Student Exchange Programme
Department of Public Policy
Beijing
The landscape and the characteristics of China’s ancient capital cities are time and the shape of history. The scenic wonders, the heritages and the modern glamorous of these cities are valuable treasures of the Chinese civilization.
Capital Cities of China : the Old and the New
Hutong, the traditional alleyways around the Forbidden City, is a unique delicacy in Beijing. Most of these buildings are heritage from Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
The Forbidden city was surrounded by a moat which served as the first line of defence.
The Temple Heaven (Tiantan – the altar of Heaven)
Tiantan was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayers to Heaven for good harvests.
” The symbolic layout and design of the Temple of Heaven had a profound influence on architecture and planning in the Far East over many centuries” (UNESCO World Heritage).
The Summer Palace (Yihe Yuan)
The Great Wall
Modern Marvels
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Xian was the capital of many dynasties in ancient Chinese history, among which the most well-known were the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties.
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The silk road which linked China with central Asia and Europe starts in Xian in the east
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It is the cradle of Chinese civilization and is rich in cultural heritage and relics
Political Capital of PRC
Nanjing
Nanjing was an ancient city and is a modern metropolis.
Night view of Qinhuai River
- a tributary of Yantze River that runs through central Nanjing city
Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge
With a mix of old and new, it has witnessed many defining moments in Chinese history.
It was the capital of Ming Dynasty (before Yongle Emperor moved the capital to Beijing), the office where Dr. Sun Yat-sen proclaimed the establishment of the Republic of China in 1911, and the Headquarter of the Nationalist Government after Chiang Kai-shek recaptured Nanjing in 1927.
Chiang’s Government fled to Chongqing during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-45).
After the war, Nanjing was once again the capital of the Republic of China till the Nationalist Government fled to Taiwan in 1949.
The Presidential Office in Nanjing
The Presidential office is now a museum, the China Modern History Museum.
Mochou Lake
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is situated at the foot of Mount Zijin (紫金山) in Nanjing. It is a scenic area exhibiting a sense of tranquility and dignity.
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum
The Nanjing Memorial Hall
– a modern architecture built in 1985 in memory of a historical event, the Nanjing Massacre in 1937.
Modern Nanjing
Today, Nanjing is a modern metropolis second to Shanghai in the eastern region of China. It is an important transportation hub in the Yangtze River delta.
Nanjing Yangtze river bridge
Origin of the name “Zijin Cheng” (Purple Forbidden City): In Imperial China, the emperor was referred as the “Son of Heaven”. The “Purple Palace” is where God lives in Heaven. The residence of the “Son of Heaven” on earth was therefore a divine place forbidden to ordinary people.
Beijing Today
China was referred as the “Middle Kingdom”. The “Imperial Palace”, located in the centre of Beijing Inner City, was a symbol of the supreme power of the emperor given from God to rule the world.
Nanjing
The Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties: Apart from the watchtower, it consists of spectacular aggregations of palaces, gardens, courtyards, towers, and pavilions.
Modern Beijing
Today, Beijing is the political capital of the People's Republic of China where many international activities take place. There are many modern architecture marvels, apart from skyscrapers located in the busy commercial areas of the Outer City.
Beijing Today
Xi'an
夫子廟街道 is a busy street near Qinhuai River (秦淮河) that mixed with well-known foreign brand stores like MacDonald and KFC but also some traditional buildings.
Cultural Hertiage - Beijing
Beijing was the capital of various ancient Chinese governments, including the Yuan (1271 - 1368), Ming (1402 -1424) and Qing (1644 – 1912) dynasties. It is renowned for its rich heritage, many of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The Forbidden City
Xi’an: The past meets the present
Xian was the ancient capital of China, including the Qin (221-206 BC), Han (206 BC – 220 AD) and Tang Dynasty (618 to 907). During the Han and Tang dynasties, Xian (Chang’an) was the centre of politics, economy and culture. It was the starting point of the Silk Road, an oriental guesthouse for the traders.
Bell Tower (Zhong Lou)
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The Bell Tower, the geographical mark of the city centre, is the symbol of Xian.
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From the centre extend East, South, West and North Streets which connect the Bell Tower to the gates of the City Walls in the east, south, west and north of the inner city.
The Terracotta Warrior exhibition
The City Wall of Xian
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The existing city wall, built in the Ming dynasty, is the oldest and the best preserved city wall in China.
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The city walls encircle the square inner city with a moat and divide Xian into the inner part and outer part.
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Qin Shi Huang (221BC-206BC) was the first emperor who united China
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Qin’s tomb has not been excavated yet. Only the Terracotta Army to the east of the tomb mound has been partly excavated.
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Qin’s tomb was guarded by Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses -- a strong army of 7,000 life-size pottery soldiers, horses, chariots and weapons arranged in battle formations symbolically.
The Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang
& the Terra Cotta Warriors
Beilin Museum
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A museum which displays mainly works of calligraphy, steles, stone sculptures and historical records
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One of the best stores in the museum are the steles on which carved the text of twelve Confucian classics
Xian Today
The Muslim Street
(Hui Min Jie)
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Xian was the starting point of the silk road in the east. Historically, many traders and businessmen from Central Asia and Middle East came and settled down in Xian. Their descendants grew and a hub of Muslim community is now located to the north of the West Street in the city centre.
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Nearby the Muslim quarter is the Muslim Market which is a tourist site for food and souvenirs.
Xian Nightview
Modern Nanjing
Exchange students going to the mainland have opportunities to visit the ancient capital cities, China's rich cultural heitage ,and its modern development today.
"Visiting the capital cities of China gives us a good snapshot of China in the past and present. China indeed is a country with long civilization and dynamic energy for further development."
-By
CHAU Yin Ting (BSSPPMP), Exchange study at Renmin University (2013/14 Semester B)
LAM Ho Yan (BSSPSA), Exchange study at Nanjing University (2010/11 Semester B)
NG Wai Lok (BSSPPMP), Exchange study at Tsinghua University (2013/14 Semester B)