Beijing is China's capital city and sports an impressive array of delicious foods and snacks. It is an ancient city with many different sites and special attractions for foreigners and locals alike.
History of Beijing
Human beings have existed in the Beijing-area for over 200,000 years. Beijing itself was built by the Mongols in 1264 after destroying the city of Zhongdu that had existed there before. The Mongol-dominated Yuan Dynasty used the city, at the time called Dadu, as its capital.
The Ming Dynasty moved the country’s capital to Nanjing in Zhejiang province. However, early in the dynasty the capital was moved back to Beijing. During the 15th century the old city walls were constructed, which lasted until modern times. The city remained the capital of China throughout the Ming and Qing years.
Nanjing was the capital of the Republic of China but after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Beijing was again renamed capital of China.
Eating in Beijing
Beijing has developed its own special cuisine, distinct from other parts of China. The most famous Beijing dish is Beijing duck (or Peking duck). Roasted duck meat and skin are separated and placed into small steamed pancakes and mixed with onions, cucumbers and hoisin sauce.
Other delicious Beijing foods include aiwowos, a streamed rice cake with sweet filling and jellied bean curd (doufunao).
The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is sits in the geographical center of Beijing. Known as the gugong in Chinese, the Forbidden City was divided into two main sections. The outer areas were used for rituals and receiving the emperor’s guests.
The inner area was the home of the emperor, his family and his concubines. The only males besides the emperor’s own relatives allowed into this area were court eunuchs – men that had had their testicles removed. This ensured that they would not impregnate the emperor’s wives or concubines and the imperial lineage would remain pure.
The Forbidden City is easily accessible. Subway Line 1 has two stops dedicated to it – Tiananmen West and Tiananmen East. Both are within easy walking distance of the Forbidden City.
The Great Wall of China
The first Great Wall was built over 2000 years ago in central China. The part of the Great Wall near Beijing is actually relatively recent; it was not constructed until the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD – 1644 AD).
The Great Wall was originally built to defend against nomadic peoples of the Central Asian steppe – such as the Xiongu, Mongols and Manchus. It was built up over many hundreds of years. After the Qing Dynasty came to power in 1644 it began to fall into disrepair. Recently efforts have been underway to preserve the wall as a historical relic.
The Great Wall near Beijing is often considered the most impressive to visit because it has been restored. The site of the wall dipping up and down along the hills outside of Beijing is breathtaking. It is also relatively accessible from the city center. Ask any hotel and hostel about trips or bus routes to the wall.
Remember that there are various different sections of the wall and each has its own benefits and drawbacks; make sure you find out what part you’re going to.
