Cities > Beijing City
Overview
Chinese Name: 北京市English Name: Beijing City
Climate Conditions: Warm Temperate Semi-Humid and Semi-Arid Monsoon Climate
Airports: Beijing Capital International Airport, Beijing Daxing International Airport
Train Stations: Beijing Station, Beijing East Station, Beijing South Station, Beijing West Station, Beijing North Station, Beijing Chaoyang Station, Daxing Airport Station, Beijing Daxing Station, Qinghe Station, Beijing Urban Sub-Center Station, Beijing Fengtai Station
Background
Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China and a direct-controlled municipality, national center city, and a megacity. The terrain of Beijing is high in the northwest and lower in the southeast. It is surrounded by mountains to the west, north, and northeast, while the southeast consists of a plain gradually sloping down to the Bohai Sea. Major rivers flowing through the city include the Yongding River, Chaobai River, Grand Canal, and Juma River. Beijing's climate is characterized by a warm temperate semi-humid and semi-arid monsoon climate, with hot and rainy summers, cold and dry winters, and short springs and autumns.Climate
Beijing has a warm temperate semi-humid and semi-arid monsoon climate, with high temperatures and frequent rain in summer, and cold, dry winters, with short spring and autumn seasons. The frost-free period lasts for 180-200 days a year, with the western mountainous areas having a shorter duration. In 2007, the average annual rainfall was 483.9 mm, making it one of the areas with the highest rainfall in North China. The distribution of rainfall throughout the seasons is uneven, with 80% of annual precipitation concentrated in the summer months of June, July, and August, during which heavy rain occurs.The annual average solar radiation in Beijing ranges from 112 to 136 kilocalories per square centimeter. Two high-value areas are located in the Yanqing Basin and the northwestern region of Miyun to the eastern part of Huairou, both of which receive annual radiation levels exceeding 135 kilocalories per square centimeter; the low-value area is near the Xianyun Ridge in Fangshan District, with an annual radiation level of 112 kilocalories per square centimeter. The annual average sunshine hours in Beijing range from 2000 to 2800 hours. The maximum is found in Yanqing District and Gubeikou, exceeding 2800 hours, while the minimum is in Xianyun Ridge at 2063 hours. During the summer rainy season, sunshine hours decrease, averaging around 230 hours per month; autumn has slightly fewer sunshine hours than spring, around 230-245 hours per month, while winter has the least, with monthly sunlight being less than 200 hours, generally ranging from 170 to 190 hours.
Local Specialties in Beijing
Jingtai Lan
Jingtai Lan (Jingtai Blue), referred to as "enamel," also known as "copper base cloisonné," is Beijing’s most famous traditional handicraft. It is made through various processes such as creating the base, cloisonné, welding, dotting blue, firing, polishing, and gilding. Its varieties include vases, bowls, plates, smoking accessories, table lamps, stationery, trophies, and more. In the 30th year of the Guangxu era (1904), it won first place at the Chicago International Exposition.Beijing Ivory Carving
Building upon traditional techniques, Beijing ivory carving incorporates various techniques such as relief carving, hollow carving, and integrates other forms of ancient art including painting, stone carving, and clay sculpture, gradually forming a distinctive style known for its graceful figures, floral patterns, and exquisite craftsmanship.Beijing Lacquerware
Beijing lacquerware primarily includes two types: one is carved lacquer, made with copper and lined with enamel, gilded on the edges, and coated with multicolored lacquers (red, green, yellow, etc.), which are carved once the lacquer dries. The other is gold lacquer inlays, which include color lacquer with gold outlines, fine inlays, gold and silver flat applications, along with carved gray and polished lacquer painting, etc. The variety of Beijing lacquerware is rich, including large decorative furniture and small practical items like bowls and plates.Beijing Woodblock Printing
Beijing woodblock printing originates from ancient Chinese carved printing and is a purely handmade technique involving basic processes such as inking (separating the plates), carving (making the plates), and printing, along with specialized skills like carving, cutting, dusting, and tracing. Basic tools include brushes, knives, and traditional Chinese painting pigments combined with water. The famous Rongbaozhai is representative of Beijing woodblock printing.Beijing Jade Carving
Beijing jade carving inherits and enhances imperial jade carving techniques, primarily featuring large pieces and ornaments. Various items include vessels, figures, flowers, birds, landscapes, jewelry, etc. The crafting process is meticulous and adapts to different materials, particularly showcasing the beauty of colorful agate, exuding courtly artistry and royal charm. In 2008, it was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list.
