Beijing
Beijing is the capital of China. It is the world's most populous capital city, with over 21 million residents.
A megacity, Beijing is the second largest Chinese city by population, and is the nation's cultural, educational, and political center. It is home to the headquarters of most of China's largest state-owned companies and houses the largest number of Fortune Global 500 companies in the world. It is sometimes called the "billionaire capital of the world", as it has highest number of billionaires of any city worldwide.
Beijing is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back three millennia. As the last of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, Beijing has been the political center of the country for most of the past eight centuries, and was the largest city in the world for much of the second millennium. The city is renowned for its opulent palaces, temples, gardens, and walls. It has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Many of Beijing's 91 universities rank among the best in the world. Beijing's Zhongguancun area is a world leading center of scientific and technological innovation. The city has hosted numerous international and national sporting events, the most notable being the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2008 Summer Paralympics Games.
Founding Date
1045 BCE
Alternative Name(s)
Chinese: 北京 | Archaic: Peking
Type
Capital
Population
21,450,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Beijinger
Owning Organization
Xiaoyi Chen