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Almost all the celebrated capitals of the ancient kingdoms in Europe, western Asia and India, have been the subject of more or less extensive critical investigation by European antiquaries, and bulky works have been published relating to these matters. But with respect to China our scholars seem to be quite ignorant as to the remains of this ancient civilization; and even regarding Peking, one of the best-known places of the Middle Kingdom, and its classical soil, very little is known.

Emil Bretschneider (1833 1901) became famous among researchers for his valuable contributions to the field of sinology. His versatile approach he was a physician and botanist as well as a sinologist and his familiarity with Chinese literature distinguished him from his colleagues, many of whom were unable to read sources firsthand.

In this book, he presents his account of the history of Peking, where he was stationed as a physician from 1866 1883. Backed by historical sources as well as the reports of the first European to see the Chinese capital, Marco Polo, this work exemplifies Bretschneider s unique style of research.

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