The concept dates to 1959, and planning attempts in 1975 and 1981 stalled. After a 1989 design competition, seven design units were selected in 1990, and the article does not identify the winning design. The Beijing Municipal Government and the Ministry of Railways jointly funded it. The foundation stone was laid on January 19, 1993, and a first trial train ran on September 28, 1995. The infobox gives the opening as January 21, 1996.
At opening the floor area was 5.5 million square feet (510,000 m²), described as the largest railway station in Asia. The article names no style and says the design drew criticism.
It started with six platforms and has since been expanded several times. The 2003 canopy was China's first large-span steel canopy. It averages 150,000 to 180,000 passengers a day, and CR Beijing and Beijing Subway operate it.
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