 - 1. Beijing, the sprawling capital of China, is a city steeped in history and cultural significance. With a population exceeding 21 million, it is the political, educational, and cultural heart of the country. Known for its rich tapestry of ancient traditions and modern advancements, Beijing boasts remarkable historical landmarks such as the iconic Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that served as the imperial palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The majestic Great Wall of China, another of the city's highlights, stretches across the northern landscapes, offering breathtaking views and a glimpse into the past. Contemporary architecture, such as the awe-inspiring Bird's Nest Stadium and the futuristic CCTV Headquarters, contrasts strikingly with the city's more traditional elements like the serene Temple of Heaven and the bustling hutongs—narrow alleyways that reveal a glimpse of local life and culture. Culinary experiences in Beijing are equally diverse, with famous dishes like Peking duck drawing food lovers from around the globe, while bustling markets and street vendors add to the vibrant atmosphere. Throughout the year, the city hosts numerous festivals and events, celebrating everything from traditional arts to modern innovations, making it a dynamic hub of activity and a must-visit destination that captivates both history enthusiasts and contemporary explorers alike.
Which is the capital city of China?
A) Guangzhou
B) Hong Kong
C) Beijing
D) Shanghai
- 2. In which continent is Beijing located?
A) Australia
B) Africa
C) Europe
D) Asia
- 3. What is the official language of Beijing?
A) Cantonese
B) Mandarin
C) Spanish
D) English
- 4. What is the traditional Chinese art of writing called?
A) Calligraphy
B) Typography
C) Cursive
D) Graffiti
- 5. Which event was held in Beijing in 2008?
A) FIFA World Cup
B) Tour de France
C) Summer Olympics
D) Super Bowl
- 6. What is the main mode of public transport in Beijing?
A) Subway
B) Rickshaw
C) Hot Air Balloon
D) Gondola
- 7. Which dynasty built the Forbidden City in Beijing?
A) Han Dynasty
B) Qing Dynasty
C) Ming Dynasty
D) Tang Dynasty
- 8. What is the name of the main shopping street in Beijing?
A) Champs-Élysées
B) Oxford Street
C) Rodeo Drive
D) Wangfujing
- 9. What type of traditional performance is popular in Beijing?
A) Broadway Show
B) Peking Opera
C) Circus
D) Comedy Club
- 10. What is the name of the historic hutong neighborhood in Beijing known for its narrow alleyways and traditional courtyard residences?
A) Sanlitun
B) Qianmen
C) Nanluoguxiang
D) Wangfujing
- 11. Which famous square in Beijing is one of the largest city squares in the world?
A) Heavenly Square
B) The Forbidden Square
C) Tiananmen Square
D) Tianjin Square
- 12. Which famous hill in Beijing offers panoramic views of the Forbidden City and the city of Beijing?
A) Jingshan Hill
B) Yingshan Hill
C) Miaoying Hill
D) Fragrant Hills
- 13. What traditional Chinese musical instrument has multiple strings and is played with a bow?
A) Piano
B) Erhu
C) Flute
D) Guitar
- 14. Which famous Chinese philosopher's tomb is located in Beijing?
A) Aristotle
B) Socrates
C) Plato
D) Confucius
- 15. Which ancient Chinese practice involves the precise placement of objects in relation to the flow of energy (qi) to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment?
A) Acupuncture
B) Feng Shui
C) Tai Chi
D) Qi Gong
- 16. Which Chinese martial art is known as 'shadow boxing'?
A) Karate
B) Tai Chi
C) Judo
D) Kung Fu
- 17. What is the traditional Chinese game involving black and white stones on a board?
A) Go
B) Backgammon
C) Checkers
D) Chess
- 18. The Ming Dynasty Tombs are located near Beijing. How many emperors from the Ming Dynasty are buried there?
A) 13
B) 9
C) 11
D) 7
- 19. Which traditional Chinese art form features intricate knotting of cords?
A) Quilting
B) Chinese Knotting
C) Macramé
D) Wood Carving
- 20. What traditional Chinese instrument is known for its plucked strings and is often played in Beijing opera?
A) Dizi
B) Guzheng
C) Erhu
D) Pipa
- 21. In Beijing opera, what color signifies loyalty and bravery?
A) Yellow
B) Green
C) Red
D) Blue
- 22. The 2008 Summer Olympics were hosted in Beijing. What is the name of the iconic stadium built for the event?
