Museums in Beijing

About 460,000 years ago, Beijing was merely a primitive settlement. Later it grew into a political centre of Yan and Ji, two kingdoms in north China, then the Capital of six feudal dynasties. Today, the capital of the People's Republic of China is an ever-expanding international cosmopolis. As a city, Beijing has an uninterrupted history of over 3,000 years, which makes it unique in the world. The cultural antiques and historical artefacts bestowed by each era were passed down from one generation to another, turning the city into a huge museum itself. There are some 130 officially registered museums in Beijing, preserving 3.2 million artefacts in total.