ABSTRACT
The traditional Chinese phrase “Four Great Ancient Capitals of China” refers to Beijing (called “Peking” in old China), Luoyang, Xian, and Nanjing. Beijing is known as a cradle of humanity and is noted for its rich heritage of Oriental history and culture. As early as 700,000 years ago, the primitive tribe of Peking Man dwelled in Beijing’s Zhoukoudian area.1 Besides the Peking Man site at Zhoukoudian, the Ming Dynasty Tombs, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Summer Palace are icons of the long existence of Beijing’s political power. All of these places have been listed as world heritage sites by the United Nations (UNESCO, 2008). Beijing opera was listed in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2010. It is widely regarded as one of the famous national treasures of China, with its infusion of artistic methods of singing, dialogue, dance, and martial arts. The Mei Lanfang Theater was built on the west side of Beijing in honor of the most outstanding Beijing opera artist, Mei Lanfang (18941961), and it opened to the public in 2007.2
Beijing has been established as a capital for more than 3,000 years. It has been the political center of the country for the past eight centuries. The city of Beijing held on to its capital role through the Qing Dynasty (16441911) and into the revolutionary ferment of the first half of the 1900s. After the Kuomintang government moved the national capital to Nanjing, Beijing became Beiping to emphasize that it was no longer a capital. The Kuomintang were defeated by Communist forces, and in 1949, Beijing surrendered to the Communist regime to become the capital city of the new China. On October 1, 1949, a grand ceremony was witnessed by 300,000 people in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, and Mao Zedong declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Since then it has become the center of the nation’s politics, education, culture, and international exchange.
