(Coğrafya) Capital of the People's Republic of China in the Hebei province in northeastern China; 2nd largest Chinese city, Peking, Peiping, capital of Red China
the capital city of the People's Republic of China. or Pei-ching conventional Peking formerly (1928-49) Peiping City, municipality with provincial status, and capital of China (pop., 1999 est.: city, 6,633,929; 2000 est.: municipality, 13,820,000). The municipality is bordered by Hebei province and Tianjin municipality and has an area of 6,500 sq mi (16,800 sq km). Lying on a broad plain in northeastern China, the city has been settled since ancient times and has been known by various names. It was called Khanbalik or Cambaluc when it became the royal residence of Kublai Khan in AD 1264 and was visited by Marco Polo. It was chosen as the capital in 1421, which it remained during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911/12). It suffered heavy damage when it was occupied by European forces in 1860 and 1900 (see Boxer Rebellion). In 1928 the capital was moved to Nanjing, and the name Peiping was given to the former capital. Nearby, in 1937, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident took place. Beijing's capital status and its former name were restored following the communist victory in 1949. It is China's cultural and educational centre. The old Forbidden City contains the former imperial palace. Abutting it is Tiananmen Square, the world's largest public square. Beijing's 15th-century walls were partly demolished in the Cultural Revolution. In 2001 the city was selected as the site for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Beijing University Beijing opera Peking opera
One of the oldest and most important universities in China. It was founded as Capital College in 1898 and became a university in 1911. By 1920 it had become a centre for progressive thought. During the Japanese invasion of China (1937-45) it was temporarily relocated to Yunnan province. The first disturbances of the Cultural Revolution began at Beijing University in 1966; education there ceased between 1966 and 1970. The university has since reasserted its position as China's foremost nontechnical university. It has about 25 academic departments and several research institutes and has the largest university library in China
(Coğrafya) Capital of the People's Republic of China in the Hebei province in northeastern China; 2nd largest Chinese city, Beijing, Peiping, capital of Red China