Beijing (/beɪˈdʒɪŋ/ bay-JING;[8][9] Chinese: 北京; pinyin: Běijīng; Mandarin

pronunciation: [pèi.tɕíŋ] ( listen)), alternatively romanized as Peking[10] (/piːˈkɪŋ/ pee-

KING),[11] is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the world's most
populous national capital city, with over 21 million residents within an administrative
area of 16,410.5 km2 (6336 sq. mi.).[12] It is located in Northern China, and is governed
as a municipality under the direct administration of the State Council with 16 urban,
suburban, and rural districts.[13] Beijing is mostly surrounded by Hebei Province with
the exception of neighboring Tianjin to the southeast; together, the three divisions form
the Jingjinji megalopolis and the national capital region of China.[14]
Beijing is a global city and one of the world's leading centres
for culture, diplomacy and politics, business and economics, education, language,
and science and technology. A megacity, Beijing is the second largest Chinese city
by urban population after Shanghai and is the nation's cultural, educational,
and political center.[15] It is home to the headquarters of most of China's largest state-
owned companies and houses the largest number of Fortune Global 500 companies
in the world, as well as the world's four biggest financial institutions by total
assets.[16][17] Beijing is the "billionaire capital of the world" with the highest number of
billionaires living in the city.[18][19] It is also a major hub for the national
highway, expressway, railway, and high-speed rail networks. The Beijing Capital
International Airport has been the second busiest in the world by passenger
traffic (Asia's busiest) since 2010,[20] and, as of 2016, the city's subway network is
the busiest and longest in the world. The Beijing Daxing International Airport, a
second international airport in Beijing, is the largest single-structure airport terminal in
the world.[21][22]
Combining both modern and traditional style architectures, Beijing is one of the oldest
cities in the world, with a rich history dating back over three millennia. As the last of
the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, Beijing has been the political center of the
country for most of the past eight centuries,[23] and was the largest city in the world by
population for much of the second millennium AD.[24] With mountains surrounding the
inland city on three sides, in addition to the old inner and outer city walls, Beijing was
strategically poised and developed to be the residence of the emperor and thus was
the perfect location for the imperial capital. The city is renowned for its opulent palaces,
temples, parks, gardens, tombs, walls and gates.[25] It has seven UNESCO World
Heritage Sites—the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming
Tombs, Zhoukoudian, and parts of the Great Wall and the Grand Canal—all of which
are popular tourist locations.[26] Siheyuans, the city's traditional housing style,
and hutongs, the narrow alleys between siheyuans, are major tourist attractions and
are common in urban Beijing.
Many of Beijing's 91 universities consistently rank among the best in the Asia-Pacific
and the world.[27][28][29] Beijing is home to the two best C9
League universities (Tsinghua and Peking) in the Asia-Pacific and emerging
countries.[30][31] Beijing CBD is a center for Beijing's economic expansion, with the
ongoing or recently completed construction of multiple skyscrapers.
Beijing's Zhongguancun area is a world leading center of scientific and technological
innovation as well as entrepreneurship. Beijing has been ranked the No.1 city in the
world with the largest scientific research output as tracked by the Nature Index since
2016.[32][33] The city has hosted numerous international and national sporting events,
the most notable being the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2008 Summer
Paralympics Games. Beijing will become the first city ever to host both
the Summer and Winter Olympics,[34] and also the Summer and Winter
[35]
Paralympics. Beijing hosts 175 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of
many organizations, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB),
the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Silk Road Fund, the Chinese
Academy of Science, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Red Cross
Society of China.

Contents
 1Etymology
 2History
o 2.1Early history
o 2.2Early Imperial China
o 2.3Ming dynasty
o 2.4Qing dynasty
o 2.5Republic of China
o 2.6People's Republic of China
 3Geography
o 3.1Cityscape
o 3.2Architecture
o 3.3Climate
o 3.4Environmental issues
o 3.5Readings
 4Government
o 4.1Administrative divisions
o 4.2Judiciary and procuracy
 5Economy
o 5.1Sector composition
o 5.2Economic zones
 6Demographics
 7Education and research
 8Culture
o 8.1Places of interest
o 8.2Religion
o 8.3Chinese folk religion and Taoism
o 8.4East Asian Buddhism
o 8.5Islam
o 8.6Christianity
o 8.7Media
o 8.8Television and radio
o 8.9Press
 9Sports
o 9.1Events
o 9.2Venues
o 9.3Clubs
 10Transportation
o 10.1Rail and high-speed rail
o 10.2Roads and expressways
o 10.3Air
o 10.4Public transit
o 10.5Taxi
o 10.6Bicycles
 11Defense and aerospace
 12Nature and wildlife
 13International relations
o 13.1Twin towns and sister cities
o 13.2Foreign embassies and consulates
o 13.3Representative offices and delegations
 14See also
 15Notes
  16References
o 16.1Citations
o 16.2Sources
 17Further reading
 18External links
Etymology[edit]
Main article: Names of Beijing
Over the past 3,000 years, the city of Beijing has had numerous other names. The
name Beijing, which means "Northern Capital" (from the Chinese
characters 北 for north and 京 for capital), was applied to the city in 1403 during
the Ming dynasty to distinguish the city from Nanjing (the "Southern Capital").[36] The
English spelling Beijing is based on the government's official romanization (adopted in
the 1980s) of the two characters as they are pronounced in Standard Mandarin. An
older English spelling, Peking, is the postal romanization of the same two characters
as they are pronounced in Chinese dialects spoken in the southern port towns first
visited by European traders and missionaries.[37] Those dialects preserve the Middle
Chinese pronunciation of 京 as kjaeng,[38] prior to a phonetic shift in the northern
dialects to the modern pronunciation.[39] Although Peking is no longer the common
name for the city, some of the city's older locations and facilities, such as Beijing
Capital International Airport, with the IATA Code PEK, and Peking University, still
retain the former romanization.
The single Chinese character abbreviation for Beijing is 京, which appears on
automobile license plates in the city. The official Latin alphabet abbreviation for Beijing
is "BJ".[40]
History[edit]
Main article: History of Beijing
Early history[edit]
The earliest traces of human habitation in the Peking municipality were found in the
caves of Dragon Bone Hill near the village of Zhoukoudian in Fangshan District,
where Peking Man lived. Homo erectus fossils from the caves date to 230,000 to
250,000 years ago. Paleolithic Homo sapiens also lived there more recently, about
27,000 years ago.[41] Archaeologists have found neolithic settlements throughout the
municipality, including in Wangfujing, located in central Peking.
The first walled city in Beijing was Jicheng, the capital city of the state of Ji and was
built in 1045 BC. Within modern Beijing, Jicheng was located around the
present Guang'anmen area in the south of Xicheng District.[42] This settlement was
later conquered by the state of Yan and made its capital.[43]
Early Imperial China[edit]
The Tianning Pagoda, built around 1120 during the Liao dynasty.
After the First Emperor unified China, Jicheng became a prefectural capital for the
region.[1] During the Three Kingdoms period, it was held by Gongsun Zan and Yuan
Shao before falling to the Wei Kingdom of Cao Cao. The AD 3rd-century Western
Jin demoted the town, placing the prefectural seat in neighboring Zhuozhou.
During the Sixteen Kingdoms period when northern China was conquered and divided
by the Wu Hu, Jicheng was briefly the capital of the Xianbei Former Yan Kingdom.[44]
After China was reunified during the Sui dynasty, Jicheng, also known as Zhuojun,
became the northern terminus of the Grand Canal. Under the Tang dynasty, Jicheng
as Youzhou, served as a military frontier command center. During the An-Shi
Rebellion and again amidst the turmoil of the late Tang, local military commanders
founded their own short-lived Yan dynasties and called the city Yanjing, or the "Yan
Capital." Also in the Tang dynasty, the city's name Jicheng was replaced by Youzhou
or Yanjing. In 938, after the fall of the Tang, the Later Jin ceded the entire northern
frontier to the Khitan Liao dynasty, which treated the city as Nanjing, or the "Southern
Capital", one of four secondary capitals to complement its "Supreme Capital",
Shangjing (modern Baarin Left Banner in Inner Mongolia). Some of the oldest
surviving structures in Beijing date to the Liao period, including the Tianning Pagoda.
The Liao fell to the Jurchen Jin dynasty in 1122, which gave the city to the Song
dynasty and then retook it in 1125 during its conquest of northern China. In 1153, the
Jurchen Jin made Beijing their "Central Capital", or Zhongdu.[1] The city was besieged
by Genghis Khan's invading Mongolian army in 1213 and razed to the ground two
years later.[45] Two generations later, Kublai Khan ordered the construction
of Dadu (or Daidu to the Mongols, commonly known as Khanbaliq), a new capital for
his Yuan dynasty to the northeast of the Zhongdu ruins. The construction took from
1264 to 1293,[1][45][46] but greatly enhanced the status of a city on the northern fringe
of China proper. The city was centered on the Drum Tower slightly to the north of
modern Beijing and stretched from the present-day Chang'an Avenue to the northern
part of Line 10 subway. Remnants of the Yuan rammed earth wall still stand and are
known as the Tucheng.[47]
Ming dynasty[edit]
One of the corner towers of the Forbidden City, built by the Yongle Emperor during the
early Ming dynasty
In 1368, soon after declaring the new Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty,
the rebel leader Zhu Yuanzhang sent an army to Dadu/Khanbaliq and conquered
it.[48] Since the Yuan continued to occupy Shangdu and Mongolia, Dadu was used to
supply the military garrisons in the area and was renamed Beiping (Wade–Giles:
Peip'ing, "Northern Peace").[49] Under the Hongwu Emperor's feudal policies Beiping
was given to Zhu Di, one of his sons, who was created "Prince of Yan".

