The emergence of Beijing as an imperial capital -- The Forbidden City and the Qing emperors -- Daily life in the inner and outer cities -- The city besieged and the last emperors -- "Old Beijing" and Republican China -- Mao's Beijing and socialist transformation: 1949 to 1976 -- Economic reform and cultural fever: 1976 to 1989 -- Beijing boom, urban crisis, and the Olympic city: 1990s and beyond -- Epilogue: Preserving the past: the city as museum and showcase.