55 Days *at* Peking?

The Chinese anti-imperialist uprising known as the Boxer Rebellion that took place in 1900 was dramatized sixty-three years later in a Hollywood movie entitled "55 Days at Peking."

What about such usage of the preposition "at"? I'm not used to it. Don't you find it quite offbeat? I would never say that I have been *at* this or that city, but rather *in* this or that city.

Quizzically,

Achab

I would tend to agree with you, but it depends.

You could say "such and such an event happened at Boston" or "in Boston"

Also, "I was held over 55 days at Peking" or "in Peking"

Now yes, "at Boston" could be "at Boston College" and "at Peking" could mean "at Peking [air, bus, train] station", but I don't know for wis what the title means, nor have I seen the movie, but I believe that it may be in back-bearing to such names as "Peking [Compound] or Peking [District]"

Sounds like they took the name of the movie from a quote or perhaps a line in the movie with some special significance

Could be, as the movie, indeed, concentrates on the siege of the foreign powers' embassy compounds in Beijing by the Chinese Boxer insurgents, with the story narrated from the perspective of the besieged people.

Best wishes,

Achab