Landmark
Forbidden City
The world's largest ancient palace complex, home to 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (closed Mondays)
¥60 (Apr-Oct), ¥40 (Nov-Mar)
Beijing's importance began with geography. During the Western Zhou period, around the 11th century BC to 771 BC, the area became the capital of the State of Yan, giving the city one of its earliest political identities. In 938, the Liao dynasty made it a secondary capital known as Nanjing, and in 1153 the Jin dynasty moved its central capital here under the name Zhongdu, confirming the city's strategic value on the northern edge of the North China Plain.
In 1271, Kublai Khan founded the Yuan dynasty, and by 1272 the city was rebuilt as Dadu, a grand imperial capital planned on a scale that influenced later Beijing. The Ming dynasty took the city in 1368, and from 1406 to 1420 the Yongle Emperor ordered the construction of the Forbidden City; in 1421, the Ming court formally moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing. The Qing dynasty kept Beijing as its capital from 1644 to 1912, expanding imperial gardens and ritual spaces that still define the city today.
After 1949, Beijing became the capital of the People's Republic of China and the administrative center of modern China. The 2008 Olympic Games accelerated infrastructure upgrades, including subway expansion, new airport connections, and landmark architecture such as the Bird's Nest and Water Cube. In 2022, Beijing became the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, reinforcing its role as both a historical capital and a global event city.
