Chronology of Beijing

A Brief Chronology of Beijing

• 700,000 B.C. Peking Man
• 1045 B.C. Ji city founded in Beijing
• 226 B.C. Emperor Qin Shihuang occupied Ji
• 581-618 Called Zhuojun
• 618-907 Called Youzhou
• 916-1125 Called Nanjing, capital of Liao
• 1153 Called Zhongdu, capital of Kin
• 1215 Occupied by Genghis Khan and called Yanjing
• 1272 Called Dadu, capital of Yuan
• 1368 Called Beiping under the Ming empire
• 1403 Renamed Beijing
• 1406 Forbidden City--construction began
• 1421 Became the Ming Capital
• 1564 Expanded further south to form the present-day city size
• 1644 Became the Qing Capital
• 1860 British-French Allied Forces invaded the city and burned down Yuanmingyuan Gardens
• 1900 Eignt-Power Allied Forces invaded the city to suppress Boxer Movement
• 1911 Sun Yat-sen's revolution put an end to the rule of the Qing
• 1912 Founding of the Republic of China (then renamed Beiping)
• 1937 Japan invaded Beijing
• 1945 Surrender of Japan
• 1949 Founding of the People's Republic of China, resumed the name Beijin