A) Dragon's Lair
B) Golden Pavilion
C) Water Cube
D) Bird's Nest
- 23. What is the name of the traditional Chinese dumpling with a filling inside?
A) Empanada
B) Calzone
C) Jiaozi
D) Croissant
- 24. Which Chinese tea is known as 'Dragon Well'?
A) Earl Grey
B) English Breakfast
C) Longjing
D) Chamomile
- 25. As of the information provided, what is Beijing's rank in terms of population among national capital cities worldwide?
A) Fourth-most populous
B) Second-most populous
C) Third-most populous
D) Most populous
- 26. Which city is larger than Beijing by urban area in China?
A) Tianjin
B) Chengdu
C) Shanghai
D) Guangzhou
- 27. What cluster does Beijing form with Hebei Province and Tianjin Municipality?
A) Capital Triangle
B) Jing-Jin-Ji
C) Northern China Cluster
D) Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei
- 28. How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located in Beijing?
A) Eight
B) Twelve
C) Ten
D) Five
- 29. Which of the following is not a major tourist attraction in Beijing?
A) Great Wall (entire structure)
B) Temple of Heaven
C) Summer Palace
D) Forbidden City
- 30. What traditional housing style is common in urban Beijing?
A) Bungalows
B) Siheyuans
C) Villas
D) Mansions
- 31. Which area in Beijing is known for scientific and technological innovation?
A) Zhongguancun
B) Haidian District
C) Dongcheng District
D) Chaoyang District
- 32. How many foreign embassies are hosted by Beijing?
A) 150
B) 176
C) 100
D) 200
- 33. Which organization is headquartered in Beijing and focuses on infrastructure investment?
A) International Monetary Fund
B) World Bank
C) European Investment Bank
D) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
- 34. What was the rank of Beijing's subway system in terms of busyness worldwide in 2020?
A) First-busiest
B) Third-busiest
C) Second-busiest
D) Fourth-busiest
- 35. Which university is not part of the top-ranked public universities in Beijing?
A) UCAS
B) Beijing Normal University
C) Peking University
D) Tsinghua University
- 36. What does 'Beijing' mean?
A) 'Eastern Capital'
B) 'Northern Capital'
C) 'Western Capital'
D) 'Southern Capital'
- 37. In which year was the name Beijing first applied to the city?
A) 1403
B) 1300
C) 1605
D) 1500
- 38. What is the meaning of the Chinese character 北 (běi)?
A) 'West'
B) 'East'
C) 'South'
D) 'North'
- 39. What does the Chinese character 京 (jīng) mean?
A) 'Village'
B) 'City'
C) 'Capital'
D) 'Province'
- 40. What is the IATA code for Beijing Capital International Airport?
A) BJI
B) PEK
C) BCA
D) BPI
- 41. What is the single Chinese character abbreviation for Beijing?
A) 京
B) 东
C) 南
D) 北
- 42. What is the official Latin alphabet abbreviation for Beijing?
A) "BE"
B) "BN"
C) "BC"
D) "BJ"
- 43. What is the significance of Peking Man fossils found near Zhoukoudian?
A) They mark the site of the first walled city in Beijing
B) They are from Homo sapiens dating to about 27,000 years ago
C) They were discovered during the Han dynasty
D) They date back to 230,000 to 250,000 years ago
- 44. Which state conquered Ji and made it its new capital?
A) The state of Youzhou
B) The state of Guangyang
C) The state of Ji
D) The state of Yan
- 45. What was the original name of Beijing during the Tang dynasty?
A) Guang'anmen
B) Nanjing
C) Zhongdu
D) Ji, later replaced by Youzhou or Yanjing
- 46. What was Beijing called when it served as a military frontier command center under the Tang dynasty?
A) Zhongdu
B) Youzhou, or Yanjing
C) Dadu
D) Guang'anmen
- 47. What year did Zhu Yuanzhang capture Dadu/Khanbaliq?
A) 1420
B) 1368
C) 1403
D) 1644
- 48. What was the original name of Beiping before it was renamed Beijing?
A) Dadu
B) Nanjing
C) Shangdu
D) Yingtian
- 49. Who was created 'Prince of Yan' and given Beiping as a fief?
A) Zhu Di
B) Li Zicheng
C) Matteo Ricci
D) Hongwu Emperor
- 50. When did the construction of the Forbidden City begin?
