"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.