Overlapping layout of Beijing during the Liao, Jin, Yuan and Ming dynasties
The early death of Zhu Yuanzhang's heir led to a succession struggle on his death,
one that ended with the victory of Zhu Di and the declaration of the new Yongle era.
Since his harsh treatment of the Ming capital Yingtian (modern Nanjing) alienated
many there, he established his fief as a new co-capital. The city of Beiping became
Beijing (“Northern Capital”) or Shuntian[50] in 1403.[36] The construction of the new
imperial residence, the Forbidden City, took from 1406 to 1420;[45] this period was also
responsible for several other of the modern city's major attractions, such as
the Temple of Heaven[51] and Tian'anmen. On 28 October 1420, the city was officially
designated the capital of the Ming dynasty in the same year that the Forbidden City
was completed.[52] Beijing became the empire's primary capital, and Yingtian, also
called Nanjing (“Southern Capital”), became the co-capital. (A 1425 order by Zhu Di's
son, the Hongxi Emperor, to return the primary capital to Nanjing was never carried
out: he died, probably of a heart attack, the next month. He was buried, like almost
every Ming emperor to follow him, in an elaborate necropolis to Beijing's north.)
By the 15th century, Beijing had essentially taken its current shape. The Ming city
wall continued to serve until modern times, when it was pulled down and the 2nd Ring
Road was built in its place.[53] It is generally believed that Beijing was the largest city
in the world for most of the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.[54] The first known
church was constructed by Catholics in 1652 at the former site of Matteo Ricci's
chapel; the modern Nantang Cathedral was later built upon the same site.[55]
The capture of Beijing by Li Zicheng's peasant army in 1644 ended the dynasty, but
he and his Shun court abandoned the city without a fight when the Manchu army of
Prince Dorgon arrived 40 days later.
Qing dynasty[edit]

Summer Palace is one of the several palatial gardens built by Qing emperors in the
northwest suburb area
Dorgon established the Qing dynasty as a direct successor of the Ming
(delegitimising Li Zicheng and his followers)[56] and Beijing became China's sole
capital.[57] The Qing emperors made some modifications to the Imperial residence but,
in large part, the Ming buildings and the general layout remained unchanged. Facilities
for Manchu worship were introduced, but the Qing also continued the traditional state
rituals. Signage was bilingual or Chinese. This early Qing Beijing later formed the
setting for the Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. Northwest of the city, Qing
emperors built several large palatial gardens including the Old Summer Palace and
the Summer Palace.

Chongwenmen, a gate to the inner walled city, c. 1906

During the Second Opium War, Anglo-French forces captured the outskirts of the city,
looting and burning the Old Summer Palace in 1860. Under the Convention of
Peking ending that war, Western powers for the first time secured the right to
establish permanent diplomatic presences within the city. From 14 to 15 August 1900
the Battle of Peking was fought. This battle was part of the Boxer Rebellion. The
attempt by the Boxers to eradicate this presence, as well as Chinese
Christian converts, led to Beijing's reoccupation by eight foreign powers.[58] During the
fighting, several important structures were destroyed, including the Hanlin
Academy and the (new) Summer Palace. A peace agreement was concluded
between the Eight-Nation Alliance and representatives of the Chinese government Li
Hung-chang and Prince Ching on 7 September 1901. The treaty required China to pay
an indemnity of US$335 million (over US$4 billion in current dollars) plus interest over
a period of 39 years. Also required was the execution or exile of government
supporters of the Boxers and the destruction of Chinese forts and other defenses in
much of northern China. Ten days after the treaty was signed the foreign armies left
Peking, although legation guards would remain there until World War II.[59]
With the treaty signed the Empress Dowager Cixi returned to Peking from her "tour of
inspection" on 7 January 1902 and the rule of the Qing dynasty over China was
restored, albeit much weakened by the defeat it had suffered in the Boxer Rebellion
and by the indemnity and stipulations of the peace treaty.[60] The Dowager died in 1908
and the dynasty imploded in 1911.
Republic of China[edit]

A large portrait of Chiang Kai-shek was displayed above Tiananmen after WWII.
The fomenters of the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 sought to replace Qing rule with a
republic and leaders like Sun Yat-sen originally intended to return the capital
to Nanjing. After the Qing general Yuan Shikai forced the abdication of the last Qing
emperor and ensured the success of the revolution, the revolutionaries accepted him
as president of the new Republic of China. Yuan maintained his capital at Beijing and
quickly consolidated power, declaring himself emperor in 1915. His death less than a
year later[61] left China under the control of the warlords commanding the regional
armies. Following the success of the Kuomintang's Northern Expedition, the capital
was formally moved to Nanjing in 1928. On 28 June the same year, Beijing's name
was returned to Beiping (written at the time as "Peiping").[15][62]
On 7 July 1937, the 29th Army and the Japanese army in China exchanged fire at
the Marco Polo Bridge near the Wanping Fortress southwest of the city. The Marco
Polo Bridge Incident triggered the Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II as it is
known in China. During the war,[15] Beijing fell to Japan on 29 July 1937[63] and was
made the seat of the Provisional Government of the Republic of China, a puppet
state that ruled the ethnic-Chinese portions of Japanese-occupied northern
China.[64] This government was later merged into the larger Wang Jingwei
government based in Nanjing.[65]
People's Republic of China[edit]

Mao Zedong proclaiming the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949
In the final phases of the Chinese Civil War, the People's Liberation Army seized
control of the city peacefully on 31 January 1949 in the course of the Pingjin
Campaign. On 1 October that year, Mao Zedong announced the creation of
the People's Republic of China from atop Tian'anmen. He restored the name of the
city, as the new capital, to Beijing,[66] a decision that had been reached by the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference just a few days earlier.
In the 1950s, the city began to expand beyond the old walled city and its surrounding
neighborhoods, with heavy industries in the west and residential neighborhoods in the
north. Many areas of the Beijing city wall were torn down in the 1960s to make way for
the construction of the Beijing Subway and the 2nd Ring Road.

A scene from the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
During the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, the Red Guard movement began in
Beijing and the city's government fell victim to one of the first purges. By the autumn
of 1966, all city schools were shut down and over a million Red Guards from across
the country gathered in Beijing for eight rallies in Tian'anmen Square with Mao. [67] In
April 1976, a large public gathering of Beijing residents against the Gang of Four and
the Cultural Revolution in Tiananmen Square was forcefully suppressed. In October
1976, the Gang was arrested in Zhongnanhai and the Cultural Revolution came to an
end. In December 1978, the Third Plenum of the 11th Party Congress in Beijing under
the leadership of Deng Xiaoping reversed the verdicts against victims of the Cultural
Revolution and instituted the "policy of reform and opening up."
Since the early 1980s, the urban area of Beijing has expanded greatly with the
completion of the 2nd Ring Road in 1981 and the subsequent addition of
the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Ring Roads.[68][69] According to one 2005 newspaper report,
the size of newly developed Beijing was one-and-a-half times larger than
before.[70] Wangfujing and Xidan have developed into flourishing shopping
[71]
districts, while Zhongguancun has become a major center of electronics in
China.[72] In recent years, the expansion of Beijing has also brought to the forefront
some problems of urbanization, such as heavy traffic, poor air quality, the loss of
historic neighborhoods, and a significant influx of migrant workers from less-
developed rural areas of the country.[73] Beijing has also been the location of many
significant events in recent Chinese history, principally the Tiananmen Square
protests of 1989.[74] The city has also hosted major international events, including
the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, and was
chosen to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, making it the first city to ever host both
Winter and Summer Olympics.[75]
Geography[edit]
Main article: Geography of Beijing

Landsat 7 Satellite image of Beijing Municipality with the surrounding mountains in

dark brown
Beijing is situated at the northern tip of the roughly triangular North China Plain, which
opens to the south and east of the city. Mountains to the north, northwest and west
shield the city and northern China's agricultural heartland from the encroaching desert
steppes. The northwestern part of the municipality, especially Yanqing
County and Huairou District, are dominated by the Jundu Mountains, while the
western part is framed by Xishan or the Western Hills. The Great Wall of China across
the northern part of Beijing Municipality was built on the rugged topography to defend
against nomadic incursions from the steppes. Mount Dongling, in the Western Hills
and on the border with Hebei, is the municipality's highest point, with an altitude of
2,303 metres (7,556 ft).
Major rivers flowing through the municipality, including the Chaobai, Yongding, Juma,
are all tributaries in the Hai River system, and flow in a southeasterly direction. The
Miyun Reservoir, on the upper reaches of the Chaobai River, is the largest reservoir
within the municipality. Beijing is also the northern terminus of the Grand
Canal to Hangzhou, which was built over 1,400 years ago as a transportation route,
and the South–North Water Transfer Project, constructed in the past decade to bring
water from the Yangtze River basin.
The urban area of Beijing, on the plains in the south-central of the municipality with
elevation of 40 to 60 metres (130–200 feet), occupies a relatively small but expanding
portion of the municipality's area. The city spreads out in concentric ring roads.
The Second Ring Road traces the old city walls and the Sixth Ring Road connects
satellite towns in the surrounding suburbs. Tian'anmen and Tian'anmen Square are at
the center of Beijing, directly to the south of the Forbidden City, the former residence
of the emperors of China. To the west of Tian'anmen is Zhongnanhai, the residence
of China's current leaders. Chang'an Avenue, which cuts between Tiananmen and the
Square, forms the city's main east–west axis.
Cityscape[edit]

A panorama of the Forbidden City, viewed from the Jingshan Park

Architecture[edit]
See also: List of tallest buildings in Beijing
Three styles of architecture are predominant in urban Beijing. First, there is the
traditional architecture of imperial China, perhaps best exemplified by the
massive Tian'anmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace), which remains the People's Republic
of China's trademark edifice, the Forbidden City, the Imperial Ancestral Temple and
the Temple of Heaven. Next, there is what is sometimes referred to as the "Sino-Sov"
style, with structures tending to be boxy and sometimes poorly constructed, which
were built between the 1950s and the 1970s.[76] Finally, there are much more modern
architectural forms, most noticeably in the area of the Beijing CBD in east Beijing such
as the new CCTV Headquarters, in addition to buildings in other locations around the
city such as the Beijing National Stadium and National Center for the Performing Arts.