A) 1652
B) 1406
C) 1420
D) 1368
- 51. On what date was Beijing officially designated as the capital of the Ming dynasty?
A) 31 December 1644
B) 28 October 1420
C) 1 January 1403
D) 15 August 1368
- 52. Who was responsible for abandoning Beijing after capturing it in 1644?
A) Prince Dorgon
B) Zhu Di
C) Li Zicheng's peasant army
D) Hongwu Emperor
- 53. Who was the leader of the Manchu army that captured Beijing in 1644?
A) Li Zicheng
B) Zhu Yuanzhang
C) Hongwu Emperor
D) Prince Dorgon
- 54. What major construction was completed the same year Beijing became the capital?
A) Ming city wall
B) Temple of Heaven
C) The Forbidden City
D) Nantang Cathedral
- 55. Which emperor ordered to return the primary capital back to Nanjing in 1425?
A) Hongwu Emperor
B) Jianwen Emperor
C) Hongxi Emperor
D) Yongle Emperor
- 56. When was the first known church constructed by Catholics in Beijing?
A) 1420
B) 1652
C) 1368
D) 1403
- 57. Who established a chapel at the site where Nantang Cathedral was later built?
A) Li Zicheng
B) Matteo Ricci
C) Hongwu Emperor
D) Zhu Di
- 58. Until what year did the Ming city wall serve Beijing?
A) 1644
B) 1965
C) 1652
D) 1420
- 59. In what year was Beijing declared the sole capital of the empire?
A) 1800
B) 1600
C) 1700
D) 1644
- 60. Which dynasty made modifications to the Imperial residence in Beijing but largely retained the Ming buildings and layout?
A) Han
B) Qing
C) Tang
D) Ming
- 61. During which conflict was the Old Summer Palace looted and burned by Anglo-French forces?
A) Second Opium War
B) First Opium War
C) Sino-Japanese War
D) Boxer Rebellion
- 62. How much was the indemnity China had to pay after the Boxer Rebellion, in current dollars?
A) US$500 million
B) US$1 billion
C) US$100 million
D) Over US$4 billion
- 63. What year did Empress Dowager Cixi die?
A) 1908
B) 1920
C) 1911
D) 1899
- 64. What revolution in 1911 led to the end of Qing rule?
A) The Xinhai Revolution
B) The Taiping Rebellion
C) The Cultural Revolution
D) The Boxer Rebellion
- 65. Who forced the abdication of the last Qing emperor?
A) Chiang Kai-shek
B) Mao Zedong
C) Yuan Shikai
D) Sun Yat-sen
- 66. In which year was Beijing's name changed back to Beiping?
A) 1915
B) 1928
C) 1937
D) 1949
- 67. What event triggered the Second Sino-Japanese War?
A) The Rape of Nanking
B) The Mukden Incident
C) The Marco Polo Bridge Incident
D) The Nanjing Massacre
- 68. When did the People's Liberation Army seize control of Beijing?
A) 1 October 1949
B) 31 January 1949
C) 28 June 1928
D) 7 July 1937
- 69. Who announced the creation of the People's Republic of China?
A) Deng Xiaoping
B) Sun Yat-sen
C) Mao Zedong
D) Yuan Shikai
- 70. What was the Gang of Four associated with?
A) The Xinhai Revolution
B) The Cultural Revolution
C) The Northern Expedition
D) The Pingjin Campaign
- 71. What was one of the urbanization problems faced by Beijing in recent years?
A) Heavy traffic
B) Lack of industrial development
C) Excessive green spaces
D) Decreased population
- 72. When was the Provisional Government of the Republic of China established in Beijing?
A) 7 July 1937
B) 31 January 1949
C) 28 June 1928
D) 29 July 1937
- 73. Which campaign led to the peaceful seizure of Beijing by the People's Liberation Army?
A) The Pingjin Campaign
B) The Northern Expedition
C) The Cultural Revolution
D) The Long March
- 74. What period saw the construction of 'boxy' Sino-Soviet style buildings?
A) Early 21st century
B) Between the 1950s and the 1970s
C) Before the 1900s
D) 1980s to 2000s
- 75. Which building is Beijing's tallest?
A) Forbidden City
B) CCTV Headquarters
C) China Zun
D) Beijing National Stadium
- 76. How many times has a Beijing building won the CTBUH Skyscraper Award for best overall tall building?
