Beijing, also known as Peking, is the capital city of the People’s Republic of China.

Beijing, the second largest city in China after Shanghai, is the cultural, political, and intellectual center of the country, as well as a major industrial and commercial metropolis. Initially settled more than 2,000 years ago, it has been the capital of China for most of the last 700 years.

Beijing is one of four municipalities under the direct leadership of the Chinese Central Government.