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Interpreting the historical and cultural connotations of Beijing's Central Axis

An axis surging with vigorous vitality (Humanities Dialogue)

Exterior view of the bell tower. Photo provided by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage

Aerial view of Beijing's central axis.Photo courtesy of Beijing Central Axis World Heritage Protection Office

General Secretary Xi Jinping recently issued important instructions on strengthening the protection, inheritance and utilization of cultural and natural heritage, pointing out that the successful inclusion of "Beijing Central Axis - A Masterpiece of China's Ideal Capital Order", "Badain Jaran Desert - Sand Mountain Lakes" and "China Yellow (Bohai) Sea Bird Habitat (Phase II)" in the World Heritage List is of positive significance for building a Chinese-style modernization with coordinated material and spiritual civilizations and harmonious coexistence of man and nature, and adds brilliant colors to the world's garden of civilizations.

What kind of cultural connotation does Beijing's Central Axis embody? How does this central axis running from north to south shine with the glory of the times? The reporter interviewed Lv Zhou, director of the National Heritage Center of Tsinghua University and head of the Beijing Central Axis World Heritage Protection Text Team, Jiang Bo, professor of Shandong University and vice president of the China Ancient Monuments and Sites Protection Association, and Zhang Lifang, deputy research curator of the Beijing Institute of Archaeology.

A collection of Chinese classical urban planning and design

Reporter: Where did the concept of central axis come from in ancient Chinese city construction?

Lü Zhou: "The craftsmen built the country, which was nine li square with three gates on the sides. There were nine longitudes and nine latitudes in the country, and nine tracks on the longitudes. The ancestral temple was on the left and the community temple was on the right. The market was facing the back, and there was one man in the market and the court." "The Book of Zhou Li: Kaogongji" records the system of the Western Zhou Dynasty and is a far-reaching work in ancient Chinese urban planning theory. The ideas on capital planning and layout proposed in it are considered to be the paradigm of an ideal royal city.

Jiang Bo: The traditional model of ancient Chinese urban planning originated from "The Book of Zhou: Kaogongji". The rudiments of the axial layout were first formed in Yecheng of Cao Wei and Luoyang of Han and Wei. It was not until Chang'an of Sui and Tang that the city model with regular squares and central axis symmetry was formed. By the time of Beijing, the capital of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, it had become a grand spectacle of classical Chinese urban planning and design.

Zhang Lifang: The concept of "Zhong" comes from a set of time and space philosophy formed by the ancients' observation and exploration of the universe. "Zhong" originally came from observing phenomena and telling time, measuring shadows in the earth, and using longitude and latitude, and derived the four directions, four seasons, and twelve zodiac signs. It can be seen that only by determining the "Zhong" can the entire universe be planned, and the entire time and space universe is led by the "Zhong". After this set of theories was formed, the ancients used it to guide social operations. This is the philosophical logic of the concept of choosing a central country, choosing a central capital, and choosing a central government.

Reporter: What considerations were behind the construction of Beijing's central axis?

Lu Zhou: In 1267, when Kublai Khan was building his new capital, Dadu (the predecessor of Beijing), he innovatively built a central platform to mark the center of the capital. Then, based on the capital system of Zhou Li, he arranged the functional content of the central axis building complex "facing the market at the back, ancestral temple on the left and community temple on the right". On the basis of inheriting the traditional central axis of the capital, he formed an innovative urban form.

With the dredging and improvement of the water system in the northwest of Beijing, the Grand Canal connecting the prosperous south was directly connected to the lake Jishuitan near the Central Platform, which made the "Hou Market" located in the north of the imperial palace prosper greatly and continues to this day.

Therefore, the newly built Yuan Dadu in the 13th century formed the following landscape in the central part of the city: when you climb the high central platform, you will see tall buildings on the side, and to the south you will see the market formed by the Grand Canal dock. The market, the Jishuitan, and the sparkling waters of the Grand Canal complement each other, making it more prosperous and lively; through the Wanning Bridge across the canal, to the south of the market is the magnificent imperial palace, to the south of the imperial palace is the central government office; further south is the south gate of the capital city - Lizheng Gate. On both sides of the central building complex, neatly planned chessboard-shaped streets and alleys, important buildings such as the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Altar of Land and Grain, are located on the east and west sides of the city, respectively, echoing the central building complex. The central building complex consisting of the central platform, market, bridge, imperial palace, court government office and city gate constitutes the original form of today's Beijing Central Axis building complex.

