Beijing (Beijing, 北京) is the capital of China, the political and cultural center of China. Translated from Chinese, the name of the city means "Northern Capital", the symbols of the city are the Chinese rose and chrysanthemum. Like Chongqing and Beijing, Beijing is a city of central subordination and ranks third in the country in terms of population. According to 2009 figures, about 19.7 million people live in Beijing.
The history of the city has more than 3000 years, and the first settlement on this site appeared in ancient times. 48 km southwest of Beijing, excavations have unearthed a "Peking Man", an ancient ancestor of the Chinese, whose age is about 1.5 million years.
The first city on the site of the modern capital was founded in the first millennium BC. In later historical sources the city of Ji (from Chinese - “thistle”) is mentioned, the capital of the powerful and prosperous kingdom of Yan, which existed in the era. According to historical records, Ji was the richest city of its era, it can be called the oldest predecessor of metropolitan Beijing.
Located on a plain, Ji was surrounded by mountains on three sides and was of strategic importance, linking the north and south of the ancient Chinese kingdoms. Later, when China was unified by the first Emperor Qinshi Huang, Ji became part of various districts, until, a millennium later, in 938, it again became the capital, this time of the Khitan kingdom of Liao. The new dynasty renamed the city Nanjing ( Nanjing, 南京 ). In 1125, the Khitans were replaced by the Jurchens (Jin dynasty), who gave a new name to their capital - Zhongdu ( Zhongdu, 中都 , from Chinese - "Central Capital"). The imperial city shone with renewed vigor, becoming a center of trade and culture. However, at the same time, the first thundercloud appeared in the steppes in the far north, which turned into a devastating hurricane for Asia and Europe - the Turkic-Mongolian alliance gradually began to form into the Great Mongol Empire.
At the beginning of the XIII centuries, the Mongols attacked Chudu, destroying most of the city. For a whole month, the fire did not subside in the capital. The new owners renamed the city Yanjing, and in 1260 Khubilai (1215-1294), the grandson of Genghis Khan (1162-1227), the founder, moved here. The Mongols founded here the new capital of the giant Yuan empire - Dadu ( Dadu, 大都 ), which means "Great Capital".
The layout of Dadu also determined the modern look of Beijing. The planning was based on the concept of building the capital of the empire in Ancient China. In the front part was the imperial court, and in the back - the market. The ancestral temple was built on the left side of the city, and the temple of the God of the Earth - on the right. Lush palace buildings and beautiful landscapes harmoniously combined. The imperial palace is located in the center of the city. On its two sides from north to west, 50 residential areas were built, which were separated by streets running from west to east. Thus, a very important page in the history of urban development in China was opened.
A century after the construction of Dadu, Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), proclaimed himself emperor in Nanjing. Nanjing became the capital of the Ming Dynasty.
At the beginning of the Ming era, the famous commander Xuida (1332-1385) captured Dadu by storm and renamed it Beiping. In 1403, Zhu Di (1360-1424), the 4th son of Zhu Yuanzhang, ascended the throne, driving out his nephew, the 2nd emperor of the Ming Dynasty. In 1403 the city was renamed Beijing. And in 1421, after the construction of the Forbidden City was completed, the capital was moved there from Nanjing. It took 14 years to build up the southern part of the city. In 1564, an outer city was built in the southern part of the original city. The wall of the inner city stretches from east to west for 6.650 m, and from north to south - 5.350 m. The length of the perimeter is 24 km. There are 9 gates in the wall. The Outer City stretches 7950 meters from east to west and 3100 meters from north to south. The perimeter of the outer wall is 22 km. There are 7 gates in the wall of the outer city. Guang'anmen Gate was originally called Guangningmen. But when Emperor Daoguang, whose name was Minning, ascended the throne, the gate had to be renamed. According to feudal etiquette, in China it was forbidden to mention the name of the sovereign. During the Ming Dynasty, the focus was on the construction of two temporary palaces in the western outskirts of the city. The unsurpassed Yuanmingyuan Park (Old Summer Palace) was destroyed in 1860 during an attack by the allied forces of England and France.
Beijing has been the capital of China since 1949. This ancient city with a unique culture attracts tourists from all over the world all year round. Since the beginning of the reforms, Beijing has become one of the main tourist centers in the world.
Today, Beijing is the political and cultural center of the country. A huge number of buildings of Old China have been preserved here. On an area of 17,020 sq. km is home to about 14 million people. The city is divided into 16 districts and 2 counties.
How old is Beijing? The city that arose on this place had many names, because its history is more than one millennium:
Ji and Yanjing until 1153, then Zhongdu (Central Capital) until in 1215 the Great Mongol - the conqueror Chengizkhan (one name - for centuries for the whole world a synonym for cruelty and destruction), - burns this ancient city to the ground (the fire raged for more than a month )
* When did Beijing become the capital of China? The beginning of the truly “capital” history of the city is considered to be the time when a little north of the place where the former capital burned by Genghis Khan stood, a new one was being built, with the proud name of Dadu (Chinese Great Capital). It was also called Khanbalyk (Mong. - City of Khan) According to the enthusiastic notes of the famous Venetian traveler Marco Polo, Europe gets to know the amazing city.
Anniri: “Beijing is considered to be the most rectangular city in the world. The vicissitudes of fate: the Chinese owe the simple and understandable structure of Beijing, which has survived to this day, to their eternal enemies - the northern nomadic invaders. All main streets run strictly from west to east and from north to south.
