About Beijing
History
Beijing – affectionately called Peking by diplomats, nostalgic journalists and
wistful academics – seems to have presided over China since time immemorial. In fact, Beijing
(Northern Capital) – positioned outside the central heartland of Chinese
civilisation – emerged as a cultural and political force that would shape the
destiny of China only
with the 13th-century Mongol occupation of China.
Located on a vast plain
that extends south as far as the distant Yellow River (Huáng Hé), Beijing benefits from
neither proximity to a major river nor the sea. Without its strategic location
on the edge of the North China Plain, it would hardly be
an ideal place to locate a major city, let alone a national capital.
The area southwest of Beijing was inhabited by
early humans some 500, 000 years ago. Ancient Chinese chronicles refer to a
state called Yōuzhōu (Secluded State) existing during the reign of the mythical
Yellow Emperor, one of nine states that existed at the time, although the
earliest recorded settlements in Chinese historical sources date from 1045 BC.
In later centuries, Beijing was successively
occupied by foreign forces, promoting its development as a major political
centre. Before the Mongol invasion, the city was established as an auxiliary
capital under the Khitan Liao and later as the capital under the Jurchen Jin,
when it underwent significant transformation into a key political and military
city. The city was enclosed within fortified walls for the first time, accessed
by eight gates.
In AD 1215 the great
Mongol warrior Genghis Khan and his formidable army razed Beijing, an event
that was paradoxically to mark Beijing’s transformation into a powerful
national capital; a status it enjoys to the present day, bar the first 53 years
of the Ming dynasty and 21 years of Nationalist rule in the 20th century.
The city came to be
called Dàdū (Great Capital), also assuming the Mongol name Khanbalik (the Khan’s town). By 1279 Kublai
Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, had made himself ruler of the largest empire
the world has ever known, with Dàdū its capital. Surrounded by a vast
rectangular wall punctured by three gates on each of its sides, the city was
centred on the Drum and Bell
Towers (located near to
their surviving Ming dynasty counterparts), its regular layout a paragon of
urban design.
After seizing Beijing, the first Ming emperor Hongwu (r 1368–98) renamed
the city Běipíng (Northern Peace) and established his capital in Nánjīng in
present-day Jiāngsū province to the south. It wasn’t until the reign of Emperor Yongle (r
1403–24) that the court moved back to Beijing.
Seeking to rid the city of all traces of ‘Yuán Qì’ (literally ‘breath of the
Yuan dynasty’), the Ming levelled the fabulous palaces of the Mongols along
with the Imperial
City, while preserving
much of the regular plan of the Mongol capital. The Ming was the only pure
Chinese dynasty to rule from Beijing
(bar today’s government).
During Ming rule, the
huge city walls were repaired and redesigned. Yongle is credited with being the
true architect of the modern city, and much of Beijing’s
hallmark architecture, such as the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven,
date from his reign. The countenance of Ming dynasty Beijing was flat and
low-lying – a feature that would remain until the 20th century – as law forbade
the construction of any building higher than the Forbidden City’s Hall of
Supreme Harmony. The basic grid of present-day Beijing had been laid and the city had
adopted a guise that would survive until today.
The Manchus, who invaded China in the 17th century and established the Qing dynasty, essentially
preserved Beijing’s
form. In the last 120 years of the Qing dynasty, Beijing,
and subsequently China, was subjected to power struggles and invasions and the ensuing chaos.
The list is long: the Anglo-French troops who in 1860 burnt the Old Summer
Palace to the ground; the corrupt regime of Empress Dowager Cixi; the
catastrophic Boxer Rebellion; General Yuan Shikai; the warlords; the Japanese
occupation of 1937; and the Kuomintang. Each and every period left its
undeniable mark, although the shape and symmetry of Beijing was maintained.
Modern Beijing came of age when, in January 1949,
the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) entered the city. On 1 October of that year
Mao Zedong proclaimed a ‘People’s Republic’ to an audience of some 500, 000
citizens in Tiananmen Sq.
Like the emperors before
them, the communists significantly altered the face of Beijing to suit their own image. The páilou (decorative
archways) were brought down, while whole city blocks were pulverised to
widen major boulevards. From 1950 to 1952, the city’s magnificent outer walls
were levelled in the interests of traffic circulation. Soviet experts and
technicians poured in, leaving their own Stalinesque touches.
The past quarter of a
century has transformed Beijing
into a modern city, with skyscrapers, slick shopping malls and heaving
flyovers. The once flat skyline is now crenellated with vast apartment blocks
and office buildings. Recent years have also seen a convincing beautification
of Beijing:
from a toneless and unkempt city to a greener, cleaner and more pleasant place.
The mood in today’s Beijing is far removed
from the Tiananmen Sq demonstrations of spring 1989. With the lion’s share of China’s wealth in the hands of city dwellers, Beijing has embraced modernity without
evolving politically. There’s a conspicuous absence of protest in today’s Beijing and you won’t see
subversive graffiti or wall posters. With the Communist Party unwilling to
share power, political reform creeps forward in glacial increments. An
astonishing degree of public political apathy exists, at least partially
explained by in-built inclinations to bow to authority and a suppression of
democratic instincts among the middle classes, who are doing so well out of the
CCP’s economic successes. Political dissent has been forced into the shadows or
fizzes about fitfully in cyberspace, pursued by internet police ironing out any
wrinkles that may impede construction of a ‘harmonious society’.
