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Beijiing, China

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Beijing

Beijing literally means "northern capital" (as opposed to Nanjing, meaning "southern capital" and Tonkin and Tokyo, both of which mean "eastern capital"). Beijing is sometimes referred to as Peking. The term originated with French missionaries four hundred years ago, and corresponds to an archaic pronunciation which does not take into account a /k/ to /t?/ sound change in Mandarin that occurred during the Qing dynasty. (/t?/ is represented in pinyin as j, as in Beijing.)

In China, the city has had many names. Between 1928 and 1949, it was known as Beiping ( Wade-Giles Peip'ing) or "Northern Peace". The name was changed because jing means "capital" and the Kuomintang government in Nanjing wanted to emphasize that Beijing was not the capital of China, and Beijing's warlord government was not legitimate.

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The name was changed back to Beijing by the Japanese, since Beijing was the capital of a North China; at the end of World War II the Republic of China changed the name back. The Communist Party of China changed the name to Beijing in 1949 again in part to emphasize that Beijing was the capital of China. The government of the Republic of China on Taiwan has not formally recognized the name change, and during the 1950s and 1960s it was common for Beijing to be called Peiping on Taiwan. Today, almost everyone on Taiwan, including the ROC government, uses the term Beijing, although some maps of China from Taiwan still use the old name along with pre-1949 provincial boundaries.

Beijing borders Hebei province to the north, west, south, and for a tiny fraction to the east. The southwestern part borders Tianjin municipality. Hills dominate the scene to the north, northwest and west of Beijing.

The city's climate is harsh, characterized by hot, humid summers (due to the East Asian monsoon), and cold, windy, dry winters (reflecting the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclone, or high-pressure system).

The urban area of Beijing spreads out in bands of concentric ring roads. Tian'anmen is right at the centre of Beijing, and is directly to the south of the well-known Forbidden City, and to the east of Zhongnanhai, current residence of the paramount leaders of the People's Republic of China. Running through central Beijing from east to west is the well-known Chang'an Avenue.

Most of the area of Beijing Municipality, however, is found outside the urban area of Beijing, and extends in all directions, especially northwards into the Yanshan Mountains.

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Hostels in Beijing, China
Red House 10, Taiping Zhuangcun Xilu Tel. 6416-75-00 http://www.redhouse.com.cn Beijing Central	Jinghua Inter. Youth Hostel Xi Luo Yuan Nanli Yong Ding Men Wai Tel. Beijing           Book this Hostel
Leo Hostel 2 Guang Ju Yuan,52 Da Zha Lan Xi Jie, Qianmen 5 minutes Tiananmen Square Beijing              Book this Hostel	Zhuyuan Binguan 24, Xiaoshiqaio Hutong Tel: 0086-10-64032229 http://www.bbgh.com.cn/en1.htm Beijing South

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