Those taking a trip to central Beijing are often recommended to ascend Jingshan Hill and be treated to a rare bird's-eye view of the capital's old city. Its summit offers a panorama of the Forbidden City, with its palaces in vermilion and imperial yellow laid out in all its sublimity.

When turning around and facing north, the equilibrium of symmetry rooted in traditional Chinese aesthetics and beliefs is more readily apparent — the Hall of Imperial Longevity resting downhill, beyond it the Di'anmen Inner and Outer streets splitting the view in half, further extending to the Bell and Drum Towers.

Such structural balance can be found throughout Beijing's old city, from the Yongdingmen Gate in the south, running through the Tian'anmen Square Complex and the Forbidden City, up to the Bell and Drum Towers in the north, stretching a total of 7.8 kilometers.

This is the Beijing Central Axis, celebrated as "the backbone of Beijing". It denotes an ensemble of building complexes and archaeological sites that governs the overall layout of the capital, encompassing imperial palaces and gardens, imperial sacrificial buildings, ancient city management facilities, national ceremonial and public buildings, and central axis roads remains.

Prominent Chinese architect and architectural historian Liang Sicheng (1901-1972) once wrote: "Beijing's unique and magnificent order is created by this Central Axis.... There is no other building complex in the world that has such an imposing layout, or that deals with space on such a scale."

On Saturday, at the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee in New Delhi, India, "Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital" was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Covering an area of 589 hectares and a buffer zone of 4,542 hectares, the entry, with 15 components, marks China's 59th World Heritage Site and Beijing's eighth.

Neutrality and harmony

According to Lyu Zhou, director of the National Heritage Center at Tsinghua University, the planning concept of the Beijing Central Axis originates from the philosophical ideals of neutrality and harmony, and the cultural tradition of "choosing the center" within Chinese civilization.

"It serves as a material embodiment of the traditional Chinese worldview, values, and concept of time and space, carrying strong symbolic significance," Lyu says.

The concepts behind the Beijing Central Axis date back to Kaogongji (Book of Diverse Crafts), written before 221 BC, which details the principles of capital city planning.

During the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), the book was rediscovered and incorporated into the Confucian classic Zhouli (Rites of Zhou), becoming the orthodox Confucian thinking regarding the ideal paradigm of the capital city.

The Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) selected in the 13th century the site for what is today's Beijing to build its capital, Dadu. A datum point was set on the east bank of today's Shichahai Lake, where the Central Platform and the Central Tower were established.

Extending southward from the Central Platform, a preliminary axis was determined, and the palace city was constructed on it. With the Central Platform at the center, a rectangle grid was designed to be the boundaries of Dadu.

From 1406 to 1564, as the construction of the inner and outer cities of Beijing continued, the Central Axis with a total length of 7.8 kilometers, was formed.

Based on the guidelines prescribed in Kaogongji, ancient Chinese built the temples, altars and government buildings that are aligned with or placed symmetrically along the Central Axis.

Many building locations match accounts in the book, including "court in the front, market at the back", corresponding to the imperial court, the Forbidden City, and the markets by the Bell and Drum Towers, as well as "an ancestral temple on the left, an altar of land and grain on the right", denoting the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Altar of Land and Grain, located symmetrically on the east and west sides of the Central Axis.

"Throughout the city's construction phases, the Central Axis commanded the entire city's layout, setting a symmetrical design. This is particularly significant in reflecting the characteristics of our culture and aesthetics," Lyu says.

"This is why today, when we stand on the Central Axis, taking photos or filming footage, we can find countless angles that illustrate this centrality, symmetry and order."

Confucian rituals

In addition to its significance in city planning and architecture layout, the Beijing Central Axis bears witness to the ritual traditions valued in Chinese culture.

"Closely examine the planning of Beijing's old city, and it is evident that the buildings' specifications, hierarchies, order and layout deeply reflect the Confucian rituals and ideas in ancient China, particularly the concepts of 'referencing heaven and earth' and 'honoring ancestors and respecting the emperor'," says Jiang Bo, vice-president of the Chinese national committee for the International Council on Monuments and Sites.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony inside the Forbidden City, primarily used for the ancient emperors' enthronement ceremonies and significant celebrations, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where the imperial families worshiped their ancestors, were built according to the highest-ranking architectural design.

