Beijing summary

Quizzes

Former Names of Current Places Quiz

Tower Bridge over the Thames River in London, England. Opened in 1894. Remains an Important Traffic Route with 40,000 Crossings Every Day.

Guess the City by Its River Quiz

Catedral at night on Plaza de Armas (also known as plaza mayor) Lima, Peru.

World Capitals Quiz

Rice terraces in Vietnam. (food; farm; farming; agriculture; rice terrace; crop; grain; paddy; paddies;garden)

Know Your Asian Geography Quiz

Cathedral of Brasilia, Brazil, designed by Oscar Niemeyer, built in the shape of a crown of thorns. Its bell tower is at the left.

39 of the Most Challenging World Capitals Across History

Related Questions

How did Beijing’s location make it an important military and trading centre?
How did Japanese occupation affect Beiping between 1937 and 1945?
How did economic reforms beginning in the 1980s transform Beijing?
How did emperors use the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests?
How did feng shui influence the design of the Forbidden City?
How did industrialization change Beijing after 1949?
How did the 2008 Summer Olympics change Beijing’s transportation system and buildings?
How did the Daqing oil pipeline support Beijing’s petrochemical industry?
How do irrigation and groundwater use support farming around Beijing?
How do railroads connect Beijing to other regions of China and nearby countries?
How do the Yongding and Chaobai rivers affect Beijing municipality?
How long did Li Zicheng’s army control Beijing in 1644?
How was Beijing’s historic city layout organized around a north-south central axis?
How was Mongol-era Dadu designed and supplied by the Tonghui Canal?
What did Marco Polo observe when he visited Dadu in the 1280s?
What did the names Beiping and Beijing mean?
What type of climate does Beijing have?
When did Peking man live near Beijing?
When does Beijing receive most of its annual rainfall?
Where can visitors see sections of the Great Wall near Beijing?
Which Ming emperor renamed Beiping as Beijing?
Which buildings make up the main Outer Court and Inner Court of the Forbidden City?
Which crops and fruits are grown in Beijing’s agricultural areas?
Which groups make up the largest ethnic minorities in Beijing?
Which major national government institutions are located in Beijing?
Which months are Beijing’s coldest and warmest?
Which other Chinese municipalities are directly administered by the central government?
Which parks and historical sites are major attractions in Beijing?
Why are Beijing’s hutongs important to the city’s traditional character?
Why can the Yongding River create a flood hazard near Beijing?
Why did the Ming dynasty move China’s capital from Nanjing to Beijing?
Why do dust storms commonly occur in Beijing during spring?
Why does Beijing experience severe traffic congestion?
Why does the Temple of Heaven have round and square enclosure walls?
Why has Beijing been a gateway between the North China Plain and northern Asia?
Why is Bei Hai Park known for its White Pagoda and lakes?
Why is Jingshan Park historically significant to the end of the Ming dynasty?
Why is Peking duck closely associated with Beijing cuisine?
Why is the Hall of Supreme Harmony important in Chinese architecture?
Why was Beijing called Beiping from 1928 to 1949?
Why was the Forbidden City designated a UNESCO World Heritage site?
Why was the Temple of Heaven designated a UNESCO World Heritage site?
Why was the ancient city of Ji important during the Warring States period?
Why were Ming-era Beijing city walls faced with brick?
Why were traditional buildings in Beijing commonly built facing south?
What UNESCO World Heritage site is found at the heart of Beijing?
Why was the Great Wall of China built?
Can you see the Great Wall of China from space?
What caused the Russo-Japanese War?
Where was the Russo-Japanese War fought?
How did the Russo-Japanese War end?
What is the climate in Guangzhou?
What are the major ethnic groups in China?

Geography & Travel Cities & Towns Cities & Towns A-B

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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Beijing - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Beijing - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Beijing

national capital, China

Also known as: Beiping, Cambaluc, Chung-tu, Dadu, Khan-baliq, Khanbaliq, Pei Chih-li, Pei-ching, Pei-p’ing, Peking, Ta-tu, Yanjing, Yen-ching, Zhongdu(Show More)

Written by

David Michael Bonavia

Former writer on China, Far Eastern Economic Review, Hong Kong. Former Foreign Correspondent, The Times (London). Author of The Chinese: A Portrait and others.

David Michael BonaviaAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026 •History

Beijing, city, province-level shi (municipality), and capital of the People’s Republic of China. Few cities in the world have served for so long as the political headquarters and cultural centre of an area as immense as China. The city has been an integral part of China’s history over the past eight centuries, and nearly every major building of any age in Beijing has at least some national historical significance. The importance of Beijing thus makes...

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