1940s Nationalist Beijing with predominantly traditional architecture

Since 2007, buildings in Beijing have received the CTBUH Skyscraper Award for best
overall tall building twice, for the Linked Hybrid building in 2009 and the CCTV
Headquarters in 2013. The CTBUH Skyscraper award for best tall overall building is
given to only one building around the world every year.
In the early 21st century, Beijing has witnessed tremendous growth of new building
constructions, exhibiting various modern styles from international designers, most
pronounced in the CBD region. A mixture of both 1950s design and neofuturistic style
of architecture can be seen at the 798 Art Zone, which mixes the old with the new.
Beijing's tallest building is the 528-meter China Zun.

The sign of Doujiao Hutong, one of the many traditional alleyways in the inner city
Beijing is famous for its siheyuans, a type of residence where a common courtyard is
shared by the surrounding buildings. Among the more grand examples are the Prince
Gong Mansion and Residence of Soong Ching-ling. These courtyards are usually
connected by alleys called hutongs. The hutongs are generally straight and run east
to west so that doorways face north and south for good Feng Shui. They vary in width;
some are so narrow only a few pedestrians can pass through at a time. Once
ubiquitous in Beijing, siheyuans and hutongs are rapidly disappearing,[77] as entire city
blocks of hutongs are replaced by high-rise buildings.[78] Residents of the hutongs are
entitled to live in the new buildings in apartments of at least the same size as their
former residences. Many complain, however, that the traditional sense of community
and street life of the hutongs cannot be replaced,[79] and these properties are often
government owned.[80]
Climate[edit]
Beijing average annual temperatures from 1970 to 2019 during summer (June, July,
and August) and winter (December, January, and February). Weather station data
from ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/noaa/. For comparison the Global Surface
Temperature Anomaly rose by approximately one degree over the same time period.
Beijing has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen: Dwa),
characterized by hot, humid summers due to the East Asian monsoon, and brief but
cold, dry winters that reflect the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclone.[81] Spring
can bear witness to sandstorms blowing in from the Gobi Desert across the Mongolian
steppe, accompanied by rapidly warming, but generally dry, conditions. Autumn,
similar to spring, is a season of transition and minimal precipitation. The monthly daily
average temperature in January is −2.9 °C (26.8 °F), while in July it is 26.9 °C
(80.4 °F). Precipitation averages around 570 mm (22 in) annually, with close to three-
quarters of that total falling from June to August. With monthly percent possible
sunshine ranging from 47% in July to 65% in January and February, the city receives
2,671 hours of bright sunshine annually. Extremes since 1951 have ranged from
−27.4 °C (−17.3 °F) on 22 February 1966 to 41.9 °C (107.4 °F) on 24 July 1999
(unofficial record of 42.6 °C (108.7 °F) was set on 15 June 1942).[82][83]

showClimate data for Beijing (normals 1986–2015, extremes 1951–present)

Environmental issues[edit]
Beijing has a long history of environmental problems.[88] Between 2000 and 2009
Beijing's urban extent quadrupled, which not only strongly increased the extent of
anthropogenic emissions, but also changed the meteorological situation
fundamentally, even if emissions of human society are not included. For example,
surface albedo, wind speed and humidity near the surface were decreased, whereas
ground and near-surface air temperatures, vertical air dilution and ozone levels were
increased.[89] Because of the combined factors of urbanization and pollution caused
by burning of fossil fuel, Beijing is often affected by serious environmental problems,
which lead to health issues of many inhabitants. In 2013 heavy smog struck Beijing
and most parts of northern China, impacting a total of 600 million people. After this
"pollution shock" air pollution became an important economic and social concern in
China. After that the government of Beijing announced measures to reduce air
pollution, for example by lowering the share of coal from 24% in 2012 to 10% in 2017,
while the national government ordered heavily polluting vehicles to be removed from
2015 to 2017 and increased its efforts to transition the energy system to clean
sources.[90]
Air quality[edit]
Joint research between American and Chinese researchers in 2006 concluded that
much of the city's pollution comes from surrounding cities and provinces. On average
35–60% of the ozone can be traced to sources outside the city. Shandong Province
and Tianjin Municipality have a "significant influence on Beijing's air quality", [91] partly
due to the prevailing south/southeasterly flow during the summer and the mountains
to the north and northwest.

Heavy air pollution has resulted in widespread smog. These photographs, taken in
August 2005, show the variations in Beijing's air quality.
In preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics and to fulfill promises to clean up the
city's air, nearly US$17 billion was spent.[92] Beijing implemented a number of air
improvement schemes for the duration of the Games, including halting work at all
construction sites, closing many factories in Beijing permanently, temporarily shutting
industry in neighboring regions, closing some gas stations,[93] and cutting motor traffic
by half by limiting drivers to odd or even days (based on their license plate
numbers),[94] reducing bus and subway fares, opening new subway lines, and banning
high-emission vehicles.[95][96] The city further assembled 3,800 natural gas-powered
buses, one of the largest fleets in the world.[92] Beijing became the first city in China to
require the Chinese equivalent to the Euro 4 emission standard.[97]
Coal burning accounts for about 40% of the PM 2.5 in Beijing and is also the chief
source of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide.[98] Since 2012, the city has been converting
coal-fired power stations to burn natural gas[99] and aims to cap annual coal
consumption at 20 million tons. In 2011, the city burned 26.3 million tons of coal, 73%
of which for heating and power generation and the remainder for industry.[99] Much of
the city's air pollutants are emitted by neighboring regions. [98] Coal consumption in
neighboring Tianjin is expected to increase from 48 to 63 million tons from 2011 to
2015.[100] Hebei Province burned over 300 million tons of coal in 2011, more than all
of Germany, of which only 30% were used for power generation and a considerable
portion for steel and cement making.[101] Power plants in the coal-mining regions of
Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi, where coal consumption has tripled since 2000,
and Shandong also contribute to air pollution in Beijing. [98] Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei
and Inner Mongolia, respectively rank from first to fourth, among Chinese provinces
by coal consumption.[100] There were four major coal-fired power plants in the city to
provide electricity as well as heating during the winter. The first one (Gaojing Thermal
Power Plant) was shut down in 2014.[102][103] Another two were shut in March 2015.
The last one (Huaneng Thermal Power Plant) would be shut in 2016. [102] Between
2013 and 2017, the city planned to reduce 13 million tons of coal consumption and
cap coal consumption to 15 million tons in 2015.[102]
The government sometimes uses cloud-seeding measures to increase the likelihood
of rain showers in the region to clear the air prior to large events, such as prior to the
60th anniversary parade in 2009[104] as well as to combat drought conditions in the
area. More recently, however, the government has increased its usage of such
measures as closing factories temporarily and implementing greater restrictions for
cars on the road, as in the case of "APEC blue" and "parade blue," short periods during
and immediately preceding the APEC China 2014 and the 2015 China Victory Day
Parade, respectively.[105] During and prior to these events, Beijing's air quality
improved dramatically, only to fall back to unhealthy levels shortly after.
Beijing air quality is often poor, especially in winter. In mid-January 2013, Beijing's air
quality was measured on top of the city's US embassy at a PM2.5 density of 755
micrograms per cubic meter, which is more than 75 times the safe level established
by the WHO, and went off the US Environmental Protection Agency's air quality index.
It was widely reported, originally through a Twitter account, that the category was
"crazy bad". This was later changed to "beyond index".[106]
On 8 and 9 December 2015 Beijing had its first smog alert which shut down a majority
of the industry and other commercial businesses in the city. [107] Later in the month
another smog "red alert" was issued.[108]
According to Beijing's environmental protection bureau's announcement in November
2016, starting from 2017 highly polluting old cars will be banned from being driven
whenever Smog "red alerts" are issued in the city or neighboring regions. [109]
In recent years, there has been measurable reductions in pollutants after the "war on
pollution" was declared in 2014, with Beijing seeing a 35% reduction in fine particulates
in 2017.[110]
Readings[edit]
Due to Beijing's high level of air pollution, there are various readings by different
sources on the subject. Daily pollution readings at 27 monitoring stations around the
city are reported on the website of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau
(BJEPB).[111] The American Embassy of Beijing also reports hourly fine particulate
(PM2.5) and ozone levels on Twitter.[112] Since the BJEPB and US Embassy measure
different pollutants according to different criteria, the pollution levels and the impact to
human health reported by the BJEPB are often lower than that reported by the US
Embassy.[112]
The smog is causing harm and danger to the population. The air pollution does directly
result in significant impact on the mobility rate of cardiovascular disease and
respiratory disease in Beijing.[113] Exposure to large concentrations of polluted air can
cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems, emergency room visits, and even
death.[114]
Dust storms[edit]
Dust from the erosion of deserts in northern and northwestern China results in
seasonal dust storms that plague the city; the Beijing Weather Modification
Office sometimes artificially induces rainfall to fight such storms and mitigate their
effects.[115] In the first four months of 2006 alone, there were no fewer than eight such
storms.[116] In April 2002, one dust storm alone dumped nearly 50,000 tons of dust
onto the city before moving on to Japan and Korea.[117]
Government[edit]
Main article: Politics of Beijing
The municipal government is regulated by the local Communist Party of China (CPC),
led by the Beijing CPC Secretary (Chinese: 中共北京市委书记). The local CPC issues
administrative orders, collects taxes, manages the economy, and directs a standing
committee of the Municipal People's Congress in making policy decisions and
overseeing the local government.

