Short answers, pulled from the story.
The name Beijing was applied in 1403 to distinguish it from Nanjing, the Southern Capital, and means Northern Capital. It has remained the official designation since the founding of the People's Republic of China on the 1st of October 1949.
The Yongle Emperor established the Forbidden City between 1406 and 1420. This massive structure was built under his rule after he renamed the city Beiping and established it as the primary capital in 1403.
In 2013, Beijing experienced 58 days of heavy pollution affecting 600 million people, while 2024 saw only two days of heavy pollution. This represents a 96.6 percent decrease from the 58 days recorded in 2013.
Beijing served as the capital for the state of Ji, the Yan dynasty, and the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The city was razed and rebuilt multiple times by these ruling powers, including Kublai Khan's Dadu constructed from 1264 to 1293.
Beijing has eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site, Beijing Central Axis, and parts of the Great Wall and the Grand Canal. These sites contribute to the city's status as one of the most well-known tourist destinations in the world.
Beijing became the first city ever to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics in 2022. It previously hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2008 Summer Paralympics Games before achieving this dual status.