History glossary
Beijing
the Qing imperial capital that Anglo-French forces entered during the Second Opium War.
- Category
- Capital city
- Region
- China
- Date range
- Qing era
What it means
Beijing was the Qing imperial capital and the political center of the empire. In 1860, Anglo-French forces advanced on the city, the Xianfeng Emperor fled to Rehe and the resulting settlement imposed further concessions on Qing China.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Opium Wars
From the Canton System to the fall of Beijing, the Opium Wars turned illegal trade, imperial power and Qing weakness into a new unequal treaty order.
Imperial Japan
From Meiji modernisation to colonial rule, militarism, mobilisation and defeat, Imperial Japan rose as a modern empire before collapsing in 1945.
The Age of Exploration
An era of exploration and empire linking continents through trade, conquest, and cultural exchange.
The Cold War
Rivalry between East and West shapes global politics - through proxy wars, propaganda, and nuclear tension.
The Kim Dynasty
North Korea’s Kim dynasty built a nuclear-armed regime, maintaining power through crises and control.
The Korean War
A Cold War conflict that divided Korea, ending in stalemate and a lasting unresolved border.
The Vietnam War
From decolonisation to Cold War conflict, the Vietnam War reshaped Southeast Asia and global politics.
The Pacific War
From imperial expansion in Manchuria to surrender in 1945, the Pacific War remade Asia through conquest, occupation, naval warfare, and devastating defeat.