As it happened back in the 15th century, it does not change: the Center of Beijing is a square, divided into four districts (Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chongwen and Xuanwu), which also have the shape of a square. In the very center of the square is the main square of the capital - Tiananmen (Tiananmen) and the Imperial Palace (aka the Forbidden City Gugung (Gugung) "
Ancient Beijing had the name Dadu until 1368. While the Mongol dynasty ruled, calling itself modestly - Yuan (the source of the universe), but as a result of a fifteen-year People's uprising, the hated dynasty of the invaders was overthrown, its palaces were destroyed, and the former emperor shamefully fled to his Mongolian steppes, and the leader of the uprising becomes the new emperor. He decided that a Mongolian city could not be the capital of a revived nation. And the founder of the new Ming Dynasty moves the capital to the south (certainly everything is Chinese there!) To the city of Nanjing. And the former capital receives a symbolic name - Beiping - "Northern Calm". After all, the Law was this: the capital could not NOT bear the name of the capital. Not allowed by status. But the year 1421 came, and already another emperor returned the capital to its former place. They change the name of the city again. And the city of "Northern Calm" finally gets the name Beijing known to the whole world - i.e. "Northern Capital" The relocation of the entire court was thoroughly prepared: the construction of the Imperial Palace (Gugong) was completed and Beijing became the permanent residence of the Chinese emperors.
And then a new powerful Popular uprising in the history of the city. Peasants captured Beijing, robbing the palace. The emperor who ruled at that time hanged himself. Thus began the People's Revolt, and ended the Ming Dynasty with the People's Revolt. General Wu Sangui asks for help from the Manchus, who are strong in military affairs, and they help in suppressing the uprising. They just didn't want to go back home. They really liked Beijing. They declared their dynasty - Qing. They did not move the capital. For what? And looking at the hill (opposite the Gugun Palace), where the last Ming emperor hanged himself, they only laughed contemptuously.
So, under the name of Beijing, the city existed until 1928. And during the period of revolutionary turmoil from 1928 to 1949, it again becomes NOT the capital (it is again in Nanjing), and in order not to confuse the minds, it is again renamed "Northern Calm"
But in 1949, the capital returned to its old place and, with a change in status, is now up to the present day - Beijing. Arriving from Russia, for example, from, it will be useful for you to visit the historical sights of the city in order to comprehend the rich culture of China.
It is impossible not to mention a very significant fact in the history of China: the battle for Beijing in 1900, the battle near the walls of the city, the confrontation between the Chinese people and the Alliance of eight powers (USA, Russia and European countries). Moscow and China are historically linked by strong friendship and mutual support.
Well, one of the modern facts of the history of the capital of China is, successfully carried out in 2008.
(it was there that the remains of a walled settlement and the graves of about 200 noble people were found). For these reasons, Beijing is often figuratively referred to as Yanjing(Chinese 燕京, literally: "capital of Yan"). Like the subsequent rulers of Beijing, the Yan kingdom was constantly under the threat of attack by nomads from the northern steppes, and therefore built fortifications along their northern borders.
In the III century BC. e. the Yan kingdom was destroyed by the Qin kingdom, which formed the first centralized empire in Chinese history.
The first Chinese empires
In 304, the Jin state was destroyed by the steppes, who formed sixteen barbarian states in its place. During this period, the territory of present-day Beijing was in turn part of the Early Qin, Later Zhao, Early Yan, and Later Yan states. Finally, in 386, northern China was unified under the rule of the Northern Wei state, and Ji regained the status of a district center. However, due to the fact that back in 370, the Jizhou district was created on the territory of modern Tianjin (there is still Ji county), the city of Ji, located on the site of modern Beijing, began to be called Youzhou like the whole district.
The Sui Empire, which reunified China, began wars with the Korean states in 612. To deliver troops and food, Emperor Yang built a network of canals linking Yuzhou with the North China Plain. These wars were continued by the Tang Empire that succeeded the Sui Empire; In memory of the victims of these wars, Emperor Taizong erected the Fayuan Temple 3 km southeast of Yuzhou.
Under the Tang Empire, the division of China into 10 provinces was introduced, so the status of the districts decreased. Initially, the Tang Empire had 358 districts, one of which was Youzhou. In 742, Youzhou was briefly renamed a province fanyang(Chinese 范阳郡), but already in 758 he regained the old name of Yuzhou. Beginning in 710, in the border regions, to protect against nomadic raids, governor-generals began to be established, headed by jiedushi; Youzhou became the headquarters of Fanyang jiedushi who was supposed to protect the Tang Empire from si and Khitan. In 755, Youzhou rebelled jiedushi An Lushan, An Lushan's rebellion became one of the largest armed conflicts by the number of victims in the history of mankind. The ten-year rebellion severely weakened the Tang Empire, and opened the way for the Khit to northern China, which eventually led to the rise of Beijing.
After the collapse of the Tang Empire at the beginning of the 10th century, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era began in China. In the north of China, at that time, dynasties succeeded each other, ruling for only a few years. In 923, the Shato Turks founded the Later Tang state, which, at the height of its power, controlled almost all of Northern China. In 936, the commander Shi Jingtang decided to rebel, and at the same time turned to the Khitans for help. For help, the Khitans demanded territorial concessions. When Shi Jingtang proclaimed the founding of the Later Jin state, he was forced to hand over sixteen districts (including Youzhou) to the Khitans for their support.
Liao and Jin empires
In 1125, the Khitans were expelled by the Jurchens, who established their own Jin state. After the Jin commander Wanyan Digunai killed Emperor Xizong and took the throne himself, in the fourth month of the third year of his reign, under the motto "Tiande" (1151), he issued an edict on the transfer of the capital from Shangjing to Nanjing. At the same time, the city was renamed from "Nanjing" ("Southern Capital") to "Zhongdu" ("Central Capital"), and its full official name became Zhongdu Daxingfu(Chinese 中都大兴府). Thus, for the first time in its history, Beijing became the capital of a major empire.
Zhongdu was surrounded by a fortress wall with 13 gates (4 in the northern wall, and 3 in each of the others), the remains of which are still preserved in the Fengtai area. In 1198, the Lugouqiao stone bridge was built across the Yongdinghe River.
In 1215, Zhongdu was taken by the troops of Genghis Khan. The Mongols completely destroyed the city.
