6 Things You May Not Know About Beijing

Every city holds many secrets that aren't well-known. Beijing is no exception and we uncover 6 things that aren't widely known.

Situated in the north of China, Beijing is one of the most populous cities in the world and the economic and political centre of the nation. For centuries people have flocked to this thriving metropolis, renown for its opulent palaces, beautiful gardens, artistic treasures and intricately crafted tombs. Steeped in history, Beijing is a fascinating city to visit and live in, but there’s more to Beijing than you may think. Come explore some of these lesser known facts about Beijing.

1. The Forbidden City has almost 10,000 rooms

Occupied until the fall of the last dynasty in the early 1900s, the Forbidden City is comprised of the palaces of the Chinese emperors and served as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese Government. Located just beyond one of the largest city squares in the world, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden CIty exists as the world’s largest surviving palace complex and is one of the most visited attractions for both international and local tourists.

Built during the Ming dynasty, the Forbidden City took 14 years to construct and required the efforts of thousands of skilled artisans and up to 1 million labourers. Being primarily made of wood, the buildings in the Forbidden city have succumbed to fire dozens of times, but in each instance they have been restored and rebuilt to maintain the majesty and history of this incredible structure.

2. Beijing is one of the world’s fastest growing metropolises

Beijing has been the traditional capital of China for centuries, but in the course of less than 100 years it has become the site of a major push towards modernization, typified in its successful bid and hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Indeed, Beijing is caught between balancing the often contradictory goals of protecting its historic and traditional buildings and embracing an increasingly globalized and rapidly developing world, “Hutong,” Beijing’s traditional neighbourhoods, have borne the brunt of this push for modernity, having been bulldozed to make way for high rise apartment buildings, skyscrapers and shopping malls.

Whilst China has established a one-child policy in an attempt to limit the skyrocketing population, many people have moved to Beijing for work, leading to a population expansion of almost 50 percent since 2000. This relentless appetite for development has not come without cost.

3. Beijing has one of the highest pollution levels in the world

Population density often has a negative impact on air quality levels, and Beijing has one of the world’s most significant pollution problems. Pollution is visible as a thick smog that hovers over the city, and many residents opt to use a small surgical mask to protect themselves from the choking air pollution.

One of the most widely used measures of air quality is through analysis of the air and the number of parts per million particles that are smaller than 10 micrometres in diameter. Beijing records an average level of pollution 10 times the level of the most polluted area in the United States. In 2011, an air quality meter installed by the United States embassy recorded a spike in pollution that exceeded measurable levels, leading to a now infamous statement that the pollution levels in Beijing were “crazy high.”

4. There are only 1,600 surnames in use in Beijing

If you ever thought that you had a common surname, it’s probably not as common as if you were born in China. Beijing, with a population of almost 21 million people, has a surprisingly shallow pool of surnames with 21 percent of the population sharing one of three last names. Wang is the most popular surname, followed by Zhang and Li.

In addition to this, just 100 surnames are shared by over 85 percent of the population. This contrasts with other countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom where Smith, easily the most popular surname is shared by just 1 percent of the population.

5. The bicycle is king in Beijing

There are more bicycles in China than any other country. Around 500 million bikes are owned across the country, and in many areas bikes outnumber cars by 10 to one. One of the most enduring images of Beijing is swarms of bicycles criss crossing their way across the streets in seemingly chaotic swarms as people transport everything from children to sofas on the backs of their two wheeled transport.

With a population that has exploded over the past decade and a half, and a corresponding spike in road usage, authorities have indicated they wish to encourage bicycle riding further in the Chinese capital. Many roads have defined bike paths and around 50 percent of road traffic in Beijing is bicycles, but as disposable income increases people are shifting away from this mode of transport and purchasing cars and other motorized transport.

6. Ice Cream originated in Beijing

Like many inventions that have revolutionized modern culture - gunpowder and paper - ice cream traces its roots back to ancient China, and more specifically, to Beijing. China experiences great fluctuations in temperature and Beijing is often subjected to fiercely cold winters, which allowed for the ever innovative citizens of Beijing to create and discover new culinary creations. Records have uncovered that Emperor Tang, the founder of the Shang Dynasty, ordered concoctions made from frozen cow, goat or buffalo milk and rice which provided the foundations for what we now know as ice cream.

It has been reported that the explorer Marco Polo was the first to bring ice cream from the Far East to Italy, where it was refined and made popular across the rest of Europe and eventually the world.

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