Some of Beijing’s greatest problems could be
environmental rather than political, although the two interweave. The need for
speedy economic expansion, magnified by preparations for the 2008 Olympics, has
put extra pressure on an already degraded environment. Water and land resources
are rapidly depleting, the desert sands are crawling inexorably closer and the
city’s air quality has become increasingly toxic.
As the burgeoning middle
classes transform Beijing into an increasingly pet-ridden city, that scourge of
dog-owning societies – dog poo – is building up, so watch your step (although
it’s nothing compared with Brussels quite yet).
Beijing Weather and When to Go
Beijing's climate is defined as "continental monsoon" so the four
seasons are distinctly recognizable, with a semi-humid climate featuring short
springs and autumns, long summers and winters. The average temperature
throughout the year is between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius. The coldest month is
January with temperatures averaging between -7 and 4 degrees Celsius, and the
hottest month is July, with an average temperature between 25 and 26 degrees.
The lowest recorded temperature is -27.4 degrees, while the all-time high
exceeded 42 degrees. The frost-free season lasts 180 to 200 days. Annual
rainfall is over 60 cm,
of which 75 percent falls in the stormy July and August.
Autumn (September to early November) is the
optimal season to visit Beijing
as the weather is gorgeous and fewer tourists are in town. Local Beijingers
describe this short season of clear skies and breezy days as tiangao qishuang
(literally ‘the sky is high and the air is fresh’). In winter, it’s glacial
outside (dipping as low as -20°C)
and the northern winds cut like a knife through bean curd. Arid spring is OK,
apart from the awesome sand clouds that sweep in from Inner
Mongolia and the static electricity that discharges everywhere.
Spring also sees the snow like liuxu(willow catkins) wafting through the air
and collecting in drifts. From May onwards the mercury can surge well over 30°C. Beijing simmers under a scorching sun in
summer (reaching over 40°C),
which also sees heavy rainstorms late in the season. Maybe surprisingly, this
is also considered the peak season, when hotels typically raise their rates and
the Great Wall nearly collapses under the weight of marching tourists.
Beijing by night
A city more than 3,000 years old, Beijing is known for its
epic palaces and ancient temples, co-existing happily alongside neon billboards
and ultra-modern skyscrapers. By night, the city's attractions are a mixture of
ancient traditions and modern hedonism.
Lose yourself in the hutong alleys
In the evenings, Beijing’s 800-year old maze of narrow streets
comes to life. As you stroll along amid
delicious smells emanating from food carts, you will see residents playing mah
jong in the street, getting a haircut in late-night barbershops, having an
impromptu jam session or even wandering down to the communal bathrooms in their
pyjamas. The best hutong areas are around the Drum
Tower and Houhai Lake.
A night at the Beijing Opera
Imagine a soap opera, but one that may
involve ghosts, cross-dressing nuns, clowns, kung fu fighting and acrobatics.
An intensely visual experience, it allows you to guess a character’s role and
importance from the intricacy of their costume or the colour of their makeup.
Bring some earplugs in case you cannot take the vocal rollercoaster for the
entire three-plus-hours, and enjoy the spectacle at the venerable Chang An
Grand Theatre.
Catch an acrobatics show
Acrobatics have been part of Chinese culture
for more than 2,000 years, and the top venues to witness incredible feats of
human dexterity include Tiandi Theatre (10 Dongzhimen Nandajie) and Chaoyang
Theatre. Expect plate spinning,
tumbling, daredevil trapeze acts and balancing acts of up to nine acrobats
riding a single bicycle. If you watch
child acrobats, you will find yourself catching your breath because you see the
potential for acts going wrong, making the show all the more moving.
Watch a kung fu show
The harsh discipline of kung fu has evolved
in China
over many centuries. And while the performances at the likes of the Red Theatre
are undoubtedly a departure from tradition, that does not detract from their
visual impact. The frenetic routine is a blur of bodies as the fighters mock
spar, show off their weapons skills, dance and perform feats of endurance, such
as breaking blocks of concrete on one another’s stomachs.
Go clubbing
Chocolate attracts well-heeled professionals
with its outrageous rococo floor show, whereas Kai Club (Sanlitun Beijie) acts
as a magnet for local students, with a mix of break beats, indie and house. The
chic Area, with international DJs doing weekend sets, caters to the young and
stylish, who also lie around on Ming dynasty beds at The World of Suzie Wong,
part 1930s Shanghai
opium den, part postmodern lounge. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Mix
(Inside Worker's Stadium north gate) heaves with hip-hop clubbers.
Go drinking
Sanlitun is still the hedonistic centre of Beijing’s nightlife, though good watering holes are also
found around the Drum
Tower. Mingle with expats
at the Den (A4 Gongti Donglu), one of Beijing’s
oldest bars – good for sports and cheap beer – or head to Latino-themed Salud
for superb sangria and homemade infused rums. Sip a sunset drink at the
atmospheric courtyard of the Drum and Bell,
or lounge around with a blue cheese martini at the smart Centro.