Yuan dynasty
For half a century there were only ruins on the site of Zhongdu. In 1264 Kublai decided to build a own capital. The construction was led by the architects Liu Bingzhong and Amir al-Din. After the founding of the Yuan state in 1271, the city became new capital empire (Khubilai's former headquarters - Shandu - received the status of "summer capital"). In Mongolian, the city was called Khanbalik("City of Khan"), in Chinese - Daidu("Great Capital").
The new city was built northeast of the ruined Zhongdu, around the Gaoliang River, turned into six "seas" (lakes): Houhai, Qianhai, Xihai (collectively known as Shichahai), Beihai, Zhonghai and Nanhai (collectively known as Zhongnanhai). To further improve the city's water supply, engineer Guo Shoujing built a network of canals, through which water from springs from Mount Yuquan, located in the northwest, began to flow through the Kunminghu reservoir to Khanbaliq. The lengthening of the Grand Canal allowed grain barges from the southern provinces to be unloaded right in the center of the city, which also contributed to population growth.
Ming dynasty
On the borders of the new empire, Zhu Yuanzhang began to create inheritances, which he distributed to members of the imperial clan, first of all, to his sons. The inheritance with the capital in Beiping was received by his fourth son - Zhu Di, his task was to protect Chinese lands from a possible attack by the Mongols from the north. Since the eldest son of Zhu Yuanzhang died during his lifetime, after the death of the emperor in 1402, a 16-year-old grandson inherited the throne, which did not please the living sons of Zhu Yuanzhang. During the fast paced civil war Zhu Di won, and in 1403 he became the new emperor. In 1421, he moved the imperial capital from Nanjing to Beiping, and renamed the city Beijing(Chinese 北京, "Northern capital", in the Russian tradition it is read as Beijing). It was under Zhu Di that such famous objects of Beijing as the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven were built. The transfer of the capital to the north forced the authorities of the empire to pay more attention to the defense of the northern borders; that part of the Great Wall that passes through the territory of the city of central subordination of Beijing was mainly built during the Ming dynasty.
At the beginning of the existence of the Ming Empire, the northern part of the former Khanbalik was abandoned, the city itself shifted south. The northern wall of the new Inner City now ran 2.5 kilometers south of the former, and the south wall half a kilometer south. These walls withstood the test in 1449, when, as a result of the Tumu catastrophe, Emperor Zhu Qizhen was captured by the Oirats, and the Oirat leader Esen-taishi went on a campaign against the Chinese capital. The defense of the city was led by Minister Yu Qian, who, in response to Esen's demands, replied that the defense of the state was more important than the life of the captive emperor. Zhu Qiyu was elevated to the throne, the new Chinese army defeated the Oirats, who were forced to leave home. Three years later, Esen-taishi released Zhu Qizhen without any ransom, he returned to the throne and executed Yu Qian. Later, Yu Qian's home in Dongdan was turned into his memorial temple.
In 1813, a group of militants from the Buddhist sect "White Lotus" made a surprise attack on the Forbidden City. They were repulsed by the guards, but to control the population, the authorities then introduced a system of mutual responsibility ( baojia).
Republic of China
The policy of reform and opening up initiated by Deng Xiaoping led to Beijing's explosive growth in the 1990s; in the surrounding city countryside new areas have grown. However, rapid modernization and a sharp increase in population led to numerous problems: heavy traffic, pollution environment, destruction of historical buildings, a large number of rural migrants. Air pollution caused the city to fail to win the bid to host the 2000 Olympics in 1993. In 2005, the city government tried to bring the problems under control by allowing the development of the city only in the east and west directions (the former perspective plan provided for the development of the city in radial directions from the center in all directions). The efforts of the city authorities have borne fruit, and the 2008 Summer Olympics were held in Beijing at the highest level.
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An excerpt characterizing the history of Beijing
Caraffa left, taking away my dear baby. The world faded, and my devastated heart, drop by drop, slowly filled with black, hopeless longing. The future seemed ominous. There was no hope in him, there was no habitual confidence that, no matter how difficult it is now, but in the end everything will somehow work out, and everything will definitely be fine.I knew perfectly well that it would not be good... We will never have a "fairy tale with a happy ending"...
Without even noticing that it was already evening, I was still sitting at the window, watching the sparrows fussing on the roof and thinking my sad thoughts. There was no exit. Caraffa conducted this "performance", and it was HE who decided when someone's life would end. I was unable to resist his machinations, even if I could now foresee them with Anna's help. The present frightened me and made me even more furiously look for at least the slightest way out of the situation in order to somehow break this terrible “trap” that had caught our tormented lives.
Suddenly, right in front of me, the air blazed with a greenish light. I was alert, expecting a new "surprise" by Caraffa ... But nothing bad seemed to happen. The green energy thickened, little by little turning into a tall human figure. A few seconds later, a very pleasant, young stranger stood in front of me ... He was dressed in a strange, snow-white "tunic", belted with a bright red wide belt. The stranger's gray eyes shone with kindness and invited to believe him, even without knowing him yet. And I believed... Feeling this, the man spoke.
Hello, Isidora. My name is Sever. I know you don't remember me.
– Who are you, Sever?.. And why should I remember you? Does this mean that I met you?
The feeling was very strange - as if you were trying to remember something that had never happened ... but you felt that you knew all this very well from somewhere.
You were too young to remember me. Your father once brought you to us. I'm from Meteora...
But I've never been there! Or do you want to say that he just never told me about it?! .. - I exclaimed in surprise.
The stranger smiled, and for some reason, his smile made me feel very warm and calm, as if I had suddenly found my long-lost good old friend... I believed him. Everything, no matter what he says.
– You must leave, Isidora! He will destroy you. You cannot resist him. He is stronger. Rather, what he received is stronger. It was a long time ago.
