Beijing is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Economic growth, the development of industry and production make China one of the leaders in the international political arena. The cultural heritage of the country has always been considered a world heritage: the most ancient Chinese civilization left behind unique objects, palaces, and teachings. The focus and indicator of the well-being and modernity of China today is Beijing. The population of the city is growing at a tremendous pace, millions of tourists from around the world come here.
Occurrence
The first settlements on the territory of the current city appeared before the advent of our era. In that era, which was also called the era of the Warring States, the ancient kingdom of Yan was located on these lands. Since then, various dynasties have used the city to overthrow the enemy, but Beijing’s coordinates have not changed. In the X century, the city was given to the Liao dynasty, which made it the second capital, giving it the name Nanjing (translated from Chinese as "southern capital"). In the XI century, another dynasty, Jin, having seized sole power, settled in the city, calling it Zhongdu.
Beijing captured by the Mongols
In the XIII century, Mongol troops invaded China, led by colleagues of Genghis Khan. They burned down the settlement, and after almost 40 years they built a new city here - their own capital, which they named Dada. The next dynasty that reigned in the city was the legendary Ming Dynasty. The classic name "Beijing" belongs to the third ruler of Yongle, also the city was called Jingshi - the capital. It was the Ming dynasty that laid the modern features of the settlement, erected the city wall, which for a long time served as a fortress. During its reign, when the population flourished, Beijing (the capital) was the largest city in the world, the Forbidden City was founded, and the Temple of Heaven was erected. These monuments of unique Chinese culture remain symbols of the country for almost 600 years.
Beijing remained the capital of the Middle Kingdom until 1928. In that era, the country was going through hard times and actually split into separate provinces subordinated to the commander in chief. After the victory of the conservative Kuomintang party, the capital was moved to the city of Nanjing, and Beijing, the main city of the military government, was renamed Beiping. He returned his former status during the Japanese occupation in 1937.
Other names of Beijing
It is typical for Asian states that the status of a city is present in the name of a city. The generally accepted pronunciation of Beijing is not in accordance with traditional Chinese. They call the village differently. Classical among the Chinese Chinese will be the pronunciation of this word as "Beijing." That is why it is often possible to meet the international spelling of the name of the city - Beijing. Many Western countries adhere to the classical spelling, while in Russia, the Netherlands and a number of other countries the old name is preserved - the city of Beijing.
In addition, when the capital was transferred to Nanjing, China, the city was renamed Beiping. Beijing has another historical name, rooted in its origin, associated with the ancient kingdom of Yan - Yanjing.
The geographical location of Beijing
The city of Beijing is located 150 kilometers from the Yellow Sea. From the west and north it is surrounded by mountains, which serve as a separation between the plain and the Gobi desert. In the summer months, fogs and smog are regularly observed in the city, which appear due to the geographical location - warm sea monsoons do not allow polluted air to rise high enough to overcome mountains and leave the city.
Summer here is relatively hot for the tropical region, but the air contains a high concentration of moisture. Such conditions can become difficult for an unprepared body. Winters in Beijing often occur without snow, since most rainfall here falls in late summer. The coordinates of Beijing in decimal degrees are as follows: latitude 39.9075, longitude 116.39723.
Population: Beijing and its environs
According to the most recent data, the population of Beijing is more than 20 million people. Of these, only slightly more than half of the residents have permanent registration in the city. The rest of the population are people who came to the capital from the provinces in search of work. About 7 million people live within the city itself.
In China, there is a very strong lag in the economic development of the provinces from large cities. The population of most regions is engaged in agricultural activities, the process of urbanization is in its infancy. Such a huge gap between them and the prosperous cities - Beijing, Shanghai and others - causes a significant influx of people from the hinterland to overpopulated cities. Beijing is known for many living illegally there, content with low-paying jobs and existence in slums.
National composition of the city
China is a fairly closed country, and therefore the vast majority of its inhabitants are ethnic Chinese, also called Han. Beijing demonstrates the same thing: the ethnic capital consists of 95% of the Han. However, in the city you can also meet representatives of other nationalities, but, above all, the Asian race. Among them are the Manchus, Heyts, Mongols - the history of China is inextricably linked with these countries. A special school has been organized for Tibetan children in Beijing.
There is another social feature by which to classify the population. Beijing is extremely attractive for visitors, because of the incredible development of the economy, a huge number of foreigners flock here. Students, businessmen, sales representatives - they settle among ordinary Chinese in business districts, adopt their traditions, speak Chinese.
Another group is the citizens of South Korea. Already today they are the largest diaspora living in the whole of China.
Languages of the city
In the territory of modern China, 292 living languages are registered, and another one that no one else speaks. Linguists have 9 language families, among which you can find Altai, Austro-Asian, Thai-Kadai and others.
Despite this, the population speaks traditional Chinese. Beijing, like all other cities, prefers the official language - Putonghua. He is closer and dearer to the inhabitants. Multinational Beijing, whose language is based on the Mandarin dialect, also speaks Mongolian, Tibetan, Zhuang.
Other densely populated cities in China
Beijing is only the third in the list of cities in China in terms of population. The most densely populated Chinese city is Chongqing - 29 million people live in it and its environs, and most of the residents are outside the urbanization zone, that is, it is a rural population.
The next city in terms of population ahead of Beijing is Shanghai. About 23 million people live in the country's largest financial and cultural center. Both of these cities, like Beijing, were founded before our era, survived attacks and destruction, rebuilt anew and did not immediately acquire a modern look. Today, the largest cities in China are in no way inferior in beauty and fundamental to the main world capitals. Tall skyscrapers rest against the sky, world trade centers and business districts never stop working for a minute. Today, China's economy is one of the most developed in the world.