Beijing, [a] previously romanized as Peking, [b] is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, [11] it is the world's most populous national capital city as well as China's second largest city by urban area after Shanghai. [12]

Dec 29, 2024 · Beijing （北京）, China’s vibrant and historic capital, wasn’t always called “ Beijing ” in the English-speaking world. In fact, many people still recognize its older name, “ Peking “ （北平). But why did this shift happen? For travelers visiting Beijing, understanding the story behind its name can deepen their appreciation of this fascinating city.

Feb 24, 2025 · Peking is an older transliteration, while Beijing is based on the modern, standardized system. The transition from using Peking to Beijing reflects not just a linguistic shift, but also a change in how China presents itself to the world.

Portugal was the first European country to contact China in modern times. In Portuguese, the city is called Pequim. This name appeared in the letters of Francis Xavier in 1552. [2] . It transferred to English as "Pekin" [3] and to French as Pékin.

Sep 17, 2012 · Why did Peking change its name toBeijing? When did this happen? Whose decision was this? If the city has gone through this official name change then, why isBeijingstill sometimes referred to as “Peking” by locals and foreigners? The answer to all these puzzling questions is really quite simple.

3 days ago · During the first five decades of the subsequent Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Nanjing (Nanking) was the capital, and the old Mongol capital was renamed Beiping (Pei-p’ing; “Northern Peace”); the third Ming emperor, however, restored it as the imperial seat of the dynasty and gave it a new name, Beijing (“Northern Capital”).

Jul 4, 2024 · When and why was Peking changed to Beijing? What were the previous names for Beijing? In English, both “Pekin” and “Peking” remained common until the 1890s, when the Imperial Post Office adopted Peking. When did the Chinese government encourage the use of …

Feb 4, 2025 · The simple answer to why Beijing is called Peking is that they are essentially the same city, just with different spellings stemming from different romanization systems. Both names refer to the same two Chinese characters, 北京.

Beijing, previously known as Peking, is the capital city of the People's Republic of China. Dominating the north of China, there is a lot going on in Beijing. Here are 10 interesting facts you should know if you're already planning your trip to Beijing, or if you're just starting to think about it.

Beijing (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: Běijīng; IPA: [pei˨˩ tɕɪŋ˥˥]; a metropolis in northern China, is the capital of the People's Republic of China (PRC). It was formerly known in English as Peking. Beijing is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China.