Beijing

The modern capital of China. More than 2,000 years ago, a site just outside present-day Peking was already an important military and trading center for the northeastern frontier of China. The Shang civilization reached this area in the early part of their dynasty and a grave of c 14th century BC at Pinggu Liujiacun contained bronze ritual vessels and a bronze ax with a blade of forged meteoritic iron. There have been many early Zhou finds, notably at the cemetery site of Fangshan Liulihe. In 1267, during the Yüan (Mongol) dynasty (1206-1368), a new city built on the site (called Ta-tu) which became the administrative capital of China. During the reigns of the first two emperors of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Nanking was the capital, and the old Mongol capital was renamed Pei-p'ing ("Northern Peace"); the third Ming emperor however restored it as the Imperial seat of the dynasty and gave it a new name Peking ("Northern Capital"). Peking has remained the capital of China except for a brief period (1928-49) when the Nationalist government again made Nanking the capital (then to Chungking during World War II).

[Pei-ching, Peking], Present-day capital of China, The Shang civilization reached this area in the early part of the dynasty; a grave of about the 14th century bc at Pinggu Liujiahe contained bronze ritual vessels and a bronze axe with a blade of forged meteoritic iron. Many early Zhou finds have been made in the city, notably at the cemetery site of Fangshan Liulihe. These are connected with the Yan fief, whose capital may have been at Beijing (the old literary name of the city is Yanjing, ’the Yan capital’). In later times the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties had capitals at Beijing, which apart from short interruptions has been the capital of China since the 13th century ad.