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Beijing means "northern capital", in line with the common East Asian tradition whereby capital cities are explicitly named as such. Other examples include Nanjing, China "southern capital" and Tokyo, Japan meaning "eastern capital". Beijing is China's second largest city, after Shanghai and capital of the People's Republic of China. Beijing is recognised as the political, educational, and cultural center of China, while Shanghai and Hong Kong predominate in economic fields.
A capital city has existed here as far back as the tenth century. A turbulent history saw Mongol forces burn it to the ground, and in preparation for the conquest of all of China, Kublai Khan rebuilt and made Beijing his capital in 1272. The city palaces were again razed to the ground with the founding of the Ming Dynasty. In 1403, the third Ming emperor renamed the city to its current name of Beijing, and designated Beijing to be the co-capital alongside the (then) current capital of Nanjing.
Construction of the elaborate Forbidden City lasted nearly 15 years and when the palace was finished, the Emperor ceremoniously took up residence in 1421, making Beijing the "official" capital of the Ming Dynasty. Thirteen of the sixteen Ming Emperors are buried in elaborate tombs near Beijing. The begining of the Qing came in 1644, the final dynasty was established as a direct successor to the Ming, and Beijing remained China's capital. The Qing Emperors made some modifications to the Imperial residence, but in large part, the Ming buildings and the general layout remained unchanged.
At the end of the Qing period, the Boxer Rebellion, Republican era and Japanese rule all breifly menaced Beijing. During the Chinese Civil War, Communist forces entered the capital without a fight and on 1 October 1949, the Communist Party of China announced in Tiananmen the creation of the People's Republic of China.
Few cities in the world besides Beijing have served as the political and cultural centre of an area as immense as China for so long. There is scarcely a major building of any age in Beijing that doesn't have at least some national historical significance. Beijing is renowned for its opulent palaces, temples, and huge stone walls and gates. Its art treasures and universities have long made the city a centre of culture and art in China.
The cities places of interest include; the enormous palace compound of the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square - the largest open-urban square in the world, the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven - both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city has several well-preserved neighborhoods of shiheyuan (courtyard houses) and hutong (alleys). There are also over a hundred museums in Beijing!
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