“You mean more than just protection?” Who could give him this?
Gray eyes drooped...
We didn't give. Given by our guest. He was not from here. And, unfortunately, it turned out to be "black" ...
- But you are in and d and t e !!! How could you let this happen?! How could you accept him into your "sacred circle"?..
- He found us. Just like Caraffa found us. We do not refuse those who are able to find us. But usually it was never "dangerous"... We made a mistake.
– Do you know what a terrible price people pay for your “mistake”?!.. Do you know how many lives have gone into oblivion in savage torment, and how many more will go away?.. Answer, Sever!
I was blown away - they just called it a mistake!!! The mysterious "gift" to Caraffe was a "mistake" that made him almost invulnerable! And helpless people had to pay for it! My poor husband, and maybe even my dear baby, had to pay for it!.. And they thought it was just a MISTAKE???
“I beg you, do not be angry with Isidora. That won't help now... This happened sometimes. We are not gods, we are people... And we also have the right to make mistakes. I understand your pain and your bitterness... My family also died because of someone else's mistake. Even simpler than this one. It's just that this time someone's "gift" fell into very dangerous hands. We will try to fix it somehow. But we can't yet. You must leave. You have no right to die.
- Oh no, you're wrong, Sever! I have every right if it will help me rid the Earth of this viper! I shouted indignantly.
- Will not help. Unfortunately, nothing will help you, Isidora. Leave. I will help you return home... You have already lived your Destiny here, you can return Home.
“Where is my House?” I asked in surprise.
- It's far away... In the constellation Orion there is a star with the wonderful name Asta. This is your House, Isidora. Just like mine.
I looked at him in shock, unable to believe it. Not even understand such a strange news. It did not fit in my inflamed head into any real reality and it seemed that I, like Caraffa, was gradually losing my mind ... But the North was real, and it certainly did not seem that he was joking. Therefore, somehow gathering myself, I already asked much more calmly:
- How did it happen that Caraffa found you? Does he have a Gift?
No, he doesn't have Dar. But he has a Mind that serves him admirably. So he used it to find us. He read about us in a very old chronicle, which he did not know how and where he got it from. But he knows a lot, trust me. He has some amazing source from which he draws his knowledge, but I do not know where he comes from, and where this source can be found in order to secure him.
- Oh, don't worry! But I am very well aware of this! I know this "source"! .. This is his marvelous library, in which the oldest manuscripts are stored in myriads. For them, I think, Caraffe needs him long life... - I felt sad to death and wanted to cry like a child ... - How can we destroy him, Sever ?! He has no right to live on earth! He is a monster that will take millions of lives if left unchecked! What do we do?
“Nothing to you, Isidora. You just have to leave. We'll find a way to get rid of him. It just takes time.
- And during this time, innocent people will die! No, Sever, I will only leave when I have no choice. And as long as he is, I will fight. Even if there is no hope.
My daughter will be brought to you, take care of her. I can't save her...
His luminous figure became completely transparent. And she started to disappear.
- I'll be back, Isidora. whispered a gentle voice.
“Goodbye, Sever...” I answered just as quietly.
– But, how so?! Stella suddenly exclaimed. “You didn’t even ask about the planet you came from?!.. Weren’t you interested?! How so?..
To be honest, I, too, could hardly resist not to ask Isidora about the same! Her essence came from outside, and she didn’t even ask about it! .. But to some extent, I probably understood her, since it was too terrible a time for her, and she was mortally afraid for those whom she loved very much, and whom still trying to save. Well, and the House - it could be found later, when there was no other choice but to leave as soon as possible ...
“No, honey, I didn’t ask, not because I wasn’t interested. But because then it was not so important, somehow, that wonderful people were dying. And they died in brutal torments, which were allowed and supported by one person. And he had no right to exist on our land. This was the most important thing. Everything else could be left for later.
Stella blushed, ashamed of her outburst, and quietly whispered:
– Forgive me, please, Isidora...
And Isidora has already "gone" into her past again, continuing her amazing story...
As soon as the North disappeared, I immediately tried to mentally call my father. But for some reason he didn't respond. This alarmed me a little, but, not expecting anything bad, I tried again - there was still no answer ...
Deciding not to give free rein to my inflamed imagination for the time being and leaving my father alone for the time being, I plunged into sweet and sad memories of Anna's recent visit.
I still remembered the smell of her fragile body, the softness of her thick black hair and the extraordinary courage with which my wonderful twelve-year-old daughter met her evil fate. I was incredibly proud of her! Anna was a fighter, and I believed that no matter what happened, she would fight to the end, to her last breath.
I did not yet know if I would be able to save her, but I swore to myself that I would do everything in my power to save her from the tenacious clutches of the cruel Pope.
Caraffa returned a few days later, somehow very upset and taciturn. He only showed me with his hand that I should follow him. I obeyed.
After passing several long corridors, we found ourselves in a small office, which (as I found out later) was his private reception room, to which he very rarely invited guests.
Caraffa silently pointed to a chair for me and slowly sat down opposite. His silence seemed ominous and, as I already knew from my own sad experience, never boded well. I, after meeting with Anna, and the unexpected arrival of the North, unforgivably relaxed, “lulled” to some extent my usual vigilance, and missed the next blow ...
“I have no time for pleasantries, Isidora. You will answer my questions or someone else will suffer greatly. So, I advise you to answer!
Caraffa was angry and irritated, and to argue with him at such a time would be real madness.
“I will try, Your Holiness. What do you want to know?
– Your youth, Isidora? How did you receive it? After all, you are thirty-eight years old, but you look twenty and do not change. Who gave you your youth? Answer!
I couldn’t understand what so enraged Karaffa? .. During our already quite long acquaintance, he never screamed and very rarely lost control of himself. Now I was talking to an enraged, pissed-off person from whom one could expect anything.
Answer, madonna! Or you will be waiting for another, very unpleasant surprise.