Government officials include the mayor (Chinese: 市长) and vice-mayor. Numerous
bureaus focus on law, public security, and other affairs. Additionally, as the capital of
China, Beijing houses all of the important national governmental and political
institutions, including the National People's Congress.[118]
Administrative divisions[edit]
For a more comprehensive list, see List of administrative divisions of Beijing and List
of township-level divisions of Beijing.
Beijing Municipality currently comprises 16 administrative county-level
subdivisions including 16 urban, suburban, and rural districts. On 1 July
2010, Chongwen and Xuanwu were merged into Dongcheng and Xicheng,
respectively. On 13 November 2015 Miyun and Yanqing were upgraded to districts.

Administrative divisions of Beijing

1
2
Chaoyang
Fengtai
3
Haidian
Mentougou
Fangshan
Tongzhou
Shunyi
Changping
Daxing
Huairou
Pinggu
Miyun
Yanqing
1. Dongcheng
2. Xicheng
3. Shijingshan

Su
Total Urban area
Division Area in Postal
Division population population Seat
code[119] km2[120] code
2010[121] 2010[122] Su

110000 Beijing 16406.16 19,612,368 16,858,692 Dongcheng / Tongzhou 100000 14

110101 Dongcheng 41.82 919,253 Jingshan Subdistrict 100000 17

Jinrong Street
110102 Xicheng 50.33 1,243,315 100000 15
Subdistrict

110105 Chaoyang 454.78 3,545,137 3,532,257 Chaowai Subdistrict 100000 24

110106 Fengtai 305.53 2,112,162 2,098,632 Fengtai Subdistrict 100000 16

110107 Shijingshan 84.38 616,083 Lugu Subdistrict 100000 9

110108 Haidian 430.77 3,280,670 3,208,563 Haidian Subdistrict 100000 22

110109 Mentougou 1447.85 290,476 248,547 Dayu Subdistrict 102300 4

110111 Fangshan 1994.73 944,832 635,282 Gongchen Subdistrict 102400 8

110112 Tongzhou 905.79 1,184,256 724,228 Beiyuan Subdistrict 101100 6

110113 Shunyi 1019.51 876,620 471,459 Shengli Subdistrict 101300 6

110114 Changping 1342.47 1,660,501 1,310,617 Chengbei Subdistrict 102200 8

110115 Daxing 1036.34 1,365,112 965,683 Xingfeng Subdistrict 102600 5

110116 Huairou 2122.82 372,887 253,088 Longshan Subdistrict 101400 2

 110117 Pinggu 948.24 415,958 219,850 Binhe Subdistrict 101200 2

110118 Miyun 2225.92 467,680 257,449 Gulou Subdistrict 101500 2

110119 Yanqing 1994.89 317,426 154,386 Rulin Subdistrict 102100 3

showDivisions in Chinese

1. ^ Including Ethnic townships & other township related subdivisions.

Houhai Lake and Drum Tower at Shichahai, in the Xicheng District

Towns[edit]
Main article: List of township-level divisions of Beijing
Beijing's 16 county-level divisions (districts) are further subdivided into 273 lower third-
level administrative units at the township level: 119 towns, 24 townships, 5 ethnic
townships and 125 subdistricts. Towns within Beijing Municipality but outside the
urban area include (but are not limited to):
 Changping 昌平

 Huairou 怀柔

 Miyun 密云

 Liangxiang 良乡

 Liulimiao 琉璃庙

 Tongzhou 通州

 Yizhuang 亦庄

 Tiantongyuan 天通苑

 Beiyuan 北苑

 Xiaotangshan 小汤山
Several place names in Beijing end with mén (门), meaning "gate", as they were the
locations of gates in the former Beijing city wall. Other place names end in cūn (村),
meaning "village", as they were originally villages outside the city wall.
Judiciary and procuracy[edit]
The judicial system in Beijing consists of the Supreme People's Court, the highest
court in the country, the Beijing Municipal High People's Court, the high people's
court of the municipality, three intermediate people's courts, one intermediate railway
transport court, 14 basic people's court (one for each of the municipality's districts and
counties), and one basic railway transport court. The Beijing No. 1 Intermediate
People's Court in Shijingshan oversees the basic courts of Haidian, Shijingshan,
Mentougou, Changping and Yanqing.[124] The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's
Court in Fengtai oversees the basic courts of Dongcheng, Xicheng, Fengtai, Fangshan
and Daxing.[124] The Beijing No. 3 Intermediate People's Court in Laiguangying, is the
newest of the three intermediate people's courts and opened on 21 August 2013.[124] It
oversees the district courts of Chaoyang, Tongzhou, Shunyi, Huairou, Pinggu and
Miyun.[124][125] Each court in Beijing has a corresponding people's procuratorate.
Economy[edit]
Main article: Economy of Beijing

Xidan is one of the oldest and busiest shopping areas in Beijing.

As of 2018, Beijing's nominal GDP was US$458 billion (CN￥3.0 trillion), about 3.45%
of the country's GDP and ranked 12th among province-level administrative units; its
nominal GDP per capita was US$21,261 (CN￥140,748) and ranked the 1st in the
country.[126] Beijing's nominal GDP is projected to be among the world top 10 largest
cities in 2035 (together with Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in China)
according to a study by Oxford Economics,[127] and its nominal GDP per capita will
reach US$45,000 in 2030.[128]
Due to the concentration of state owned enterprises in the national capital, Beijing in
2013 had more Fortune Global 500 Company headquarters than any other city in the
world.[129] Beijing has also been described as the "billionaire capital of the
world".[18][19] Beijing is classified as an Alpha+ (global first-tier) city by the Globalization
and World Cities Research Network, indicating its influence in the region and
worldwide and making it one of the world's Top 10 major cities.[130] In the 2021 Global
Financial Centres Index, Beijing was ranked as having the sixth-most competitive
financial center in the world and fourth-most competitive in the whole Asia and
the Pacific (behind Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore).[131] In 2020, Beijing is
ranked first globally in terms of "Global City Competitiveness" in the 2020–2021 Global
Urban Competitiveness Report jointly released by the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences (CASS) and the United Nations Programme for Human Settlements (UN-
Habitat).[132]

Historical GDP of Beijing for 1978–present (SNA2008)[126]

(purchasing power parity of Chinese Yuan, as international dollar based on IMF
WEO October 2017)[133]

Refer Refer
PP
ence ence
PPP Re CN US P
index index
Y CNY USD (Int'l al Y D (Int'
: :
ea (milli (milli $) gro per per l$.)
USD Int'l$.
r ons) ons) (milli wth cap cap per
1 1
ons) (%) ita* ita* cap
to to
ita*
CNY CNY

201 2,566, 386,44 733,21 118,1 17,79 33,76

6.8 6.6423 3.5009
6 910 9 4 98 5 2

201 2,368, 380,28 667,29 109,6 17,59 30,87

6.9 6.2284 3.5495
5 570 5 7 02 7 8

201 2,194, 357,23 618,07 102,8 16,74 28,97

7.4 6.1428 3.5504
4 410 3 4 70 6 4

201 2,033, 328,26 568,37 97,17 15,69 27,16

7.7 6.1932 3.5769
3 010 5 2 8 1 8

201 1,835, 290,69 516,78 89,77 14,22 25,28

8.0 6.3125 3.5508
2 010 5 8 8 2 4

201 1,662, 257,44 474,33 83,54 12,93 23,83

8.1 6.4588 3.5055
1 790 6 7 7 5 3

201 1,444, 213,33 436,22 75,57 11,16 22,82

10.4 6.7695 3.3106
0 160 3 3 2 4 7

200 1,241, 181,80 393,31 68,40 10,01 21,66

10.0 6.8310 3.1575
9 900 4 7 5 4 4

200 1,139, 164,02 358,60 66,09 20,80

9.0 9,517 6.9451 3.1768
8 200 9 0 8 7
Historical GDP of Beijing for 1978–present (SNA2008)[126]
(purchasing power parity of Chinese Yuan, as international dollar based on IMF
WEO October 2017)[133]

Refer Refer
PP
ence ence
PPP Re CN US P
index index
Y CNY USD (Int'l al Y D (Int'
: :
ea (milli (milli $) gro per per l$.)
USD Int'l$.
r ons) ons) (milli wth cap cap per
1 1
ons) (%) ita* ita* cap
to to
ita*
CNY CNY

200 1,007, 132,45 334,07 61,47 20,38

14.4 8,084 7.6040 3.0149
7 190 5 1 0 9

200 831,26 104,27 288,86 52,96 18,40

12.8 6,644 7.9718 2.8777
6 0 5 3 3 5

200 714,14 249,78 47,12 16,48

87,178 12.3 5,753 8.1917 2.8590
5 0 7 7 4

200 321,28 118,14 24,51

38,809 12.0 2,962 9,016 8.2784 2.7193
0 0 8 7

199 150,77 12,69

18,054 55,239 12.0 1,520 4,649 8.3510 2.7294
5 0 0

199
50,080 10,470 29,414 5.2 4,635 969 2,722 4.7832 1.7026
0

198
25,710 8,755 18,342 8.7 2,643 900 1,886 2.9366 1.4017
5

198
13,910 9,283 9,301 11.8 1,544 1,030 1,032 1.4984 1.4955
0

197
10,880 6,462 10.5 1,257 747 1.6836
8

* Per-capita GDP is based on mid-year population.

Sector composition[edit]
The Taikoo Li Sanlitun shopping arcade is a destination for locals and visitors.
The city has a post-industrial economy that is dominated by the tertiary
sector (services), which generated 76.9% of output, followed by the secondary
sector (manufacturing, construction) at 22.2% and the primary sector (agriculture,
mining) at 0.8%.
The services sector is broadly diversified with professional services, wholesale and
retail, information technology, commercial real estate, scientific research, and
residential real estate each contributing at least 6% to the city's economy in 2013. [134]
The single largest sub-sector remains industry, whose share of overall output has
shrunk to 18.1% in 2013.[134] The mix of industrial output has changed significantly
since 2010 when the city announced that 140 highly-polluting, energy and water
resource intensive enterprises would be relocated from the city in five years. [135] The
relocation of Capital Steel to neighboring Hebei province had begun in 2005.[136][137] In
2013, output of automobiles, aerospace products, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals,
and food processing all increased.[134]
In the farmland around Beijing, vegetables and fruits have displaced grain as the
primary crops under cultivation.[134] In 2013, the tonnage of vegetable, edible fungus
and fruit harvested was over three times that of grain. [134] In 2013, overall acreage
under cultivation shrank along with most categories of produce as more land was
reforested for environmental reasons.[134]
Economic zones[edit]
For a more comprehensive list, see List of economic and technological development
zones in Beijing.

