Beijing (/beɪˈdʒɪŋ/;[10]Mandarin: [pèi.tɕíŋ] (About this sound listen)), formerly romanized as Peking,[11] is the capital of the People's Republic of China, the world's third most populous city proper, and most populous capital city. The city, located in northern China, is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government with 16 urban, suburban, and rural districts.[12] Beijing Municipality is surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of neighboring Tianjin Municipality to the southeast; together the three divisions form the Jingjinji metropolitan region and the national capital region of China