| Province Abbreviation(s): 京 Jīng | |
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 29th 16,808 km² xx% |
| Population
- Total (Year) - Density | Ranked 26th
13,820,000 822/km² |
| Administration Type | Municipality |
| Table of contents |
|
2 History 3 Geography 4 Economy 5 Demographics 6 Culture 7 Tourism 8 List of colleges and universities 9 Miscellaneous topics 10 External links |
Beijing literally means "northern capital" (as opposed to Nanjing, meaning "southern capital" and Tonkin and Tokyo, both of which mean "eastern capital"). Beijing is sometimes referred to as Peking. The term originated with French missionaries four hundred years ago, and corresponds to an archaic pronunciation which does not take into account a 'k' to 'j' sound shift in Mandarin that occurred during the Qing dynasty.
In China, the city has had many names. Between 1911 and 1949, it was known as Beiping (北平 Wade-Giles Peip'ing) or "Northern Peace". The name was changed because jing means "capital" and the Kuomintang government in Nanjing wanted to emphasize that Beijing was not the capital of China, and Beijing's warlord government was not legitimate. Curiously, many maps of China from Taiwan still use the old name, although most people in Taiwan call the city Beijing.
For the historical names of Beijing, see Capital of China.
Famous landmarks around Beijing include:
Beijing will be the site of the 2008 Summer Olympics and of the 2008 Summer Paralympics.
Airports include:
Names
Tourism
List of colleges and universities
Miscellaneous topics
External links
simple:Beijing