PEKIN

Pekin, the city of Beijing, also spelled Peking, is the capital of China, on a sandy plain in the basin of the Pei-ho, is divided into two portions, each separately walled, the northern or Manchu city and the southern or Chinese. The former contains the Purple Forbidden city, in which are the Imperial palaces; surrounding it is the August city, in which are a colossal copper Buddha and the Temple of Great Happiness. Outside this are the government offices, foreign legations, the temple of Confucius, a great Buddhist monastery, a Roman Catholic cathedral, and Christian mission stations. The Chinese city has many temples, mission stations, schools, and hospitals. It is a well connected city. Its trade and industry are good. It is one of the oldest cities in the world. It was Kubla Khan's capital, and has been the metropolis of the empire since 1421 and now of the government.