Yes. Peking and Beijing are the same city, the capital of China. Both spell the same two Chinese characters, 北京, which mean “northern capital.” Peking is the older English spelling, and Beijing is the Hanyu Pinyin spelling that China adopted for names in foreign-language use in the late 1970s. It is now the standard spelling worldwide.
- Same place: Peking = Beijing = 北京, the capital of the People’s Republic of China
- Meaning: “northern capital”
- Why two spellings: Peking comes from the old Chinese postal romanization; Beijing is Hanyu Pinyin, the system China uses today
- When it changed: the United Nations adopted Pinyin for Chinese place names in 1977, and China made it the standard for names abroad in 1978
- Still “Peking”: Peking duck, Peking opera, Peking University, the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian and the airport code PEK
Why there are two spellings
Chinese is written in characters, not letters, so any English spelling of a Chinese name is a convention for turning sounds into the Roman alphabet. Over the past two centuries several conventions competed. “Peking” is the spelling fixed by the Chinese postal romanization used for place names on maps, stamps and telegrams, and it reflects an older or southern pronunciation of the characters. “Beijing” is how the same characters are written in Hanyu Pinyin, the romanization China promulgated in 1958 to match the pronunciation of standard Mandarin.
The city did not change its name. The characters on the sign are the same ones they have always been. Only the way the name is written in English changed.
When Peking became Beijing
Pinyin was used inside China from 1958, but English-language maps and newspapers kept “Peking” for another two decades. Two decisions changed that. In 1977 the Third United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, meeting in Athens, adopted Pinyin as the international system for romanizing Chinese place names. In September 1978 China’s State Council approved Pinyin as the single standard for spelling Chinese personal and place names in the Roman alphabet, replacing Wade-Giles and the other older systems. From 1979 “Beijing” came into international use, and over the following years English-language publishers followed.
Where you still see “Peking”
- Peking duck. The dish kept its English name. Our Peking duck and Beijing food guide explains the hung oven and the closed oven and where to eat it.
- Peking opera. The classical opera of the capital, with its painted faces and stage combat. See Peking opera and shows in Beijing.
- Peking University. China’s oldest national university keeps “Peking” in its official English name.
- Peking Man. The UNESCO World Heritage site at Zhoukoudian, southwest of the city, is still listed as the Peking Man Site.
- PEK. The airport code of Beijing Capital International Airport. Daxing, the newer airport, is PKX. Our airport to city guide covers both.
Where is Peking?
In north China, at the northern edge of the North China Plain, with Tianjin to the east and Hebei Province on every other side. The municipality covers 16,410 square kilometers and is home to about 21.8 million people. It has been a capital under several names: the State of Yan had its capital here roughly 3,000 years ago, the Yuan dynasty built Dadu here in the 13th century, and 14 Ming and 10 Qing emperors ruled from the Forbidden City. For the sights, the food and how long to stay, read what Beijing is famous for.
Planning a visit
Whatever you call it, three to four days cover the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and a hutong walk. Our how many days in Beijing guide has the sample plans, and our private Beijing tours put you in your own car with your own English-speaking guide.
Tell us your dates, group size and what you would like to see. We reply with a day-by-day plan and a written quote.
Frequently asked questions
Is Peking the same as Beijing?
Yes. Peking and Beijing are two English spellings of the same Chinese name, 北京, the capital of China. Peking comes from the old postal romanization, and Beijing is the Hanyu Pinyin spelling that became the international standard in the late 1970s.
Why did Peking change to Beijing?
Because the romanization system changed, not the city. The United Nations adopted Hanyu Pinyin for Chinese place names in 1977, and in 1978 China's State Council made Pinyin the standard for spelling Chinese names in the Roman alphabet. In Pinyin the characters 北京 are written Beijing.
What does Beijing mean?
Northern capital. Bei means north and jing means capital. Nanjing, the southern capital, is named the same way. The city has had other names in its history, including Dadu under the Yuan dynasty.
Where is Peking?
Peking is Beijing, in north China at the northern edge of the North China Plain, with Tianjin to the east and Hebei Province around the rest. It is the capital of the People's Republic of China and home to about 21.8 million people.
Is Peking duck from Beijing?
Yes. Peking duck is Beijing's signature dish, roast duck carved at the table and wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce. Roast duck came to Beijing from Nanjing with the Ming court in the early 1400s, and the dish kept the old spelling in English.
Facts checked: 12 November 2026. Ticket prices, opening hours and entry rules can change; we re-check before every booking.