A City Steeped in History

THERE are two man-made miracles on the vast land of China： One is the Great Wall that undulates on the mountain ranges roughly from east to west， and the other is the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal that runs more than 1，000 miles from north to south. Nestled within the Great Wall and at the starting point of the Grand Canal is the ancient capital of China – Beijing.

Beijing – The Treasures of an Ancient Capital narrates some of the astounding 700，000-year history of Beijing， from the Peking Man， the Homo erectus that lived 750，000 years ago， to the present， especially its glorious past as the capital of the Yuan （1271-1368）， Ming （1368-1644）， and Qing （1644-1911） dynasties. The author， Yan Chongnian， is a historian who has devoted over three decades of dedicated study and academic work into the writing of this book， combing meticulously through cultural relics from past dynasties and their seasonal customs and everyday life， fully expressing his deep affection and great respect for the ancient capital and its history and culture. Moreover， the book contains more than 700 pictures that were shot mainly by the artist Yan Zhongyi. Hence， it can be regarded as a treasure trove of ancient culture and art， and a masterpiece of cultural history with vivid pictures and informative writing.

While weaving his narrative， Yan made a comparison of major historical events between the East and the West to satisfy readers appetites， which not only highlights Beijings significant position in the long course of the Chinese history， but also presents its tremendous impact on the worlds cultural exchanges.

The book consists of 38 chapters in total. Starting from the natural environment and geographical location of Beijing， it traces its history back to the Stone Age and the rise of the bronze civilization， and then narrates the history of Beijing which gradually developed into a major town called Ji in the north， the capital of the three Yan states – Qian Yan， Hou Yan， and Bei Yan， and then the capital for the Liao， Jin， and Yuan dynasties， where trade was brisk， technology and culture boomed， and people-to-people exchanges prospered. During the Ming Dynasty， Beijings city wall and moat， imperial palaces and gardens， altars and temples， the Great Wall， and the Grand Canal all came into existence. In the Qing Dynasty， with a booming economy and the integration of cultures from different ethnic groups， the city took on a prosperous look with various aspects of the society – including science and education， literature and drama， calligraphy and painting， and publishing – were thriving. The mansions of princes and princesses， the quadrangle courtyards for local residents， and the festivals and customs were all established with their unique styles. The book ends in the Republic of China （1911-1949） period.

Yan elaborates the concept that just as individuals have their own personality and traits， so do cities have their own unique characteristics. So then what are the main traits of Beijing？

First， it has an incredibly lengthy history like a surging river flowing endlessly. Among the six ancient capitals of China – Xian， Luoyang， Kaifeng， Nanjing， Hangzhou， Beijing， and even the top 10 famous capitals in the world– Baghdad， Beijing， Cairo， London， Mexico City， Moscow， Paris， Rome， Tokyo and Washington D.C.， Beijing is the one with the longest history.

Second， it boasts a grand and exquisite layout. The Forbidden City， where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived and ruled over the country， is located on the central axis that runs from north to south. The city wall and moat， palaces and gardens， altars and temples， government mansions and residential courtyards are all laid out symmetrically on both sides of the central axis. The implementation of capital planning and design is a perfect representation of traditional Chinese philosophy and aesthetics.

Third， it has multiple royal palaces and plentiful splendid treasures. Beijing embodies the essence of Chinese culture and art. There are 1.8 million cultural relics in the Palace Museum. Beijings Temple of Heaven， the Summer Palace， the Ming Tombs， and the Great Wall have all been inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage list.

Beijing is also rich with historic architectures. There were more than 1，000 altars， temples and monasteries in their heyday. The earliest still surviving Tanzhe Temple was built even before the city came into being according to folklore. The temples of the Liao， Jin， Yuan， Ming， and Qing dynasties are scattered all over the city.

Beijing is also a place where the cultures of many ethnic groups have fused and blended， and where the worlds cultures and civilizations meet and learn from each other. The buildings and gardens in the city have absorbed the strengths of various ethnic cultures. People from different ethnic backgrounds live harmoniously in Beijing； their respective lifestyles， traditions and customs， and religious beliefs have all contributed to enriching the everyday life in Beijing.

The majestic Niujie Mosque built in the Liao Dynasty （916-1125） is a typical example of cultural exchanges in Beijing. The city became a cultural center of the world around the time of the Yuan Dynasty. Then during the Ming Dynasty， Beijing had mutual exchanges with 87 countries. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi （1662-1722） of the Qing Dynasty， Western Jesuits entered the imperial court， bringing with them modern technology and culture that had an impact on the emperor and his subjects； meanwhile， they helped spread Chinese culture to Europe. It was at that time that the Chinese Confucian classics were translated and introduced into the West. In the late Qing Dynasty， foreign nations that had established embassies and consulates in Beijing numbered 29， which symbolized closer relations and cultural exchanges between the East and the West.

As an embodiment of the spiritual and material civilization of the Chinese nation over the past 5，000 years， Beijing is a treasure trove of brilliant Chinese history， culture and art. This time， foreign readers will be treated to the unfolding of those treasures like a traditional Chinese hand scroll， and the book is meant to be studied and relished at a leisurely pace.