Peking Duck
Peking Duck is made from ducks raised in suburban Beijing. The ducks are first plucked and cleaned, while air is pumped between the skin and meat to separate them. A maltose syrup is then applied to the skin, which is left to dry. This process gives the duck a deep red color. The cooking method involves pouring boiling water into the duck before roasting it in a furnace fueled by fruit wood (like jujube and pear), resulting in a uniquely aromatic flavor. Each duck takes about 40 minutes to roast, yielding a crispy exterior and tender interior, producing 100-120 slices of duck meat, each with skin and meat. The duck carcass is used to make sauce. Renowned Peking Duck restaurants include Quanjude and Bianyifang, known for their specific roasting techniques.Architectural Culture
Beijing has historically served as the capital for six dynasties and, throughout over 2000 years since the State of Yan, has constructed numerous palace buildings, making it the city with the largest number of imperial palaces, gardens, temples, and tombs in China.On December 19, 2021, the Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau announced the discovery of a bronze wine vessel in a Western Zhou tomb excavated in the Liuli River site in Fangshan District, Beijing. The vessel features inscriptions containing words like "Taibao," "Yong Yan," and "Yan Marquis Palace." Experts believe that the "Yong" character in the inscriptions refers to city construction, confirming that the Zhou king's prime minister personally visited the Liuli River site and constructed the capital there. This inscription provides textual evidence supporting over 3000 years of urban history in Beijing, holding unique value in the study of world urban history.
Royal Architecture
The Forbidden City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a national key cultural relic protection unit, a national 5A tourist attraction, and a base for patriotic education, located at the center of Beijing along the north-south axis. It was originally the palace for the Ming and Qing dynasties, built in the fourth year of the Yongle era (1406) and completed in the 18th year of Yongle (1420). A total of 24 emperors lived and governed here from the Ming to the Qing dynasties. The Forbidden City measures approximately 753 meters wide from east to west and 961 meters long from north to south, surrounded by a 10-meter-high city wall and a 52-meter-wide moat, with corner towers at each corner. It occupies over 720,000 square meters, comprising about 160,000 square meters of building area, with more than 90 courtyards and 980 buildings, totaling 8704 rooms, all constructed with brick and wood featuring yellow glazed tile roofs and blue-gray stone bases adorned with magnificent paintings. It is the largest and best-preserved ancient royal architectural complex in the world.The Temple of Heaven is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a national key cultural relic protection unit, and a national 5A tourist attraction, located in the Yungdingmen Inner District. It served as the altar for Ming and Qing emperors to pray for heavenly blessings, rain, and bountiful harvests, making it the largest, best-preserved, and most exquisite ancient sacrificial architectural group in the world. Constructed in the 18th year of the Yongle era (1420), it went through numerous renovations and expansions, culminating in a rigorous layout of two altars during the Qing Dynasty. The Temple of Heaven covers about 2.73 million square meters. Key structures include the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Circular Mound Altar, Imperial Vault of Heaven, and other historical sites like the Nine Dragon Cyprus, Seven Star Stones, Ganquan Well, and Lantern Viewing.
The Summer Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a national key cultural relic protection unit, and a national 5A tourist attraction, located along Yiheyuan Road in the Haidian District. It is the largest and best-preserved museum-like royal garden in China today, started in the 15th year of the Qianlong era (1750) and completed after 15 years. Originally named "Qingyi Garden," it served as the royal garden for the Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang, and Xianfeng Emperors. The Summer Palace was the most important site for late Qing rulers' political and diplomatic activities outside of the Forbidden City.