From such a statement, my hair began to stir ... I understood that it would not be possible to try to evade the question. Something greatly angered Caraffa, and he did not try to hide it. He did not accept the game, and he was not going to joke. It remained only to answer, blindly hoping that he would accept the half-truth ...
- I am a hereditary Witch, Holiness, and today - the most powerful of them. Youth came to me by inheritance, I did not ask for it. Just like my mother, my grandmother, and the rest of the line of Witches in my family. You must be one of us, Your Holiness, to receive this. Besides, be the most worthy.
- Nonsense, Isidora! I knew people who themselves achieved immortality! And they weren't born with it. So there are ways. And you will open them for me. Trust me.
He was absolutely right... There were ways. But I was not going to open them to him for no reason. Not for any torture.
“Forgive me, Your Holiness, but I cannot give you what I did not receive myself. It's impossible - I don't know how. But your God, I think, would give you "eternal life" on our sinful earth, if he believed that you deserve it, right? ..
Caraffa turned purple and hissed angrily, like a poisonous snake ready to attack:
– I thought you were smarter, Isidora. Well, it won't take long for me to break you when you see what I have in store for you...
And abruptly grabbing my hand, he roughly dragged me down into his terrifying basement. I didn’t even have time to get scared, as we ended up at the same iron door, behind which, quite recently, my unfortunate tortured husband, my poor good Girolamo, died so brutally ... And suddenly a terrible, chilling conjecture slashed my brain - father !!! That's why he didn't answer my repeated call!.. He was probably seized and tortured in the same basement, standing in front of me, breathing with rage, a fiend who "cleansed" any target with someone else's blood and pain!..
“No, not that! Please, not this!!!" my wounded soul screamed like an animal cry. But I already knew that it was exactly like this... “Someone help me!!! Someone!”... But for some reason no one heard me... And did not help...
The heavy door opened... Wide-open gray eyes looked straight at me, full of inhuman pain...
In the middle of the familiar, death-smelling room, on a spiked, iron armchair, my beloved father sat, bleeding...
The blow turned out to be terrible!.. Screaming with a wild cry “No!!!”, I lost consciousness…
* Note: please do not confuse (!!!) with the Greek complex of Meteora monasteries in Kalambaka, Greece. Meteora in Greek means "hanging in the air", which fully corresponds to the stunning view of the monasteries, like pink mushrooms grown on the highest peaks of unusual mountains. The first monastery was built around 900. And between the 12th and 16th centuries there were already 24 of them. Only six monasteries have “survived” to this day, which still amaze tourists.
True, tourists do not know one very funny detail... There is another monastery in Meteora, in which the "curious" are not allowed... It was built (and gave rise to the rest) by a gifted fanatic who once studied in real Meteora and expelled from her. Angry at the whole world, he decided to build "his own Meteora" in order to collect the same "offended" as he was and lead his solitary life. How he did it is unknown. But since then, Masons began to gather in his Meteora for secret meetings. What happens once a year to this day.
Monasteries: Grand Meteoron (big Meteoron); Russano; Agios Nicholas; Agia Trios; Agias Stefanos; Varlaam are located at a very close distance from each other.
Internet quotes and author's comments
"If all 18-year-olds in China stand in one line and walk past you, then this line will never end. This is because new residents will reach 18 years old and line up faster than the line passes you!"
(This is true!)
A lot of people in Beijing!
More people speak English in China than in the US
(It's the Chinese who think they speak English!)
More than 60 million tourists visit Beijing every year. So beautiful Paris, which is rightfully praised by many poets, is almost twice as inferior to Beijing in terms of the number of tourists.
(But according to the impressions, Beijing is very far from Paris!)
The cycle of stories about Beijing consists of 6 parts, united by a common table of contents. Each part is an independent story that can be read separately depending on what interests you in the first place.
Part 1.
-- Brief introduction
-- History of Beijing
-- Modern Beijing
Part 2.
-- Beijing Attractions
Part 3
-- Beijing parks
-- Beijing Museums
Part 4
-- Shopping in Beijing
-- Shopping districts of Beijing
Part 5
-- Public transport
-- Once again about the sights around metro stations
Part 6
-- What causes negative emotions in Beijing
Unlike my previous stories, the description of our trip to Beijing requires some explanation. This is primarily due to the fact that Beijing, as follows from the above quote, is the most visited city. Accordingly, more has been written about it than about other cities. Before the trip, we carefully prepared, and I selected a lot of various information about Beijing from the Internet. Maybe we expected too much from him, maybe for some other reason, but our impressions did not always coincide with the laudatory reviews of travel agencies. Therefore, I decided to write this story in the form of a guide to Beijing, preserving and reworking the useful information collected from the Internet. background information for those who go there on their own, and add personal impressions. Some of my comments will be inserted into the text in italics. I will try to be honest and objective, and reflect in this story all the good things that we were lucky to see during our 10 days in the capital, and prepare the reader for the troubles that may await him in Beijing, and which causes negative emotions.
The main purpose of the trip is participation in the International Congress on Rare Earths with an invited report.
In addition, we had 4 more days reserved for walking around Beijing and getting to know its main attractions.
The most valuable thing we took with us on this trip turned out to be a compass! If you are not good enough Chinese, a compass in Beijing is a must. The strict geometric proportions of buildings along the north-south, west-east axes determined the symmetry of the location of the most significant buildings of old and new Beijing in relation to the giant axial lines passing through the center of the Forbidden City. If you first look at the map and choose the right direction, it is almost impossible to get lost. Hoping that in Beijing they will understand you and explain the way to English language(I’m not talking about Russian anymore), don’t! Moreover, with the help of a compass, it is very easy to navigate the Beijing subway. Subway lines, like streets, run from north to south or east to west. You don't have to read into Chinese characters to determine the direction of movement, just look at the compass needle. For all 10 days of independent travel around Beijing, we did not have a single mistake!