The skyline of Beijing CBD

Zhongguancun is a technology hub in Haidian District
In 2006, the city government identified six high-end economic output zones around
Beijing as the primary engines for local economic growth. In 2012, the six zones
produced 43.3% of the city's GDP, up from 36.5% in 2007.[138][139] The six zones are:
1. Zhongguancun, China's silicon village in Haidian District northwest of the city,
is home to both established and start-up tech companies. In the first two
quarters of 2014, 9,895 companies registered in the six zones, among which
6,150 were based in Zhongguancun.[140] Zhongguancun is also the center
of Beijing-Tianjin-Shijiazhuang Hi-Tech Industrial Belt.
2. Beijing Financial Street, in Xicheng District on the west side of the city between
Fuxingmen and Fuchengmen, is lined with headquarters of large state banks
and insurance companies. The country's financial regulatory agencies including
the central bank, bank regulator, securities regulator, and foreign exchange
authority are located in the neighborhood.
3. Beijing Central Business District (CBD), is actually located to the east of
downtown, near the embassies along the eastern Third Ring Road between
Jianguomenwai and Chaoyangmenwai. The CBD is home to most of the city's
skyscraper office buildings. Most of the city's foreign companies and
professional service firms are based in the CBD.
4. Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area, better known
as Yizhuang, is an industrial park the straddles the southern Fifth Ring Road in
Daxing District. It has attracted pharmaceutical, information technology, and
materials engineering companies.[141]
5. Beijing Airport Economic Zone was created in 1993 and surrounds the Beijing
Capital International Airport in Shunyi District northeast of the city. In addition
to logistics, airline services, and trading firms, this zone is also home to Beijing's
automobile assembly plants.
6. Beijing Olympic Center Zone surrounds the Olympic Green due north of
downtown and is developing into an entertainment, sports, tourism and
business convention center.
Shijingshan, on the western outskirts of the city, is a traditional heavy industrial base
for steel-making.[142] Chemical plants are concentrated in the far eastern suburbs.
Less legitimate enterprises also exist. Urban Beijing is known for being a center
of infringed goods; anything from the latest designer clothing to DVDs can be found in
markets all over the city, often marketed to expatriates and international visitors.[143]
Demographics[edit]
Main article: Demographics of Beijing

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a.

1953 2,768,149 —

1964 7,568,495 +9.57%

1982 9,230,687 +1.11%

1990 10,819,407 +2.00%

2000 13,569,194 +2.29%

2010 19,612,368 +3.75%

2013 21,150,000 +2.55%

2014[144] 21,516,000 +1.73%

Population size may be affected

by changes on administrative
divisions.

In 2013, Beijing had a total population of 21.148 million within the municipality, of which
18.251 million resided in urban districts or suburban townships and 2.897 million lived
in rural villages.[134] The encompassing metropolitan area was estimated by
the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) to have, as of
2010, a population of 24.9 million.[145][146]
Within China, the city ranked second in urban population after Shanghai and the third
in municipal population after Shanghai and Chongqing. Beijing also ranks among the
most populous cities in the world, a distinction the city has held for much of the past
800 years, especially during the 15th to early 19th centuries when it was the largest
city in the world.
About 13 million of the city's residents in 2013 had local hukou permits, which entitles
them to permanent residence in Beijing.[134] The remaining 8 million residents
had hukou permits elsewhere and were not eligible to receive some social benefits
provided by the Beijing municipal government.[134]
The population increased in 2013 by 455,000 or about 7% from the previous year and
continued a decade-long trend of rapid growth.[134] The total population in 2004 was
14.213 million.[147] The population gains are driven largely by migration. The
population's rate of natural increase in 2013 was a mere 0.441%, based on a birth
rate of 8.93 and a mortality rate of 4.52.[134] The gender balance was 51.6% males and
48.4% females.[134]
Working age people account for nearly 80% of the population. Compared to 2004,
residents age 0–14 as a proportion of the population dropped from 9.96% to 9.5% in
2013 and residents over the age of 65 declined from 11.12% to 9.2%. [134][147] From
2000 to 2010, the percentage of city residents with at least some college education
nearly doubled from 16.8% to 31.5%.[148] About 22.2% have some high school
education and 31% had reached middle school.[148]
According to the 2010 census, nearly 96% of Beijing's population are ethnic Han
Chinese.[148] Of the 800,000 ethnic minority population living in the
capital, Manchu (336,000), Hui (249,000), Korean (77,000), Mongol (37,000)
and Tujia (24,000) constitute the five largest groups.[149] In addition, there were 8,045
Hong Kong residents, 500 Macau residents, and 7,772 Taiwan residents along with
91,128 registered foreigners living in Beijing.[148] A study by the Beijing Academy of
Sciences estimates that in 2010 there were on average 200,000 foreigners living in
Beijing on any given day including students, business travellers and tourists that are
not counted as registered residents.[150]
In 2017 the Chinese government implemented population controls for Beijing and
Shanghai to fight what it called the "big city disease" which includes congestion,
pollution, and shortages of education and health care services. From this policy,
Beijing's population declined by 20,000 from 2016 to 2017. [151] Some low-income
people are being forcibly removed from the city as both legal and illegal housing is
being demolished in some high-density residential neighborhoods.[151] The population
is being redistributed to Jing-Jin-Ji and Xiong'an New Area, the transfer to the latter
expected to include 300,000-500,000 people working in government research,
universities, and corporate headquarters.[152][153]
Education and research[edit]
Main article: Education in Beijing
See also: List of universities and colleges in Beijing and List of universities in China
Beijing is a world leading center for scientific and technological innovation in China
and has been ranked the No.1 city in the world with the largest scientific research
output, as tracked by the Nature Index since 2016.[32][154][33] A number of Beijing's most
prestigious universities consistently rank among the best in the Asia-Pacific and the
world, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of
China, Beijing Normal University, University of Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Beihang University, Beijing Institute of Technology, China Agricultural
University, Minzu University of China, University of Science and Technology
Beijing, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, and University of International
Business and Economics.[28][29][155][156] These universities were selected as "985
universities" or "211 universities" by the Chinese government in order to build world-
class universities.[157][158]
Beijing is home to the two best universities (Tsinghua and Peking) in the whole of Asia-
Oceania region and emerging countries with its shared rankings at 16th place in the
world by the 2022 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.[159][30][31] Both
are members of the C9 League, an alliance of elite Chinese universities offering
comprehensive and leading education.[160] The city is also a seat of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences, which has been consistently ranked the No.1 research institute
in the world by Nature Index since the list's inception in 2016, by Nature
Research.[161][162]
The city's compulsory education system is among the best in the world: in 2018, 15-
year-old students from Beijing (together with Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu)
outperformed all of the other 78 participating countries in all categories (math, reading,
and science) in the Program for International Student Assessment, a worldwide study
of academic performance conducted by the OECD.[163]
Culture[edit]

The Beijing Ancient Observatory

People native to urban Beijing speak the Beijing dialect, which belongs to the
Mandarin subdivision of spoken Chinese. This speech is the basis for putonghua, the
standard spoken language used in mainland China and Taiwan, and one of the four
official languages of Singapore. Rural areas of Beijing Municipality have their own
dialects akin to those of Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing Municipality.
Beijing or Peking opera is a traditional form of Chinese theater well known throughout
the nation. Commonly lauded as one of the highest achievements of Chinese culture,
Beijing opera is performed through a combination of song, spoken dialogue, and
codified action sequences involving gestures, movement, fighting and acrobatics.
Much of Beijing opera is carried out in an archaic stage dialect quite different from
Modern Standard Chinese and from the modern Beijing dialect.[164]
Beijing cuisine is the local style of cooking. Peking duck is perhaps the best known
dish. Fuling jiabing, a traditional Beijing snack food, is a pancake (bing) resembling a
flat disk with a filling made from fu ling, a fungus used in traditional Chinese
medicine. Teahouses are also common in Beijing.
The cloisonné (or Jingtailan, literally "Blue of Jingtai") metalworking technique and
tradition is a Beijing art speciality, and is one of the most revered traditional crafts in
China. Cloisonné making requires elaborate and complicated processes which include
base-hammering, copper-strip inlay, soldering, enamel-filling, enamel-firing, surface
polishing and gilding.[165] Beijing's lacquerware is also well known for its sophisticated
and intricate patterns and images carved into its surface, and the various decoration
techniques of lacquer include "carved lacquer" and "engraved gold".
Younger residents of Beijing have become more attracted to the nightlife, which has
flourished in recent decades, breaking prior cultural traditions that had practically
restricted it to the upper class.[166] Today, Houhai, Sanlitun and Wudaokou are
Beijing's nightlife hotspots.
In 2012 Beijing was named as City of Design and became part of the UNESCO
Creative Cities Network.[167]
Places of interest[edit]
See also: Major National Historical and Cultural Sites (Beijing) and List of Beijing
landmarks
...the city remains an epicenter of tradition with the treasures of nearly 2,000 years as
the imperial capital still on view—in the famed Forbidden City and in the city's lush
pavilions and gardens...
— National Geographic[168]

