Unit 1 History 5
2. Match the following historical sites in Beijing with the
dynasties in which they were built.
the Temple of Earth the Qing dynasty
the White Dagoba Temple the Jin dynasty
Yuanmingyuan the Liao dynasty
the Lugou Bridge the Ming dynasty
the Longquan Temple the Yuan dynasty
3. Read the passage and answer the questions.
A Brief History of Beijing
Beijing has a history of more than 3,000 years.
As the northern gateway of the central plain, the Beijing area was increasingly
valued by the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties. In the Shang dynasty, the State of Ji was
formed in the area north of Beijing today. In the mid-11th century BC, after overthrowing
the Shang dynasty, King Wu of the Zhou vassalized the state of Ji. Its capital, the city of
Ji, was located in the Guang’anmen area in southwestern Beijing. In the 7th century BC,
the state of Yan annexed the state of Ji and established its capital in the City of Ji. During
the Warring States period, the city was famous for its prosperity.
In the Qin and Han dynasties, the Beijing area was the northern transportation
hub and military center in the central plain. From the Wei and the Jin to the Northern
dynasties, the area was relatively stable despite frequent regime changes. Then during
the Sui dynasty, the Tang dynasty and the Five dynasties, as the center of Youzhou, the
Beijing area developed steadily. During the Liao dynasty, Youzhou was promoted to the
southern political center and named Nanjing. It was also called Yanjing at that time.
In the Jin dynasty, King Hailing moved the capital from Shangjing to Yanjing and
named it Zhongdu. The center of Zhongdu was located in the area of Nanbinhe Road in
today’s Guang’anmen in Beijing.
In the Yuan dynasty, the capital was established at Dadu, the urban area of
present-day Beijing within the Second Ring Road, more specifically from the Yuan
Capital City Wall Site Park to Chang’an Avenue.
英语视听说教程——走进北京.indd 5 2023/5/17 15:15:51
