Few world cities have a record as long, as fascinating, or as well-documented as Beijing's. A capital almost continuously for more than a thousand years, the city has been Khubilai Khan's Mongol headquarters, home to emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the main stage for Communist-era achievements and upheavals. "Beijing" is the first book in English to trace this vibrant city's history from its earliest days to the present. It highlights recent changes in the city as its more than fifteen million people live through record-level economic growth and intensive preparations for the 2008 Olympics. Focusing on the lives of ordinary residents and rulers alike, the authors examine the controversial destruction of historic districts as well as the construction of new residential and business districts and Olympic venues. Extensive photographs and paintings, many not previously published, offer a window onto Beijing not only in major phases of its past, but also in its startlingly different present. Compelling and revealing, Beijing arrives just in time for the city's turn in the Olympic spotlight.

The evolution of a major city from ancient seat of the Chinese empire to modern host of the 2008 Olympics

The Emergence of Beijing as an Imperial Capital * The Forbidden City and the Qing Emperors * Daily Life in the Inner and Outer Cities * The City Besieged and the Last Emperors * "Old Beijing" and Republican China * Mao's Capital and Socialist Transformation * Economic Reform and Cultural Fever * Beijing Boom, Urban Crisis, and the Olympic City * Conclusion: Preserving the Past: The City as Museum and Showcase