Qianmen Avenue, a traditional commercial street outside Qianmen Gate along the
southern Central Axis
At the historical heart of Beijing lies the Forbidden City, the enormous palace
compound that was the home of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties; [169] the
Forbidden City hosts the Palace Museum, which contains imperial collections of
Chinese art. Surrounding the Forbidden City are several former imperial gardens,
parks and scenic areas,
notably Beihai, Shichahai, Zhongnanhai, Jingshan and Zhongshan. These places,
particularly Beihai Park, are described as masterpieces of Chinese
gardening art,[170] and are tourist destinations of historical importance; [171] in the
modern era, Zhongnanhai has also been the political heart of various Chinese
governments and regimes and is now the headquarters of the Communist Party of
China and the State Council. From Tiananmen Square, right across from the
Forbidden City, there are several notable sites, such as the Tiananmen, Qianmen,
the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China, the Monument to the
People's Heroes, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. The Summer Palace and
the Old Summer Palace both lie at the western part of the city; the former, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site,[172] contains a comprehensive collection of imperial gardens and
palaces that served as the summer retreats for the Qing imperial family.
Among the best known religious sites in the city is the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan),
located in southeastern Beijing, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, [173] where
emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties made visits for annual ceremonies of prayers
to Heaven for good harvest. In the north of the city is the Temple of Earth (Ditan), while
the Temple of the Sun (Ritan) and the Temple of the Moon (Yuetan) lie in the eastern
and western urban areas respectively. Other well-known temple sites include
the Dongyue Temple, Tanzhe Temple, Miaoying Temple, White Cloud
Temple, Yonghe Temple, Fayuan Temple, Wanshou Temple and Big Bell Temple.
The city also has its own Confucius Temple, and a Guozijian or Imperial Academy.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, built in 1605, is the oldest Catholic
church in Beijing. The Niujie Mosque is the oldest mosque in Beijing, with a history
stretching back over a thousand years.

Inside the Forbidden City

Beijing contains several well-preserved pagodas and stone pagodas, such as the
towering Pagoda of Tianning Temple, which was built during the Liao dynasty from
1100 to 1120, and the Pagoda of Cishou Temple, which was built in 1576 during the
Ming dynasty. Historically noteworthy stone bridges include the 12th-century Lugou
Bridge, the 17th-century Baliqiao bridge, and the 18th-century Jade Belt Bridge.
The Beijing Ancient Observatory displays pre-telescopic spheres dating back to the
Ming and Qing dynasties. The Fragrant Hills (Xiangshan) is a public park that consists
of natural landscaped areas as well as traditional and cultural relics. The Beijing
Botanical Garden exhibits over 6,000 species of plants, including a variety of trees,
bushes and flowers, and an extensive peony garden.
The Taoranting, Longtan, Chaoyang, Haidian, Milu Yuan and Zizhu Yuan parks are
some of the notable recreational parks in the city. The Beijing Zoo is a center of
zoological research that also contains rare animals from various continents, including
the Chinese giant panda.
There are 144 museums and galleries (as of June 2008) in the city.[174][175][176] In
addition to the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City and the National Museum of
China, other major museums include the National Art Museum of China, the Capital
Museum, the Beijing Art Museum, the Military Museum of the Chinese People's
Revolution, the Geological Museum of China, the Beijing Museum of Natural
History and the Paleozoological Museum of China.[176]
Located at the outskirts of urban Beijing, but within its municipality are the Thirteen
Tombs of the Ming dynasty, the lavish and elaborate burial sites of thirteen Ming
emperors, which have been designated as part of the UNESCO World Heritage
Site Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.[177] The archaeological Peking
Man site at Zhoukoudian is another World Heritage Site within the
municipality, [178] containing a wealth of discoveries, among them one of the first
specimens of Homo erectus and an assemblage of bones of the
gigantic hyena Pachycrocuta brevirostris. There are several sections of the UNESCO
World Heritage Site Great Wall of China,[179] most
notably Badaling, Jinshanling, Simatai and Mutianyu. According to the World Travel &
Tourism Council (WTTC), Beijing is the second highest earning tourist city in the world
after Shanghai.[180]
Religion[edit]

A Temple of the Goddess in Gubeikou

Fire God Temple in Di'anmen

The religious heritage of Beijing is rich and diverse as Chinese folk
religion, Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam and Christianity all have significant
historical presence in the city. As the national capital, the city also hosts the State
Administration for Religious Affairs and various state-sponsored institutions of the
leading religions.[181] In recent decades, foreign residents have brought other religions
to the city.[181] According to Wang Zhiyun of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
in 2010 there were 2.2 million Buddhists in the city, equal to 11.2% of the total
population.[182] According to the Chinese General Social Survey of 2009, Christians
constitute 0.78% of the city's population.[183] According to a 2010 survey, Muslims
constitute 1.76% of the population of Beijing.[184]
Chinese folk religion and Taoism[edit]
Beijing has many temples dedicated to folk religious and communal deities, many of
which are being reconstructed or refurbished in the 2000s and 2010s. Yearly sacrifices
to the God of Heaven (祭天; jìtiān) at the Temple of Heaven have been resumed
by Confucian groups in the 2010s.
There are temples dedicated to the worship of the Goddess (娘娘; Niángniáng) in the
city, one of them near the Olympic Village, and they revolve around a major cult center
at Mount Miaofeng. There are also many temples consecrated to the Dragon God, to
the Medicine Master (药王; Yàowáng), to Divus Guan (Guan Yu), to the Fire God (火
神; Huǒshén), to the Wealth God, temples of the City God, and at least one temple
consecrated to the Yellow Deity of the Chariot Shaft (轩辕黄帝; Xuānyuán Huángdì)
in Pinggu District. Many of these temples are governed by the Beijing Taoist
Association, such as the Fire God Temple of the Shicha Lake, while many others are
not and are governed by popular committees and locals. A great Temple of Xuanyuan
Huangdi will be built in Pinggu (possibly as an expansion of the already existing shrine)
within 2020, and the temple will feature a statue of the deity which will be amongst
the tallest in the world.[185][186]
The national Chinese Taoist Association and Chinese Taoist College have their
headquarters at the White Cloud Temple of Quanzhen Taoism, which was founded in
741 and rebuilt numerous times. The Beijing Dongyue Temple outside Chaoyangmen
is the largest temple of Zhengyi Taoism in the city. The local Beijing Taoist Association
has its headquarters at the Lüzu Temple near Fuxingmen.[187]
East Asian Buddhism[edit]

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The tomb pagodas at Tanzhe Temple

Yonghe Temple of Tibetan Buddhism

11% of the population of Beijing practices East Asian Buddhism. The Buddhist
Association of China, the state's supervisory organ overseeing all Buddhist institutions
in mainland China, is headquartered in the Guangji Temple, a temple founded over
800 years ago during the Jin dynasty (1115–1234) in what is now Fuchengmennei (阜
成门内). The Beijing Buddhist Association along with the Buddhist Choir and Orchestra
are based in the Guanghua Temple, which dates to the Yuan dynasty over 700 years
ago. The Buddhist Academy of China and its library are housed in the Fayuan
Temple near Caishikou. The Fayuan Temple, which dates to the Tang dynasty 1300
years ago, is the oldest temple in urban Beijing. The Tongjiao
Temple inside Dongzhimen is the city's only Buddhist nunnery.
The Xihuang Temple originally dates to the Liao dynasty. In 1651, the temple was
commissioned by the Qing Emperor Shunzhi to host the visit of the Fifth Dalai Lama to
Beijing. Since then, this temple has hosted the 13th Dalai Lama as well as
the Sixth, Ninth and Tenth Panchen Lamas. The largest Tibetan Buddhist Temple in
Beijing is the Yonghe Temple, which was decreed by the Qing Emperor Qianlong in
1744 to serve as the residence and research facility for his Buddhist preceptor
of Rölpé Dorjé the third Changkya (or living Buddha of Inner Mongolia). The Yonghe
Temple is so-named because it was the childhood residence of the Yongzheng
Emperor, and retains the glazed tiles reserved for imperial palaces.
The Lingguang Temple of Badachu in the Western Hills also dates to the Tang
dynasty. The temple's Zhaoxian Pagoda (招仙塔) was first built in 1071 during the Liao
dynasty to hold a tooth relic of the Buddha. The pagoda was destroyed during
the Boxer Rebellion and the tooth was discovered from its foundation. A new pagoda
was built in 1964. The six aforementioned temples: Guangji, Guanghua, Tongjiao,
Xihuang, Yonghe and Lingguang have been designated National Key Buddhist
Temples in Han Chinese Area.
In addition, other notable temples in Beijing include the Tanzhe Temple (founded in
the Jin dynasty (266–420) is the oldest in the municipality), the Tianning
Temple (oldest pagoda in the city), the Miaoying Temple (famed for Yuan-era white
pagoda), the Wanshou Temple (home to the Beijing Art Museum) and the Big Bell
Temple (Dazhong Temple).
Islam[edit]

Niujie Mosque
Beijing has about 70 mosques recognized by the Islamic Association of China, whose
headquarters are located next to the Niujie Mosque, the oldest mosque in the
city.[188][189] The Niujie Mosque was founded in 996 during the Liao dynasty and is
frequently visited by Muslim dignitaries. The Chinese Muslim community reportedly
celebrated Ramadan and made Eid prayers at the mosque on 2021.[190][191]
The largest mosque[192] in Beijing is ChangYing mosque, located in ChaoYang district,
with an area of 8,400 square meters.
Other notable mosques in the old city include the Dongsi Mosque, founded in 1346;
the Huashi Mosque, founded in 1415; Nan Douya Mosque, near Chaoyangmen;
Jinshifang Street Mosque, in Xicheng District; and the Dongzhimen Mosque. [193] There
are large mosques in outlying Muslim communities in Haidian, Madian, Tongzhou,
Changping, Changying, Shijingshan and Miyun. The China Islamic Institute is located
in the Niujie neighborhood in Xicheng District.
Christianity[edit]

