Beijing has always been considered an ideal selection for the nation's capital according to Fengshui theories. It is a city surrounded by a series of mountains - the number one criterion for good Fengshui.

A map of China shows Beijing sandwiched between two arms of Kunlun Mountain to the left and right. Not many other cities in the world are encircled with so many layers of hills. Fengshui theory believes that being surrounded by mountains symbolizes people all over the country supporting the city.

Beijing's water system also perfectly matches the standards of good Fengshui, with the water in Yuquan Spring dubbed the "First Spring under Heaven" by Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The emperor believed the two prime criteria for good water are "pleasant in taste," and "light in weight." He ordered a silver cup made to measure the weight and quality of springs all over China. The lightest and sweetest water turned out to be from Beijing's Yuquan Spring, which led the emperor to write an article titled First Spring under Heaven Made by the Order of His Majesty.

Boasting someof the best Fengshui in the world, Beijing is a time-honored city of rich culture, a renowned ancient capital and has always been a place of strategic importance. Not only that, some of the world's oldest links to human ancestry can be found in the area. Some 700,000 years ago the primitive Peking Man appeared in what is now suburban Beijing's Zhoukoudian.

The city first became the capital of the Ji and Yan kingdoms in 1,045BC. From 221BC when Emperor Qinshihuang united China to 937AD, Beijing played an important role in the north and was the capital of choice for local governments. The Liao Dynasty (916-1125) made Yanjing (Beijing) the auxiliary capital in 938AD. The city has been an on-and-off capital throughout the Jin (1115-1234), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644), and Qing dynasties. On October 1, 1949, Beijing was made the capital of the People's Republic of China as the political, economic, and cultural center of the country.

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