Traditional Residential Architecture
A Siheyuan (courtyard house) is a traditional northern residential layout comprising a central courtyard surrounded by the main house, side houses, and back houses. The Siheyuan originated from the courtyard-style residences of the Yuan Dynasty and is the primary residential architectural type in old Beijing.Central Axis Architecture
The central axis of Beijing refers to the axis of the city during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties and features a symmetrical city planning with the Imperial City at its center. This central axis runs approximately 7.8 kilometers from Yongdingmen in the south to the Bell and Drum Towers in the north. Key structures along this line include Yongdingmen, Qianmen Arrow Tower, Zhengyangmen, Zhonghua Gate, Tiananmen, Duanmen, Wumen, the Forbidden City, Shenwumen, Jingshan, Di'anmen, and the Drum and Bell Towers. Notable sites such as the Temple of Heaven, ancestral temples, and city gates (East and West Huamen, Andingmen, Deshengmen) are symmetrically distributed along the axis. Renowned Chinese architect Liang Sicheng stated that "the unique grand order of Beijing is established by this central axis." Some gates, like Yongdingmen, Zhonghuamen, and Di'anmen, were demolished after the founding of the People's Republic of China but later reconstructed.City Fortifications
The city walls of Beijing refer to the defensive structures from the last two dynasties, the Ming and Qing, composed of the Palace City, Imperial City, Inner City, and Outer City, encompassing walls, gates, watchtowers, parapets, and moats, which once formed the most complete ancient city defense system in China. The city gates of Beijing refer to all gates from the Ming and Qing dynasties, categorized into Palace City gates, Imperial City gates, Inner City gates, and Outer City gates, depending on their hierarchy and architectural specifications. The Ming and Qing dynasties had four gates, also referred to as six gates in total.Culinary Culture
Beijing has been listed by Forbes as the eighth-best food city in the world. The city's flavor snacks have a long history, diverse varieties, meticulous ingredients, and exquisite preparation, gaining a stellar reputation. The Qing dynasty poem "Dumen Bamboo Branch Lyrics" describes: “Three big coins sell good flowers, cut cakes accompanied by ghost feet bustling about, in the morning a bowl of sweet scum porridge, only to have tea soup and flour tea; cooled fruits, fried cakes, sweet ears, oven-baked cakes, and Aiwo Wo; forked fire buns just sold, hearing stiff flour calling for baobao; shao mai and wontons fill the plate, new additions—brittle powder good tangyuan.”Beijing Crispy Candy
Beijing Crispy Candy is one of China's three famous candies, especially celebrated for its shrimp-flavored crispy candy. The characteristics of red shrimp candy can be summarized as "crispy, crunchy, fragrant, and sweet." It utilizes a traditional exquisite crafting process with high-quality ingredients. Selection includes superior lychee brown sugar, high-concentration glucose syrup, and "two-eight sesame paste," which is cooked and folded multiple times. This candy has a thin and crispy shell with distinct layers of sweetness, is delicious and non-sticky, leaving no residue after eating.Fuling Cake
Fuling Cake originally served as a court food in the late Qing dynasty. The Fuling Cake, also known as Fuling Sandwich Cake, is a traditional nourishing pastry in Beijing, made from Fuling cream combined with fine white flour to create thin pancakes, stuffed with sweetened and evenly blended nuts mixed with honey and sugar, appearing as a full moon, thin as paper, white as snow, with a unique luscious flavor. Due to its nourishing properties and Empress Dowager Cixi's fondness for it, its value skyrocketed.Donkey Rolls
"Donkey Rolls" are long rolls filled with yellow millet and then rolled in crushed yellow soybean flour before eating, resembling a donkey rolling on the ground, hence the name. The ingredients include yellow millet flour, soybean flour, thick flour, sugar, sesame oil, osmanthus, colored threads, and melon seeds. The preparation involves making the dough, combining the fillings, and forming the roll. The finished "Donkey Rolls" are coated with soybean flour, appearing golden yellow and possessing a fragrant, sweet filling with a soft texture, making it a beloved traditional snack suitable for all ages.Pea Cake
Pea Cake is a refined version of the folk-style jujube coarse pea cake originating from the imperial kitchen of the Qing dynasty. Its crafting is elaborate, involving boiling green peas until soft, straining them into a paste, and adding sugar and osmanthus, which are then solidified and cut into two-inch square pieces, under half an inch thick, topped with a few slices of sweet cake. This dessert features an excellent combination of taste and texture, is fine and pure, melting in the mouth, and is considered a delicacy.