Church of the Saviour, also known as the Xishiku Church, built in 1703
Catholicism[edit]
In 1289, John of Montecorvino came to Beijing as a Franciscan missionary with the
order from the Pope. After meeting and receiving the support of Kublai Khan in 1293,
he built the first Catholic church in Beijing in 1305. The Chinese Patriotic Catholic
Association (CPCA), based in Houhai is the government oversight body for Catholics
in mainland China. Notable Catholic churches in Beijing include:
 the Nantang or Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception also known as the
Xuanwumen Church, which was founded in 1605 and whose current
archbishop, Joseph Li Shan, is one of the few bishops in China to have the
support of both the Vatican and the CPCA.
 the Dongtang or St. Joseph's Church, better known as the Wangfujing Church,
founded in 1653.
 the Beitang or Church of the Saviour, also known as the Xishiku Church,
founded in 1703.
 the Xitang or Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel also known as the Xizhimen
Church, founded in 1723.
The National Seminary of Catholic Church in China is located in Daxing District.
Protestantism[edit]
The earliest Protestant churches in Beijing were founded by British and American
missionaries in the second half of the 19th century. Protestant missionaries also
opened schools, universities and hospitals which have become important civic
institutions. Most of Beijing's Protestant churches were destroyed during the Boxer
Rebellion and afterwards rebuilt. In 1958, the 64 Protestant churches in the city are
reorganized into four and overseen by the state through the Three-Self Patriotic
Movement.
Eastern Orthodox[edit]
There was a significant amount of Orthodox Christians in Beijing. Orthodox has come
to Beijing along with Russian prisoners from Albazino conflicts in the 17th
century.[194] In 1956, Viktor, the bishop of Beijing returned to the Soviet Union, and the
Soviet embassy took over the old cathedral and demolished it. In 2007, the Russian
embassy built a new church in its garden to serve the Russian Orthodox Christians in
Beijing.
Media[edit]
Television and radio[edit]

The China Central Television Headquarters building

Beijing Television broadcasts on channels 1 through 10, and China Central Television,
China's largest television network, maintains its headquarters in Beijing. Three radio
stations feature programmes in English: Hit FM on FM 88.7, Easy FM by China Radio
International on FM 91.5, and the newly launched Radio 774 on AM 774. Beijing Radio
Stations is the family of radio stations serving the city.
Press[edit]
The well-known Beijing Evening News, covering news about Beijing in Chinese, is
distributed every afternoon. Other newspapers include Beijing Daily, The Beijing
News, the Beijing Star Daily, the Beijing Morning News, and the Beijing Youth Daily,
as well as English-language weeklies Beijing Weekend and Beijing Today.
The People's Daily, Global Times and the China Daily (English) are published in
Beijing as well.
Publications primarily aimed at international visitors and the expatriate community
include the English-language periodicals Time Out Beijing, City Weekend, Beijing This
Month, Beijing Talk, That's Beijing, and The Beijinger.
Sports[edit]
Events[edit]

Fireworks above Olympic venues during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer
Olympics

Tai chi (Taijiquan) practitioners at the Fragrant Hills Park

Beijing Workers' Stadium at night as viewed from Sanlitun

Beijing has hosted numerous international and national sporting events, the most
notable was the 2008 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Other multi-
sport international events held in Beijing include the 2001 Universiade and
the 1990 Asian Games. Single-sport international competitions include the Beijing
Marathon (annually since 1981), China Open of Tennis (1993–97, annually since
2004), ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Cup of
China (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010), WPBSA China Open for
Snooker (annually since 2005), Union Cycliste Internationale Tour of
Beijing (since 2011), 1961 World Table Tennis Championships, 1987 IBF Badminton
World Championships, the 2004 AFC Asian Cup (football), and 2009 Barclays Asia
Trophy (football). Beijing hosted the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Athletics.
Beijing's LeSports Center is one of the main venues for the 2019 FIBA Basketball
World Cup.[195]
The city hosted the second Chinese National Games in 1914 and the first four National
Games of China in 1959, 1965, 1975, 1979, respectively, and co-hosted the 1993
National Games with Sichuan and Qingdao. Beijing also hosted the inaugural National
Peasants' Games in 1988 and the sixth National Minority Games in 1999.
In November 2013, Beijing made a bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.[34] On 31
July 2015, the International Olympic Committee awarded the 2022 Winter Olympics to
the city becoming the first ever to host both Summer and Winter Olympics also for
the 2022 Winter Paralympics becoming the first ever to host both Summer and Winter
Paralympics.[35]
Venues[edit]
Major sporting venues in the city include the National Stadium, also known as the
"Birds' Nest",[196][197] National Aquatics Center, also known as the "Water
Cube", National Indoor Stadium, all in the Olympic Green to the north of downtown;
the MasterCard Center at Wukesong west of downtown; the Workers'
Stadium and Workers' Arena in Sanlitun just east of downtown and the Capital
Arena in Baishiqiao, northeast of downtown. In addition, many universities in the city
have their own sport facilities.
Clubs[edit]
Professional sports teams based in Beijing include:
 China Baseball League
o Beijing Tigers
 Chinese Basketball Association
o Beijing Ducks
o Beijing Royal Fighters
 Women's Chinese Basketball Association
o Beijing Shougang
 Kontinental Hockey League
o HC Kunlun Red Star
 Chinese Super League
o Beijing Guoan
  China League One
o Beijing BSU
 China League Two
o Beijing BIT
 Chinese Women's National League
o Beijing BG Phoenix
The Beijing Olympians of the American Basketball Association, formerly a Chinese
Basketball Association team, kept their name and maintained a roster of primarily
Chinese players after moving to Maywood, California in 2005.
China Bandy Federation is based in Beijing, one of several cities in which the potential
for bandy development is explored.[198]
Transportation[edit]
Main article: Transport in Beijing

Beijing railway station, one of several rail stations in the city

Beijing is an important transport hub in North China with six ring roads, 1167 km (725
miles) of expressways,[199] 15 National Highways, nine conventional railways, and six
high-speed railways converging on the city.
Rail and high-speed rail[edit]
Beijing serves as a large rail hub in China's railway network. Ten conventional rail lines
radiate from the city to: Shanghai (Jinghu Line), Guangzhou (Jingguang
Line), Kowloon (Jingjiu Line), Harbin (Jingha Line) (including Qinhuangdao (Jingqin
Line)), Baotou (Jingbao Line), Chengde (Jingcheng Line), Tongliao, Inner Mongolia
(Jingtong Line), Yuanping, Shanxi (Jingyuan Line) and Shacheng, Hebei (Fengsha
Line). In addition, the Datong–Qinhuangdao Railway passes through the municipality
to the north of the city.
Beijing also has six high-speed rail lines: the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway, which
opened in 2008; the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, which opened in 2011;
the Beijing–Guangzhou High-Speed Railway, which opened in 2012; and the Beijing–
Xiong'an intercity railway and the Beijing–Zhangjiakou intercity railway, both of which
opened in 2019. The Beijing–Shenyang high-speed railway was completed in 2021.
The city's main railway stations are the Beijing railway station, which opened in 1959;
the Beijing West railway station, which opened in 1996; and the Beijing South railway
station, which was rebuilt into the city's high-speed railway station in 2008; The Beijing
North railway station, was first built in 1905 and expanded in 2009; The Qinghe railway
station, was first built in 1905 and expanded in 2019;The Beijing Chaoyang railway
station opened in 2021;The Fengtai railway station is under renovation; and
the Beijing Sub-Center railway station is under construction.
Smaller stations in the city including Beijing East railway station and Daxing Airport
station handle mainly commuter passenger traffic. In outlying suburbs and counties of
Beijing, there are over 40 railway stations.[200]
From Beijing, direct passenger train service is available to most large cities in China.
International train service is available to Mongolia, Russia, Vietnam and North Korea.
Passenger trains in China are numbered according to their direction in relation to
Beijing.
Roads and expressways[edit]
Further information: Expressways of Beijing and China National Highways of Beijing

Badaling Expressway overpass near the Great Wall

Typical Beijing traffic signage found at intersections

Beijing is connected by road links to all parts of China as part of the National Trunk
Road Network. Many expressways of China serve Beijing, as do 15 China National
Highways. Beijing's urban transport is dependent upon the "ring roads" that
concentrically surround the city, with the Forbidden City area marked as the
geographical center for the ring roads. The ring roads appear more rectangular than
ring-shaped. There is no official "1st Ring Road". The 2nd Ring Road is located in the
inner city. Ring roads tend to resemble expressways progressively as they extend
outwards, with the 5th and 6th Ring Roads being full-standard national expressways,
linked to other roads only by interchanges. Expressways to other regions of China are
generally accessible from the 3rd Ring Road outward. A final outer orbital, the Capital
Area Loop Expressway (G95), was fully opened in 2018 and will extend into
neighboring Tianjin and Hebei.
Within the urban core, city streets generally follow the checkerboard pattern of the
ancient capital. Many of Beijing's boulevards and streets with "inner" and "outer" are
still named in relation to gates in the city wall, though most gates no longer stand.
Traffic jams are a major concern. Even outside of rush hour, several roads still remain
clogged with traffic.