HISTORY OF BEIJING
Beijing, in Chinese Beijing, which means the northern capital. Capital since Liaohe, Yuan, Ming and Chin Dynasty. Beijing has long been the political, cultural, and diplomatic center of China. Now it is an international capital and a very large home to 20 million people.
The most interesting thing is that Beijing, being the most famous Chinese city abroad, became known only from the 13th century, when the Mongols occupied China, and the Mongol Yuan dynasty established its capital in Beijing. Before that, the city was a small defensive fortress, surrounded by a city wall.
In 1215 the troops of the great Mongol commander Genghis Khan reached Beijing. From this date, the period of the formation of Beijing as the great capital of the Empire began. The Mongols named the city Dadu, which in Chinese means big capital. In Mongolian, the name sounded like Khanbalik or the city of Khan.
Then the Mongols were driven out, and came to power in the 14th century Chinese dynasty Min. The city has been substantially reconstructed. Beijing was renamed Beijing, which meant northern harmony, and the capital was moved to Nanjing, now Jiangsu.
In the 17th century, the Manjurs invaded China and established their own Chin dynasty. The Chinese resisted fiercely and the next 120 years were years of chaos for all of China and Beijing in particular.
1860 Anglo-French troops enter Beijing and destroy the Summer Palace. Today's summer palace is a modern reconstruction.
MODERN BEIJING
Modern Beijing began to be created in 1949, when Mao Tse-tung came to power in the country. His love for Soviet Union in general and everything Soviet, in particular, resulted in the fact that many buildings in the Soviet style were built in Beijing. Modern Beijing is a child economic reforms 1978 and the political capital of China - that says it all!
The Middle Kingdom - this is how poets call China, the Middle Kingdom - this is how China was called in antiquity, the country of socialism under construction - they called this country in the 70s of the last century, the country great prospects and hardworking people - that's what they call China now! First of all, the name of the Middle Kingdom is associated with an ancient religion in which Heaven was considered the highest deity. In Beijing there is an ancient temple of Heaven (I will write about this in more detail a little later), where the emperor - only in exceptionally difficult state situations consulted with Heaven. It was a magnificent ceremony - it lasted two weeks, with the participation of many priests, officials and troops, more than 100 thousand people, not counting horses and war elephants. Well, the whole vast country, led by Heaven, naturally, was called the Celestial Empire.
The guidebooks say that, being the guardian ancient history, Beijing shows its amazing beauty to the whole world. It is worth visiting the capital of the Celestial Empire not only because it has become fashionable in connection with the Olympics, but also because there is something to see there. More than 60 million tourists visit Beijing every year! (To be honest, we did not see amazing beauty in Beijing, modern architecture is rather monotonous and boring, and palaces and parks, like two drops of water, are similar to each other).
Most Chinese ride bicycles in modern Beijing, and there are special bike paths throughout the city. (Bicycles tend to be rusty and old, long gone in the trash.)
While not the most financially rich city in China, Beijing is nonetheless the richest city in the Middle Kingdom.
You should think about what places you would like to visit in Beijing in advance - indeed, there are plenty to choose from - more than 7,000 attractions, then you will spend your time with benefit and have time to see a lot.
Another quote from the guidebook: "Modern Beijing has a vibrant and exciting nightlife and big amount luxury restaurants representing all the cuisines of the world. While in Beijing, tourists should definitely try Peking duck, one of the most famous dishes in northern cuisine." The last statement is absolutely true! We have not eaten such a deliciously cooked duck anywhere except Beijing, and we must definitely taste it! There are really many restaurants where it is offered, and the prices are very affordable (from 40 to 250 yuan, depending on the position and class of the restaurant, as well as the size of the duck!). And as for the first statement about the exciting nightlife, then such annoying prostitutes did not have to be met in any other city.
Modern Beijing is a city of glass and concrete, very clean and well maintained, being built at a fantastic rate. (Einstein was right when he said that everything in the world is relative! Compared to Indian cities, this may be true, but when compared to Tokyo, Seoul or Singapore, Beijing looks very dirty and unkempt!). The city has a square shape, but this is not as planned by the architects, but because everything in China is symbolic. The earth is a square, the square reflects the perfect form. There are 5 ring roads in Beijing, again for a reason, but because the sky is a circle. (For these words from the guidebook, I do not bear any responsibility, since the Earth has never been a square, and the sky is a circle!). The first ring around the Imperial Palace. Until 1949, there was not a single high-rise building in Beijing; according to ancient philosophy, a house should not be taller than a tree. Today in Beijing, many high-rise buildings, including residential, where urban residents are resettled from a one-story old city. Old city more reminiscent of dilapidated wooden buildings nestled in square courtyards (square again), behind broken fences. But how colorful the market looks, where you can buy absolutely everything in shops from lively merchants. If you like something, you have to bargain, and do not hope that you can buy an antique for a penny. Real antiques are sold only in antique shops and are expensive.
Beijing (Chinese 北京, pall. Beijing, pinyin Běijīng, literally "Northern Capital") is the capital and one of the cities of the central subordination of the Chinese People's Republic. Beijing is surrounded on three sides by Hebei Province and borders Tianjin in the southeast.
Beijing (Beijing) is the second largest city in China after Shanghai. It is the largest railway and road junction and one of the country's main air hubs. In addition, Beijing is the political, educational and cultural center of the PRC, while Shanghai and Hong Kong are considered the main economic centers. At the same time, in recent years, Beijing has increasingly taken on the role of a locomotive of entrepreneurial activity and the main field for creating innovative enterprises.
Beijing is one of the four ancient capitals of China. In 2008, the Summer Olympic Games were held in Beijing.
