Beijing

Beijing is the national capital of China, situated on the northern edge of the North China Plain beneath the Yan mountains. The city occupies a strategic inland gateway that links agricultural plains to northern pastoral plateaus through mountain passes. It is the political, diplomatic, and educational center of the country.

Settlement began in the 11th century BC when rulers of the Yan kingdom founded the walled town of Ji. Mongol leader Kublai Khan rebuilt the settlement as Dadu during the 13th century, establishing it as the imperial capital of the Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty expanded the urban core and completed the imperial palace complex before moving the primary imperial seat here in 1421. Qing emperors added elaborate imperial gardens and suburban pavilions in the 18th century. Following political shifts in the early 20th century, the government established Beijing as the national capital of the People's Republic in 1949.

Financial services, software engineering, and scientific research anchor the municipal economy. Major state enterprises maintain global headquarters along the financial avenue, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and the State Grid Corporation. Electronics manufacturers, biotechnology laboratories, and automotive enterprises run manufacturing plants in surrounding industrial districts. Advanced research institutes generate software systems, telecommunications hardware, and aerospace components for national distribution. High-speed railway terminals and international air transport facilities link regional manufacturing supply chains to domestic and global trade networks.

Imperial architecture and historic axial planning define the central districts. The Forbidden City features painted timber pavilions, courtyards, and yellow-glazed roofs constructed during the Ming and Qing dynasties. To the south, the circular wooden rotunda of the Temple of Heaven rises from marble terraces where emperors conducted harvest ceremonies. The Summer Palace preserves lakeside pavilions, classical bridges, and landscaped hills in the western sector. Modern high-rise architecture characterizes the eastern commercial district, where the CITIC Tower ascends 528 m (1,732 ft) into the skyline. Across the northwestern university sector, Peking University trains students on grounds with classical gardens.