Heritage on show
Beijing’s central axis embodies the city’s spirit with its unique historical, cultural venues
When deciding on popular spots to visit in Beijing for a taste of the city’s history and culture, the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Qianmen area are among those that usually spring to mind.
All these venues are located along the Chinese capital’s central axis, for which the municipal government is now seeking UNESCO World Heritage status.
Wang Yuanlong, 31, a market manager who has lived in Beijing for eight years, said: “To be frank, I don’t often go to those places along the central axis because they are a bit too far from my workplace and home. But every time my family and friends from outside Beijing come to the city, I take them to Tian’anmen Square, the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City.
“It feels as if all the significant architecture in Beijing is situated along or near the central axis. No matter how big the city grows, the axis is an ‘invisible root’ linking tradition and fashion, ancient and modern.”
Wang said it is good news that the municipal government is applying for World Heritage status for the axis.
“I used to go to the Dashilan area near Qianmen a lot during my spare time. This area lies along the central axis, and I like the nearby old alleyways, or hutong,” he said.
“However, the area has gradually become more commercial — in a negative way to my mind. I think it would have been better for it to be less commercial or to retain more of its original flavor to attain World Heritage status.”
With a history of more than 750 years, Beijing’s central axis stretches 7.8 kilometers from the Bell Tower and Drum Tower in the north to Yongdingmen in the south. It includes buildings from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Ming Dynasty (13681644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Other significant structures are located along the axis and its extensions, including iconic modern landmarks such as the National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, in the north and Beijing Daxing International Airport in the south.
It is widely known that World Heritage status is being sought for the axis, as the draft application text was submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre for review ahead of schedule, but few people know that the municipal government first proposed this idea in 2009.
In 2011, the local authorities started work on protecting key cultural relics along the axis. Seven years later, overall planning guidance for Beijing was published, which included the application for World Heritage status for the axis as a strategy for the capital.
Overall city planning guidance for streets and blocks was issued in 2020, making clear that the axis represents national culture.
In tandem with the application, in recent years the city government has strengthened protection of cultural relics, vacated historic buildings and improved the environment along the axis.
Qiao Ran, 36, a books editor who lives in a hutong near Beihai Park, said she has noticed a difference over the years as the alleyway has been significantly upgraded, with issues such as car parking addressed and greening projects launched.
“I bought an apartment on the East Fifth Ring Road in Beijing, which is far from the downtown,” she said. “However, as I want to live close to the heart of the city, where I can sense its past and present, I have rented a place in a hutong for years.”
Qiao said she likes walking the streets and alleys after work and learning more about the ancient buildings. “Sometimes, there are introductions to the buildings, sometimes not, but I just love the atmosphere,” she added.
Lyu Zhou, director of the National Heritage Center at Tsinghua University, said the central axis changes as the city evolves. “By looking at the scale, shape and color of the buildings along the axis, as well as the city gates, streets and building complexes, a clear order can be seen,” he said.
“The idea of ritual in traditional Chinese culture is fully realized by the embellishment of buildings along the axis, as evidenced by the shape of nearby government offices, residences and temples.
“The axis best embodies the Chinese idea of ‘respecting the center’ in urban construction. It represents Chinese civilization, reflecting the most important aspects of the nation’s culture, such as the relationship between humans and nature, and also humans following order.”
Lyu said the axis influences the entire city, as it is the core of urban planning, adding, “At the same time, many historical events have occurred on the central axis, including the founding of modern China.”
Shan Jixiang, president of the China Cultural Relics Academy, said the axis represents more than heritage, as it is a continuation of traditional Chinese city planning concepts, which still influence urban construction.
“The axis has inherited Chinese urban order and city planning philosophy from thousands of years ago and has witnessed unique Chinese civilization and cultural traditions, as well as representing Beijing’s long history and cultural confidence,” Shan said.
Many new buildings are situated on the extended line of the axis, including the National Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, last month’s Winter Olympics and this month’s Winter Paralympics were held. The nearby Olympic Forest Park stands as a legacy of the Games in 2008.
To some extent, the axis has witnessed the city’s growth and become an important cultural symbol. Acquiring World Heritage status for it would not only make the axis better-known globally by spreading Chinese civilization and traditional culture to the world, but would also help promote protection of Beijing’s old city and improve the environment for residents.
Liu Hongchang, spokesman for Beijing’s cultural heritage bureau, said at a news conference last month, “This year will be critical in applying for the axis to be put on the list of World Heritage sites.”
The city will complete submission of the official application text this year, according to Liu.
In the 50 years since the founding of the World Heritage Convention, 1,154 heritage sites have been strictly evaluated worldwide. The Convention’s primary aim is to identify and protect global natural and cultural heritage considered to be of outstanding universal value.
According to the latest requirements, a country can only apply for one site to be listed per year. As China has a wealth of heritage resources, competition is fierce.
There are other challenges. Since Feb 1, the length of application proposals has been limited. In recent years, the proposals have become longer, especially those for large-scale heritage. Since Beijing’s central axis is on such a scale, it can be difficult to promote its attributes with limited content.
Lyu, the National Heritage Center director, said: “Beijingers, as well as many other Chinese, may be familiar with the axis. However, our task is to tell foreigners, who might be completely in the dark, about the axis. So we need to work hard to tell its story clearly and in a very simple way to overcome cultural differences.”
He added that sometimes the term “central axis” can be a little confusing, as it could be thought to refer to a straight road rather than all the buildings and landscapes along the route.
“Some residents may wonder why Tian’anmen Square is included in the central axis, as it is a relatively modern open space, but World Heritage is not limited to ancient locations.
“For example, Sydney Opera House and other buildings from the 20th century were listed as World Heritage sites,” Lyu said. “Tian’anmen Square alone is not global heritage, but as part of the central axis, it can show the spirit and ‘idea’ of Beijing.”
If the city’s application is successful, Tian’anmen Square and some other historical areas will become the “youngest” examples of World Heritage in China to date.
The application has given local residents whose daily lives and stories are closely connected to the axis a sense of pride. In a wider sense, the axis not only comprises buildings, architectural styles, history and culture, but also the people who lived around it and those still living close to it.
As preparation for the application, a three-year action plan on conserving the axis was issued in August 2020.
According to the municipal government, projects related to cultural relics conservation and restoration, archaeological excavation, environmental improvement, and relocation of residents are proceeding as planned.
Guan Zhanxiu, director of the Beijing Central Axis Heritage Protection Center and Beijing World Cultural Heritage Monitoring Center, spoke about the future of the axis during a group interview.
Describing the opening in 2020 of the Zhengyangmen watchtower to the public as an “opportunity”, he said the cultural and tourism demonstration zone developed north of Qianmen Street highlights the characteristics of ancient Beijing.
“We are trying to do something innovative to drive cultural and tourism growth in the area,” Guan said.
“A series of cultural events featuring the axis will be held to attract young people and (enable) local residents to learn more about its history, which will bring opportunities for the development of the Qianmen business district.”