Name
Beijing (in the normative northern pronunciation - Peijing, Chinese 北京, pinyin Běijīng) literally means "Northern Capital", following a tradition common to East Asia, according to which the capital's status is directly reflected in the name. Other cities named in this way are Nanjing in China (南京 - "Southern Capital"), Dongkinh (now Hanoi) in Vietnam, and Tokyo in Japan (with the same character 東京 and the same meaning - "Eastern Capital"). The name of another Japanese city, Kyoto (京都) and the old name of Seoul Gyeongseong (京城), simply mean "capital" or "metropolitan city".
The name Beijing does not actually correspond to modern Chinese pronunciation. In the official Putonghua dialect (which mostly follows the Beijing phonetic norm), the name of the city is pronounced as Beijing. In English and some other languages, in the second half of the 20th century, the name of the city was brought into line with the real pronunciation and is usually written as Beijing. However, in Russian and in many languages, the old name is still used (for example, port. Pequim, Dutch. Peking, etc.). The city was first called "Beijing" by French missionaries four hundred years ago, when the consonant shift had not yet occurred in the northern Chinese dialects, when almost all sounds were transformed into. This shift did not occur in southern dialects, and in Cantonese, for example, the name of China's capital is still pronounced "Bakgin".
Throughout history, Beijing has been known in China by various names. From 136 to 1405 and again from 1928 to 1949 it was called Beiping (Chinese 北平, pinyin Beiping, literally "Northern Calm". In both cases, this was due to the transfer of the capital from Beijing to Nanjing (first time by the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the second - by the Kuomintang government of the Republic of China) and the loss of Beijing's capital status.
In 1949, after the proclamation of the People's Republic of China, the Communist Party of China returned the name Beijing (Beijing), emphasizing the return of the city's functions as a capital. The government of the Republic of China, which fled to Taiwan, never officially recognized the name change, and in the 1950s and 1960s in Taiwan, Beijing often continued to be called Beiping, indicating the illegitimacy of the PRC. Today, however, almost all Taiwanese, including the Taiwan authorities, use the name "Beijing", although some maps published in Taiwan still show the old name, as well as the pre-1949 administrative division of China.
The poetic name of Beijing - Yanjing (Chinese 燕京, pinyin Yānjīng, literally "Capital of Yan") is rooted in the ancient times of the Zhou Dynasty, when the kingdom of Yan existed in these places. This name is reflected in the name of the local brand of beer (Yanjing Beer) and in the name of Yanjing University (later became part of Peking University). During the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, the city was called Khanbalik, it can be found in the notes of Marco Polo in the spelling Cambuluc.
Main article: History of Beijing
Cities in the Beijing area have existed since the first millennium BC. On the territory of the modern capital of China, the city of Ji (薊 / 蓟) was located - the capital of the kingdom of Yan, one of the states of the Warring States period (473-221 BC).
After the fall of Yan, the subsequent Han and Jin dynasties included this area in various districts. During the Tang Dynasty, this area becomes the headquarters of Jiedushi Fanyang, the military governor of the northern part of present-day Hebei Province. In 755, the An Lushan Rebellion began here and is often regarded as the starting point for the fall of the Tang Dynasty.
In 936, the northern Chinese Later Jin (936-947) gave away most of the northern border lands, including the territory of modern Beijing, to the Khitan Liao dynasty. In 938, the Liao dynasty established the second capital of their state on the site of present-day Beijing, calling it Nanjing ("Southern Capital"). In 1125, the Jurchen Jin dynasty annexed the kingdom of Liao and in 1153 moved its capital to Nanjing, renaming it Zhongdu (中都 - "Central Capital"). It was located in the modern district of Tianningsi, a little southwest of the center of Beijing.
In 1215, Zhongdu was burned to the ground by Mongol troops and rebuilt a little further north in 1267. Preparing to conquer all of China, the future founder of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan, made the city his capital and called it in Chinese Dadu (Chinese 大都, pinyin Dàdū, literally "Great Capital"), and in Mongolian - Khanbaliq (Great Residence of the Khan). It was at this time that Marco Polo visited China, and in his notes this city is found under the name Cambuluc. Prior to this, the capitals of the Chinese state were usually located in the central regions of the country, but Khubilai's main base was located in Mongolia, so he chose this place because of its proximity. This decision of the Khan elevated the status of the city, located on the northern outskirts of historical China. Dadu was located slightly north of the modern center of Beijing, between the northern sections of the current Second and Third Ring Roads. The remains of the Mongolian fortress walls still stand in this area.
In 1368, the Yuan Dynasty fell, the city was again destroyed, but later rebuilt by the Ming Dynasty, and the Shuntian County (順天) was established around it. In 1403, the third Ming Emperor Yongle again moved the capital from Nanjing to this city, renaming it Beijing (Chinese 北京, Pall. Beijing, literally "Northern Capital"). The city also became known as Jingshi (京師 - "capital"). During the Ming Dynasty, Beijing acquired its modern shape, and the Ming fortress wall served as the city wall of Beijing until recently, when it was demolished to build the Second Ring Road in its place.
It is believed that Beijing was largest city peace in the periods from 1425 to 1650 and from 1710 to 1825. The Forbidden City, the residence of the Ming and Qing emperors, was built in 1406-1420, after which the Temple of Heaven (1420) and other significant buildings were built. The main entrance to the Forbidden City is the Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen Gate), which has become state symbol People's Republic of China and depicted on its coat of arms burned twice during the Ming Dynasty and were finally restored in 1651.
By invading China, the Manchus overthrew the Ming Dynasty and founded the Qing Dynasty. Beijing remained the capital of Qing China throughout the dynasty. As in the previous dynasty, the city was also called Qingshi, or Gemun Hetseng in Manchu. In 1900, the city survived the siege and invasion of the united army of the Western powers during the Boxer Rebellion.
