Geography & Travel
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
Recent News
Mar. 8, 2024, 10:32 PM ET (AP)
Hong Kong's new national security bill includes stiff penalties and more power to suppress dissent
Mar. 8, 2024, 3:47 AM ET (AP)
10 years on, parents of Chinese passengers on MH370 are still asking: What happened to my child?
Mar. 7, 2024, 6:08 PM ET (AP)
Bill that could make TikTok unavailable in the US advances quickly in the House
Mar. 7, 2024, 4:59 AM ET (AP)
China's exports and imports beat estimates for first 2 months, signaling improving demand
Mar. 7, 2024, 12:48 AM ET (AP)
China coast guard flexes its might against the Philippines in disputed waters as journalists watch
Top Questions
What Chinese language is spoken in Beijing?
What UNESCO World Heritage site is found at the heart of Beijing?
What is the former name of Beijing?
How long has Beijing been the capital of China?
When did Beijing host the Summer Olympics?
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 it impossible to understand China without a knowledge of this city. More than 2,000 years ago, a site north of present-day Beijing was already an ...(100 of 13841 words)