Zhang Lifang: In archaeological discoveries, some figures also fully reflect the design considerations of the central axis. The stone road in the middle of the central axis of Yongdingmen, discovered in August-September 2022, is 4.8 meters wide, that is, 15 feet in the Qing Dynasty. The middle doorways of Xiannongmen, the east outer altar gate of Xiannongtan, and Dongtianmen, the east inner altar gate, are the routes for the country to perform sacrificial rituals, and their width is also 4.8 meters. According to measurements, the distance from Zhengyangmen to Tianqiao is 1.6 kilometers, and the distance from Tianqiao to Yongdingmen is also 1.6 kilometers, both of which are 500 feet in the Qing Dynasty. There are also records in the archives that the stone road from Tianqiao to Yongdingmen is 500 feet long, and the stone road from Zhengyang Bridge South to Tianqiao North is 419 feet and 2 feet long. If calculated based on the Zhengyangmen Tower, the length of the stone road from Zhengyangmen to Tianqiao is also 500 feet. The above scales are not arbitrary, but a reflection of the image and number ideas used in the design of the capital space.

Has historical integrity and continuity

Reporter: What historical development process has Beijing’s central axis gone through?

Lv Zhou: In 1420, the Ming Dynasty made Beijing its main capital and built the main part of the existing Beijing Central Axis architectural complex. Compared with the Yuan Dynasty Central Axis architectural complex, the Beijing Central Axis of the Ming Dynasty had a more rigorous pattern. The Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Altar of Land and Grain were arranged more closely on both sides of Duanmen and Tiananmen. The Bell and Drum Tower, as a city management building, was arranged in a north-south layout at the north end of the Beijing Central Axis. Following the ancient tradition of southern suburbs sacrifice, the Altar of Heaven and Earth and the Altar of Mountains and Rivers were set up on the east and west sides of the Nanyan Avenue of the Central Axis outside Zhengyangmen, becoming an important area for national sacrifice. The Ming Dynasty described this layout as following the ancient system, following public opinion, inheriting the wishes of the ancestors, and setting rules for future generations. In 1553, during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, the construction of Beijing's outer city began. In the same year, the Yongding Gate, the south gate of the outer city, was built, which was opposite to the Zhengyang Gate. The Altar of Heaven and Earth and the Altar of Mountains and Rivers were changed to the Temple of Heaven and the Altar of Agriculture, becoming the main part of the symmetrical layout of the outer city, constructing the core structure of the outer city and forming the spatial scale of today's Beijing Central Axis.

After the Qing Dynasty established its capital in Beijing, it fully inherited the important buildings and the entire urban layout on the central axis of Beijing in the Ming Dynasty. Around 1750, the Qing Dynasty enriched and improved Jingshan, the core part of the central axis of Beijing, the commanding height of the entire Beijing city: Qiwang Tower was built on the southern foot of Jingshan on the central axis to enshrine the tablet of Confucius; on the ridge of Jingshan, with Wanchun Pavilion on the central axis as the center, Zhoushang Pavilion, Guanmiao Pavilion, Jifang Pavilion, and Fulan Pavilion were built symmetrically from east to west; Shouhuangdian building complex was relocated to the northern foot of Jingshan on the central axis. After 500 years of construction, adjustment, reconstruction, and improvement, the central axis of Beijing has reached perfection. Its grand building volume, magnificent architectural colors, overlooking the palaces and imperial gardens of the city, solemn altars and temples, towering towers, arrow towers, and urn cities, run through the entire city from north to south. Against the backdrop of the surrounding courtyard roofs and green trees in the streets and alleys, the central axis of Beijing has become the most complete and magnificent example of the ideal urban form of traditional Chinese society.

Zhang Lifang: The central axis of Beijing first referred to the city axis of Yuan Dadu, from the Bell and Drum Tower to Lizheng Gate. It continued to develop and improve during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the early Ming Dynasty, the southern city wall of Dadu was extended southward to the current Zhengyang Gate line, and the central axis extended southward to this point. The axis outside Lizheng Gate began to take shape after the construction of Shanchuan Altar and Tiandi Altar in the southern suburbs. After the construction of the outer city during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, the axis between Zhengyang Gate and Yongding Gate was officially formed. So far, the central axis extends from the Bell and Drum Tower to Yongding Gate. In the Qing Dynasty, the Shouhuang Palace was moved to the central axis, five pavilions were built in Jingshan, and two stone tablets were built symmetrically on the east and west sides of the Imperial Road to the south of the Tianqiao Bridge. These have improved the spatial pattern of the central axis.

Reporter: What changes has Beijing’s central axis undergone in modern times?

Lu Zhou: Starting from 1912, the former imperial forbidden areas on the central axis of Beijing were gradually transformed into museums and parks, becoming areas for citizens and tourists to relax and carry out cultural and sports activities. The former palace square in front of Tiananmen Square was also transformed and opened as an urban park.