In 1911, the bourgeois Xinhai Revolution took place in China, which overthrew the Qing rule and established a republic, and the transfer of the capital to Nanjing was originally planned. However, after the high Qing dignitary Yuan Shikai took the side of the revolutionaries and forced the emperor to abdicate, thereby ensuring the success of the revolution, the revolutionaries in Nanjing agreed that Yuan Shikai became president of the established Republic of China and that the capital remained in Beijing.
Yuan Shikai began to gradually consolidate power in his hands, which in 1915 ended with his announcement of the creation of the Chinese Empire, and himself as emperor. This decision turned many revolutionaries away from him, and he himself died a year later. After his death, China broke up into regions controlled by local warlords, the strongest of which began frequent clashes for control of Beijing (Zhili-Anhui War, First Zhili-Fyntian War and Second Zhili-Fyntian War).
After the success of the Northern Expedition of the Kuomintang, which pacified the northern military leaders, in 1928 the capital of the Republic of China was officially transferred to Nanjing, and Beijing was renamed Beiping - (Chinese 北平, pinyin Běipíng, literally "Northern calm"), which was supposed to emphasize the illegitimacy military government in Beijing.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War on July 29, 1937, Beijing fell into the hands of the Japanese. During the occupation, the name "Beijing" was returned to the city, and a puppet Provisional Government of the Republic of China was established in it, under which the ethnically Chinese parts of the Japanese-occupied north of China were assigned. It was then merged with Wang Jingwei's main occupation government in Nanjing. Japanese imperial army stationed in the city a bacteriological detachment 1855, which was a subdivision of detachment 731. In them, Japanese doctors conducted experiments on people.
On August 15, 1945, simultaneously with the surrender of Japan in World War II, Beijing was again renamed Beiping.
On January 31, 1949, during the civil war, the city was taken by the communists without a fight. On October 1 of the same year, the CCP, under the leadership of Mao Zedong, announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China in Tiananmen Square. A few days earlier, the People's Political Consultative Council of China decided to establish the capital in Peiping and return the name Beijing (Beijing) to it.
At the time of the formation of the administrative unit of the city of central subordination of Beijing, it included only urban area and the nearest suburbs. The urban area was divided into many smaller districts that were inside the modern Second Ring Road. Since then, several counties have entered the territory of the city of central subordination, thus increasing its area several times and giving its borders the current shape. The fortress wall of Beijing was destroyed in the period 1965-1969. for the construction of the Second Ring Road in its place.
Since the start of Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms, Beijing's urban area has grown significantly. If before that it was inside the modern Second and Third Ring Roads, now it gradually goes beyond the newly built Fifth Ring Road and approaches the Sixth Ring Road under construction, occupying the territories previously used for agriculture and developing them as residential or business areas. A new business center has emerged in the Guomao area, the Wangfujing and Xidan areas have become booming shopping areas, and the village of Zhongguancun has become one of the main centers of China's electronics industry.
IN last years Urban expansion and urbanization have also brought problems with development, including traffic congestion, air pollution, destruction of historic buildings, and a significant influx of migrants from the country's poorer regions, especially rural areas.
In early 2005, the government adopted a plan that is designed to stop the expansion of Beijing in all directions. It was decided to abandon the further development of the city in the form of concentric rings, concentrating it in two semicircular stripes to the west and east of the city center.
Geography and climate
Beijing is located at the northern peak of the roughly triangular Great Plain of China. The plain extends from the south and east sides of the city. The mountains to the north and west of Beijing protect the city and the main agricultural breadbasket of northern China from the advance of the Mongolian deserts and steppes. The northwestern districts of Beijing's administrative territory, especially Yanqing County and Huaizhou District, include the Jundu Mountains, while the western districts of the city border the Xishan Mountains. The construction of the Great Wall of China, which in this section stretches along the ridges of mountains along the northern border of Beijing, took advantage of these landscape advantages to protect against northern nomadic tribes. Mount Dongling, part of the Xishan Mountains and located on the border with Hebei Province, is the most high point Beijing, its height is 2303 m. Among the major rivers flowing through the territory of Beijing, the Yongding River and the Chaobai River - both are part of the Haihe River basin and flow into southbound. In addition, Beijing is the northern terminus of the Great Canal of China, which runs through the Great Plain of China and terminates in the south at Hangzhou. The Miyun Reservoir, built on the headwaters of the Chaobai River, is the largest in Beijing and is a key element of the city's water supply system.
The Beijing urban area is located at 39°54′20″ N. sh. 116°23′29″ E / 39.905556° N sh. 116.391389° E (G) 39.905556, 116.391389 (39.9056, 116.3914) in the central-south part of the administrative territory of Beijing and occupies a smaller, but constantly increasing part of its area. It diverges in circles enclosed between the concentric ring roads of Beijing, the fifth and largest of which - the Sixth Ring Road of Beijing (the numbering of auto rings starts from 2) passes through the satellite cities of the Chinese capital. The Tiananmen Gate and Tiananmen Square form the center of the city. From the north they are adjoined by the Forbidden City - the former residence of the Chinese emperors. To the west of Tiananmen is the government headquarters of Zhonganhai. From east to west, the center of Beijing is crossed by Chang'anjie Street - one of the main transport arteries of the city.
Beijing enjoys a monsoon-prone humid continental climate (Dwa according to the Köppen climate classification), characterized by hot, humid summers due to the influence of the East Asian monsoons and cold, windy, dry winters due to the influence of Siberian anticyclones. The average temperature in January is -7 ... -4°C, in July - 25 ... 26°C. More than 600 millimeters of precipitation falls annually, 75% of which falls in summer, so in Beijing it can often be below -10 in winter, and at the same time there is no snow.
A serious problem in Beijing is severe air pollution and its poor quality due to emissions. industrial enterprises and transport. Sand from the erosion of deserts in northern and northeastern China leads to seasonal sandstorms that can paralyze life in the city. In the first four months of 2006 alone, there were eight sandstorms in Beijing. The fight against pollution has become one of the main tasks of the authorities in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games.
