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 China represents one of the earliest civilizations in the world
with a recorded history of about 3,600 years. It
possesses rich historical documents as well as ancient
relics. Like other nations,
China, in its development, passed through the stages of
primitive society, slave society, and feudal society.
During the middle decades of the 19th century, capitalist
forces of foreign countries invaded
China, and China
was slowly transformed into a semi-colonial and
semi-feudal society. The founding of the People's
Republic in 1949 marked China's entry into the socialist stage. During the long period
of historical development, the industrious, courageous,
and intelligent Chinese people of all nationalities
collectively created a great civilization. The Chinese
people have made great contributions to all of mankind,
including, paper, fireworks, the compass, and the abacus.
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 Beijing
is the capital of the People's Republic of
China
and it is China's political and cultural center. Archaeological
discoveries have shown that Beijing
is the cradle of the Chinese nation. It is here
that the "Peking Man" -- an ancestor
of the ancient Chinese nation -- lived about half a million years ago. About 3,000
years ago, Beijing
became an important town in
North China. In the 11th century B.C., a northern kingdom
called Yan established its capital in Beijing, which was then known as "Yanjing".
Later, the Kin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties
(1115-1911) all made Beijing
their capital, so that it served as China's political center for 700 years. Construction
during various feudal dynasties has left
Beijing
a host of historical and cultural relics,
imperial palaces and gardens, imperial
residences, temples, pavilions, archways and
stone carvings, including the Ming Tombs, the
Great Wall, and the
Forbidden City.
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 The
Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most
significant archeological excavations of the
20th century. Upon ascending the throne at the
age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the
first Emperor of all China, began 11 years of work on his mausoleum. Many
buried treasures and sacrificial objects
accompanied the emperor to his afterlife
including over 7,000 life-size terra cotta
figures of warriors, chariots, and horses
arranged in battle formations.
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Notable Chinese
Dalai
Lama, the religious head of Lamaism, a
branch of Buddhism in Tibet.
Confucius, one
of the greatest philosophers in Chinese and
world history.
Genghis
Khan, a Mongolian emperor and military
leader.
Bruce
Lee, widely considered to be the greatest
martial arts actor of the 20th century.
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