The Forbidden City. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Beijing is the capital of China and one of the most populous cities in the world. Beijing has been the political center of the country for much of the past eight centuries. Beijing had numerous names in the history. During the Warring States Period, it was called Ji and was changed as Yanjing in the Liao Dynasty (916-1125). The Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) made Beijing their capital, called Zhongdu. During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Kublai Khan set up a new capital on the ruins of Jin and named it Dadu. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Beijing was the political and economic center of the country. It is home to opulent palaces, temples, parks, tombs, walls and gates. The Palace Museum is the world’s largest and the most complete ancient wooden-structure building complex.

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