In 1949, the People's Republic of China was founded. A grand celebration ceremony was held in Tiananmen Square, located on the central axis of Beijing. Tiananmen Square became the venue for national celebrations and ceremonial activities. In 1958, the Monument to the People's Heroes was built in Tiananmen Square. In 1959, the Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History (now the National Museum of China) and the Great Hall of the People were built on the east and west sides of Tiananmen Square in accordance with the traditional symmetry principle of the central axis of Beijing. In 1977, the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall was completed. Tiananmen Square became the center of national ceremonial activities, inheriting the national ceremonial tradition carried by the central axis of Beijing. The planning of the Tiananmen Square complex respects and continues the planning concept of Beijing's central axis, embodies the philosophical ideas of "center" and "harmony", and respects the layout concept of "left to ancestors and right to society". The Monument to the People's Heroes and the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, the most important national memorial buildings, are placed in the center; the National Museum of China, which explains the development of Chinese civilization, corresponds to the Imperial Ancestral Temple for ancestor worship, and is located on the east side of the central axis; the Great Hall of the People, which decides major national affairs and national ceremonial activities, corresponds to the Altar of Land and Grain, which symbolizes the country in ancient times, and is located on the west side of the central axis, and is balanced and symmetrical with the National Museum of China, reflecting the historical integrity and continuity of Beijing's central axis.

Zhang Lifang: Beijing's Central Axis is an axis that is constantly growing and has great vitality. It still has an important influence on urban planning and construction.

Filling the gap in urban morphological heritage in East Asia

Reporter: What are the historical and cultural connotations of Beijing’s Central Axis?

Lv Zhou: Beijing's Central Axis demonstrates the pursuit of order in Chinese culture and the strict, vast and magnificent landscape features of an ideal capital city. Beijing's Central Axis is a historical heritage that fully reflects the ritual order and planning ideas of the capital system among the existing capital cities of all dynasties in China. Compared with other regional cases, it demonstrates the characteristics and aesthetic pursuit of Chinese culture. In addition, Beijing's Central Axis also fills the gap in the urban morphological heritage in East Asia in the World Heritage List.

Jiang Bo: Beijing's Central Axis is an outstanding example of ancient Chinese architectural art. The buildings on the Central Axis are like "big and small pearls falling on a jade plate", all of which have become classics and models. At the same time, Beijing's Central Axis is also the urban carrier of ancient Chinese Confucian etiquette system, deeply reflecting the ideas of "embodying the heavens and the earth" in ancient Chinese Confucian etiquette system.

The city of Beijing, especially the central axis, showcases the oriental residential traditions and aesthetic tastes in a unique way.

Zhang Lifang: The central axis of Beijing represents a kind of spatial order and ritual order. At the deepest level, it is the embodiment of the values ​​of Chinese civilization of upholding the right path and keeping the middle, and ordering the world with rites. From an archaeological point of view, taking Tianqiao and Zhengyang Bridge as examples: Tianqiao is located in the middle between Zhengyangmen and Yongdingmen, reflecting the control of the spatial scale and order of the capital during the design; Zhengyang Bridge is the most highly regulated and largest of the 9 bridges outside the city gates in the inner city. From 2021 to early 2023, a water-suppressing beast was unearthed in the archaeological excavation of the Zhengyang Bridge site. Its body is huge, up to 3 meters long, and its size far exceeds that of the 4 water-suppressing beasts of Wanning Bridge, which is enough to prove the high regulation and large scale of Zhengyang Bridge. Tianqiao and Zhengyang Bridge are unique and iconic cultural heritages on the central axis of Beijing, and they are expressions of spatial order and ritual order.

Reporter: What international impact has Beijing's Central Axis had? How can we better strengthen international exchanges and cooperation in the field of cultural and natural heritage?

Zhang Lifang: In recent years, we have successively excavated the Zhengyang Bridge site, the central axis road and its affiliated remains, and the overpass site. The discovery of roads, drainage ditches, bridges, etc., supplements and improves the heritage content of Beijing's central axis, especially the southern section, verifies the authenticity and integrity of Beijing's central axis, and vividly reproduces the historical scenes of the southern section of Beijing's central axis. We will speed up the collation of archaeological data, deepen the interpretation of archaeological results, and contribute more to the overall protection of cultural and natural heritage in the new era.

Lv Zhou: The unique cultural characteristics, urban landscape and aesthetic interest of Beijing's Central Axis are an outstanding example of the spatial expression of ritual order in Chinese capital planning from the 13th century to the present. Telling the development of Chinese civilization and its contribution to human civilization through the application for World Heritage and the interpretation of its value is one of the effective ways to tell the Chinese story well. Beijing's Central Axis is such a magnificent story that showcases the history and culture of Chinese civilization. We should take the successful application of Beijing's Central Axis as a World Heritage Site as an opportunity to protect the cultural and natural treasures of the Chinese nation.

Jiang Bo: The urban planning concept of Beijing's central axis design has a long history and far-reaching influence, becoming an oriental classic in the world's ancient urban planning and design concepts. The protection, inheritance and utilization of cultural and natural heritage is a long-term task that will benefit future generations. Next, we must follow the principles and concepts of the World Heritage Convention to do a good job in heritage protection and cultural inheritance, so that the unique world heritage will remain young and shine in the new era.

Source: People's Daily

Author: Wang Jue and He Siqi

Process Editor: U022