China's capital Beijing literally means "Northern Capital" in Mandarin Chinese.
Beijing Means "Northern Capital" in Chinese
Beijing, home to over 21 million people and one of the world's most influential cities, has a name that reveals its historical significance. The Chinese characters 北京 literally translate to "Northern Capital" - 北 (běi) meaning "north" and 京 (jīng) meaning "capital."
A Capital City's Identity Crisis
Beijing hasn't always been Beijing. The city was known as Beiping (北平, "Northern Peace") before the Ming dynasty's Yongle Emperor renamed it in 1403. He'd just successfully overthrown his nephew in the Jingnan Campaign and wanted to establish his northern stronghold as a second capital alongside Nanjing (南京 - literally "Southern Capital") in the south.
The name disappeared briefly in the 20th century when it reverted to Beiping, but was restored in 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded. What better way to signal Beijing's return to power than giving it back its "capital" name?
The Gate Confusion
Many people mistakenly think Beijing means "gate," likely because of famous landmarks like Tiananmen (天安门 - "Gate of Heavenly Peace"). The Chinese character for gate is 门 (mén), which appears throughout Beijing in place names but isn't part of the city's own name.
China's other major cities follow different naming patterns entirely. Shanghai means "Upon the Sea," Guangzhou refers to a historic province, and Hong Kong translates to "Fragrant Harbor." Only Beijing and Nanjing explicitly brand themselves as capitals in their names.
East Meets East
Beijing isn't alone in this naming convention. Tokyo, Japan's capital, uses the same Chinese character 京 in its name - 東京 (Dongjing) means "Eastern Capital." This reflects the shared Chinese character system that spread throughout East Asia, creating linguistic connections across borders.
Today, Beijing is so synonymous with being China's capital that Chinese speakers often abbreviate the entire city to just its second character: 京. On license plates, official documents, and everyday speech, that single character says it all - this is the capital.