Beijing is the capital of China and it used to be called Peking. The city is part of the north east border of the country that is formed by the Great Wall of China. Beijing has a population of almost 7 million people but the municipality of Beijing has an area of almost 1800 square kilometres and has a population of well over 12 million people.

Beijing was founded about 2000 years ago and in the 13th century was the capital of the Mongol Emperor Kublai Kahn. It later became Nanking and was again capital from 1421 until 1928. During the period 1928 to 1949, it was renamed Peiping and was held by Japan between 1937 and 1945.

Beijing is famous in recent history for the events that occurred in Tiananmen Square in 1989 when troops massacred over 1000 students and ordinary people who were demonstrating for greater freedom and democracy.