As a celebrated international tourist center, the land of Beijing is beautified by green trees and many well-manicured lawns, and strewn with former imperial palaces, old mansions, religious shrines, rapidly-vanishing hutongs that epitomize classical Chinese architecture and modern structures. Beijing's folklore holds forth the fascination of old-time peculiarities. A rich heritage in culture and art brought to life by burgeoning urban development has made Beijing the dream place for travelers from around the world.
As a world-renowned ancient cultural city, Beijing was home to Peking Man about 500,000 years ago. Its history as a city goes back to 1045 BC. For a span of 800 years, Beijing was the capital of China, to be specific, the provisional capital of Liao (907-1125) and capital for Jin (1115-1234), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911).



Although it was used as the capital by one warlord or another, the modern history of Beijing as a capital begins in the Yuan dynasty with Kublai Khan, grandson of Ghengis Khan. It is here that Marco Polo made his base as he visited and travelled with the Khan. He spent over 20 years as a guest of the Khan before returning to Europe with his vivid descriptions of the great civilization to the east. Most of what we see today in Beijing was built during the Ming dynasty.



It is a city built to inspire, to awe the populace with the power of the emperor. Built for the rites and ceremonies performed to maintain the Mandate of Heaven as well as for defense, it achieves grace through power and size rather than through ornament and variety.

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