The CITY of INTELLECTUALS--Beijing Through the Centuries

This book is about the history and culture of Beijing and it was illustrated with a great number of excellent photographs of our ancient city, and it would have to be both entertaining and academically valuable.

A historical review of Beijing reveals that it is a giant cultural project accomplished through the efforts of many generations. The earliest inhabitant in this area, so far as we know, was Peking Man who made his home here some 500,000 years ago. The city was built and rebuilt through the centuries, but it was not until the 13th century, under the Yuan dynasty, that it became the national capital. Today's Beijing is largely the result of the work done under three dynasties-Yuan, Ming and Qing, during which the city attained its full glory and won recognition as a leading metropolis of the world.