Traffic jam in the Beijing CBD

Beijing's urban design layout further exacerbates transportation problems. [201] The
authorities have introduced several bus lanes, which only public buses can use during
rush hour. In the beginning of 2010, Beijing had 4 million registered
automobiles.[202] By the end of 2010, the government forecast 5 million. In 2010, new
car registrations in Beijing averaged 15,500 per week.[203]
Towards the end of 2010, the city government announced a series of drastic measures
to tackle traffic jams, including limiting the number of new license plates issued to
passenger cars to 20,000 a month and barring cars with non-Beijing plates from
entering areas within the Fifth Ring Road during rush hour. [204] More restrictive
measures are also reserved during major events or heavily polluted weather.
Road signs began to be standardized with both Chinese and English names displayed,
with location names using pinyin, in 2008.[205]
Air[edit]

Terminal 3 of the Beijing Capital International Airport

Beijing Capital International Airport[edit]
Beijing has two of the world's largest airports. The Beijing Capital International
Airport (IATA: PEK) located 32 kilometres (20 mi) northeast of the city center
in Chaoyang District bordering Shunyi District, is the second busiest airport in the
world after Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.[20] Capital Airport's
Terminal 3, built during the expansion for the 2008 Olympics, is one of the largest in
the world. Capital Airport is the main hub for Air China and Hainan Airlines. The Airport
Expressway and Second Airport Expressway, connect to Capital Airport from the
northeast and east of the city center, respectively. Driving time from city center is about
40 minutes under normal traffic conditions. The Capital Airport Express line of Beijing
Subway and the Capital Airport Bus serves the Capital Airport.
Beijing Daxing International Airport[edit]

Beijing Daxing International Airport

The Beijing Daxing International Airport (IATA: PKX) located 46 kilometres (29 mi)
south of the city in Daxing District bordering the city of Langfang, Hebei Province,
opened on 25 September 2019.[206][207][208] The Daxing Airport has one of the world's
largest terminal buildings and is expected to be a major airport serving Beijing, Tianjin
and northern Hebei Province. Daxing Airport is connected to the city via the Beijing–
Xiong'an intercity railway, the Daxing Airport Express line of the Beijing Subway and
two expressways.
Other airports[edit]
With the opening of the Daxing Airport in September 2019, the Beijing Nanyuan
Airport (IATA:NAY), located 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) south of center in Fengtai District,
has been closed to civilian airline service. Other airports in the city at Liangxiang,
Xijiao, Shahe and Badaling are primarily for military use.
Visa requirements for air passengers[edit]
As of 1 January 2013, tourists from 45 countries are permitted a 72-hour visa-free stay
in Beijing. The 45 countries include Singapore, Japan, the United States, Canada, all
EU and EEA countries (except Norway and Liechtenstein), Switzerland, Brazil,
Argentina and Australia. The programme benefits transit and business
travellers[209] with the 72 hours calculated starting from the moment visitors receive
their transit stay permits rather than the time of their plane's arrival. Foreign visitors
are not permitted to leave Beijing for other Chinese cities during the 72 hours.[210]
Public transit[edit]
Two Line 1 trains on the Beijing Subway, which is among the longest and busiest rapid
transit systems in the world

An articulated Beijing bus

The Beijing Subway, which began operating in 1969, now has 23 lines, 404 stations,
and 699.3 km (434.5 mi) of lines. It is the longest subway system in the world and first
in annual ridership with 3.66 billion rides delivered in 2016. In 2013, with a flat fare
of ¥2.00 (0.31 USD) per ride with unlimited transfers on all lines except the Airport
Express, the subway was also the most affordable rapid transit system in China. The
subway is undergoing rapid expansion and is expected to reach 30 lines, 450 stations,
1,050 kilometres (650 mi) in length by 2022. When fully implemented, 95% of residents
inside the Fourth Ring Road will be able to walk to a station in 15
minutes.[211] The Beijing Suburban Railway provides commuter rail service to outlying
suburbs of the municipality.
On 28 December 2014, the Beijing Subway switched to a distance-based fare system
from a fixed fare for all lines except the Airport Express.[212] Under the new system a
trip under 6 km (3+1⁄2 mi) will cost ¥3.00(US$0.49), an additional ¥1.00 will be added
for the next 6 km (3+1⁄2 mi) and the next 10 km (6 mi) until the distance for the trip
reaches 32 km (20 mi).[212] For every 20 kilometres (12 miles) after the original 32
kilometres (20 miles) an additional ¥1.00 is added.[212] For example, a 50-kilometre
(31-mile) trip would cost ¥ 8.00.
There are nearly 1,000 public bus and trolleybus lines in the city, including four bus
rapid transit lines. Standard bus fares are as low as ¥1.00 when purchased with
the Yikatong metrocard.
Taxi[edit]
Metered taxi in Beijing start at ¥13 for the first 3 kilometres (1.9 mi), ¥2.3 Renminbi per
additional 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) and ¥1 per ride fuel surcharge, not counting idling fees
which are ¥2.3 (¥4.6 during rush hours of 7–9 am and 5–7 pm) per 5 minutes of
standing or running at speeds lower than 12 kilometres per hour (7.5 mph). Most taxis
are Hyundai Elantras, Hyundai Sonatas, Peugeots, Citroëns and Volkswagen Jettas.
After 15 kilometres (9.3 mi), the base fare increases by 50% (but is only applied to the
portion over that distance). Different companies have special colours combinations
painted on their vehicles. Usually registered taxis have yellowish brown as basic hue,
with another color of Prussian blue, hunter green, white, umber, tyrian purple, rufous,
or sea green. Between 11 pm and 5 am, there is also a 20% fee increase. Rides over
15 km (9 mi) and between 23:00 and 06:00 incur both charges, for a total increase of
80%. Tolls during trip should be covered by customers and the costs of trips beyond
Beijing city limits should be negotiated with the driver. The cost of unregistered taxis
is also subject to negotiation with the driver.
Bicycles[edit]

Bicyclists during rush hour at the Chang'an Avenue, 2009

Beijing has long been well known for the number of bicycles on its streets. Although
the rise of motor traffic has created a great deal of congestion and bicycle use has
declined, bicycles are still an important form of local transportation. Many cyclists can
be seen on most roads in the city, and most of the main roads have dedicated bicycle
lanes. Beijing is relatively flat, which makes cycling convenient. The rise of electric
bicycles and electric scooters, which have similar speeds and use the same cycle
lanes, may have brought about a revival in bicycle-speed two-wheeled transport. It is
possible to cycle to most parts of the city. Because of the growing traffic congestion,
the authorities have indicated more than once that they wish to encourage cycling, but
it is not clear whether there is sufficient will to translate that into action on a significant
scale.[213] On Mar 30, 2019, a 6.5 km (4 mile) bicycle-dedicated lane was opened,
easing the traffic congestion between Huilongguan and Shangdi where there are
many high-tech companies.[214] Cycling has seen a resurgence in popularity spurred
by the emergence of a large number of dockless app based bikeshares such
as Mobike, Bluegogo and Ofo since 2016.[215]
Defense and aerospace[edit]
KJ-2000 and J-10s started the flypast formation on the 70th anniversary of the
People's Republic of China.
The command headquarters of China's military forces are based in Beijing.
The Central Military Commission, the political organ in charge of the military, is housed
inside the Ministry of National Defense, located next to the Military Museum of the
Chinese People's Revolution in western Beijing. The Second Artillery Corps, which
controls the country's strategic missile and nuclear weapons, has its command
in Qinghe, Haidian District. The headquarters of the Central Theater Command, one
of five nationally, is based further west in Gaojing. The CTR oversees the Beijing
Capital Garrison as well as the 27th, 38th and 65th Armies, which are based in Hebei.
Military institutions in Beijing also include academies and thinktanks such as the PLA
National Defence University and Academy of Military Science, military hospitals such
as the 301, 307 and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, and army-affiliated
cultural entities such as 1 August Film Studios and the PLA Song and Dance Troupe.
The China National Space Administration, which oversees country's space program,
and several space-related state owned companies such as CASTC and CASIC are all
based in Beijing. The Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center, in Haidian
District tracks the country's manned and unmanned flight and other space exploration
initiatives.
Nature and wildlife[edit]
Beijing Municipality has 20 nature reserves that have a total area of
1,339.7 km2 (517.3 sq mi).[216] The mountains to the west and north of the city are
home to a number of protected wildlife species including leopard, leopard
cat, wolf, red fox, wild boar, masked palm civet, raccoon dog, hog badger, Siberian
weasel, Amur hedgehog, roe deer, and mandarin rat snake.[217][218][219] The Beijing
Aquatic Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center protects the Chinese giant
salamander, Amur stickleback and mandarin duck on the Huaijiu and Huaisha Rivers
in Huairou District.[220] The Beijing Milu Park south of the city is home to one of the
largest herds of Père David's deer, now extinct in the wild. The Beijing barbastelle, a
species of vesper bat discovered in caves of Fangshan District in 2001 and identified
as a distinct species in 2007, is endemic to Beijing. The mountains of Fangshan are
also habitat for the more common Beijing mouse-eared bat, large myotis, greater
horseshoe bat and Rickett's big-footed bat.[221]
Each year, Beijing hosts 200–300 species of migratory birds including the common
crane, black-headed gull, swan, mallard, common cuckoo and the
endangered yellow-breasted bunting.[222][223] In May 2016, Common cuckoos nesting
in the wetlands of Cuihu (Haidian), Hanshiqiao (Shunyi), Yeyahu (Yanqing) were
tagged and have been traced to far as India, Kenya and Mozambique.[224][225] In the
fall of 2016, the Beijing Forest Police undertook a month-long campaign to crack down
on illegal hunting and trapping of migratory birds for sale in local bird markets. [223] Over
1,000 rescued birds of protected species including streptopelia, Eurasian
siskin, crested myna, coal tit and great tit were handed to the Beijing Wildlife
Protection and Rescue Center for repatriation to the wild.[223][226]
The city flowers are the Chinese rose and chrysanthemum.[227] The city trees are
the Chinese arborvitae, an evergreen in the cypress family and the pagoda tree, also
called the Chinese scholar tree, a deciduous tree of the family Fabaceae.[227] The
oldest scholar tree in the city was planted in what is now Beihai Park during the Tang
dynasty,.[228]
International relations[edit]
The capital is the home of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a multilateral
development bank that aims to improve economic and social outcomes in Asia[229] and
the Silk Road Fund, an investment fund of the Chinese government to foster increased
investment and provide financial supports in countries along the One Belt, One
Road.[230] Beijing is also home to the headquarters of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO),[231] making it an important city for international diplomacy.