A) Once
B) Four times
C) Three times
D) Twice
- 77. Which buildings have won the CTBUH Skyscraper Award from Beijing?
A) Prince Gong Mansion and Residence of Soong Ching-ling
B) Beijing National Stadium and China Zun
C) Temple of Heaven and Forbidden City
D) Linked Hybrid building and CCTV Headquarters
- 78. Which building in Beijing received the CTBUH Skyscraper Award in 2009?
A) Linked Hybrid building
B) CCTV Headquarters
C) China Zun
D) Beijing National Stadium
- 79. What is the orientation of doorways in hutongs for good Feng Shui?
A) North and south
B) East and west
C) West and north
D) South and east
- 80. Which river system do the major rivers in Beijing belong to?
A) Yellow River system
B) Pearl River system
C) Yangtze River system
D) Hai River system
- 81. What is the largest reservoir within Beijing Municipality?
A) Yangtze Reservoir
B) Huanghe Reservoir
C) Miyun Reservoir on the Chaobai River
D) Tianjin Reservoir
- 82. How is Beijing's pattern of development often described?
A) Expanding in a circular manner
B) Growing vertically like skyscrapers
C) Developing along riverbanks
D) Spreading like a pancake (tan da bing)
- 83. What type of climate does Beijing have according to the Köppen classification?
A) Mediterranean
B) Tropical savanna
C) Humid continental (Dwa)
D) Monsoonal cold semi-arid (BSk)
- 84. What natural phenomenon can occur in spring that affects Beijing's climate?
A) Tornadoes
B) Blizzards
C) Sandstorms from the Gobi Desert
D) Hurricanes
- 85. What percentage of Beijing's ozone pollution can be traced to sources outside the city?
A) 100%
B) 70-80%
C) 35–60%
D) 10-20%
- 86. Which province has a significant influence on Beijing's air quality due to prevailing winds?
A) Guangdong Province
B) Fujian Province
C) Yunnan Province
D) Shandong Province
- 87. What was one of the measures taken by Beijing to improve air quality for the 2008 Summer Olympics?
A) Halting work at all construction sites
B) Increasing coal consumption
C) Reducing public transportation
D) Expanding industrial zones
- 88. What percentage of PM2.5 in Beijing is attributed to coal burning?
A) 90%
B) 10%
C) 70%
D) About 40%
- 89. What was the annual average concentration of PM2.5 in Beijing in 2022?
A) 70 micrograms per cubic meter
B) 30 micrograms per cubic meter
C) 50 micrograms per cubic meter
D) 100 micrograms per cubic meter
- 90. How many days of heavy pollution did Beijing experience in 2024?
A) 15 days
B) 58 days
C) 30 days
D) Two days
- 91. What was one environmental measure taken by the government to improve air quality before large events?
A) Cloud-seeding measures
B) Reducing public transportation
C) Expanding industrial zones
D) Increasing coal consumption
- 92. What was the reduction in fine particulates in Beijing in 2017?
A) 20%
B) 50%
C) 35%
D) 10%
- 93. When did the government announce that highly polluting old cars would be banned during smog red alerts?
A) July 2015
B) November 2016
C) March 2020
D) January 2008
- 94. What was the primary factor behind the reduction in pollutants after the 'war on pollution' was declared?
A) Expanding urban areas
B) Increasing industrial emissions
C) Replacing coal power with natural gas
D) Reducing public transportation
- 95. How does Beijing's municipal government issue administrative orders?
A) Administrative orders are issued by the National People's Congress.
B) The Municipal CCP Committee issues them.
C) The mayor directly issues all administrative orders.
D) Orders are issued by the Beijing Weather Modification Office.
- 96. What action does the Beijing Weather Modification Office sometimes take to mitigate dust storms?
A) Cancels outdoor events.
B) Artificially induces rainfall.
C) Evacuates affected areas.
D) Distributes masks to residents.
- 97. How many urban districts does Beijing Municipality currently comprise?
A) 18
B) 14
C) 12
D) 16
- 98. How many ethnic townships are there in Beijing?
A) 5
B) 15
C) 20
D) 10
- 99. What does the suffix 'mén' (门) signify in Beijing's place names?
A) City
B) Gate
C) Village
D) Town
- 100. When was the Beijing No. 3 Intermediate People's Court opened?
A) 15 July 2015
B) 1 January 2000
C) 21 August 2013
D) 30 December 2020
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