Lying symmetrically to the Imperial Ancestral Temple is the Altar of Land and Grain, where the emperors made sacrifices to the gods of land and grain, symbolizing the nation's territory and sustenance, to pray for prosperity and stability.

"We can picture that in the ancient times, in the imperial capital, the emperor led officials out of the palace and ascended the altars to worship heaven and earth. The Beijing Central Axis is essentially a 'sacred path' of our country, where rites have long been emphasized," Jiang says.

With the downfall of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the Central Axis went through functional transformations that enhanced public access. Beginning with the Altar of Land and Grain in 1914, the sites were gradually opened to the public as parks or museums.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Tian'anmen Square was expanded and added with a complex of public facilities, adhering to the planning philosophy of the Beijing Central Axis. The Central Axis provides a testimony to the transformation of China from a dynastic rule system to a modern state.

Since 1978, conservation projects and archaeological research on the heritage sites have not ceased, and areas allowing public access have been gradually increasing.

In the 12 years leading up to the inscription, policy documents were issued to enhance preservation and management, environmental upkeep, and public involvement, including a three-year action plan from 2020 to 2023, the Regulations on the Conservation of Beijing Central Axis Cultural Heritage, and the Conservation and Management Plan for Beijing Central Axis (2022-2035).

Preservation efforts

Zhao Yan, a resident living in the hutong (alleyway) near Di'anmen Inner Street, says that she has observed changes gradually taking place in her neighborhood, particularly thriving commerce and environmental improvements.

"With the heritage conservation efforts, the street has gradually regained its former glory. The sides of the street are now teeming with shops. At nightfall, the beautiful light shows attract tourists from home and abroad. The street has become so vibrant," Zhao says.

"Before, the charm of the hutong was mostly in the warmth among the neighbors. But with the improvement in environmental quality and the addition of various amenities, many elderly residents who had left the area years ago have now moved back."

Her family members have been actively involved in the preservation of the Central Axis, with her parents being members of the local community volunteer team, and her 8-year-old son joining in a young guide trainee program. She volunteers on weekends, patrolling near the Drum Tower and assisting tourists.

"My roots and my family are here. I love this area deeply, and I have fervently wished for the Beijing Central Axis to be included as a World Heritage Site, so that people from all around the world can get to know my home," she adds.

Apart from the community volunteer programs, anyone with an interest in Beijing's cultural heritage can contribute to the preservation cause through their mobile phones.

To encourage public awareness and participation, the Beijing Cultural Heritage Bureau, Beijing Municipal Office for Conservation and Management of Beijing Central Axis, and technology company Tencent together launched a WeChat mini-program, which allows users to learn about Central Axis' history and values through gameplay and virtual tours.

Those visiting the sites in person can take photos and give feedback on the program, reporting on any problem or hazard they've observed at the heritage sites.

These reports are uploaded to the Beijing Central Axis Conservation Center.

Established in 2022, the center is the management agency for the property, overseeing its protection, monitoring, research and presentation under the guidance of cultural heritage authorities.

The center comprises three divisions: the management center, the monitoring center and the archives center. This structure enables a systematic, technological and public approach to track the condition of cultural relics, environmental factors and visitor traffic.

Real-time data is collected from the heritage components, which are equipped with monitoring devices and receive routine maintenance from site managers, who perform daily inspections, identify hazards and upload their findings to the center.

Looking ahead

"All 48 key tasks in the three-year action plan have been completed. The protection system for the Beijing Central Axis is continually enhancing, and its overall value is profoundly understood by the public," says Chu Jianhao, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Office for Conservation and Management of Beijing Central Axis.

"The historical pattern and charm of the Beijing Central Axis are gradually being restored and vividly reproduced with continuous improvement in the living environment and urban landscape, enhancing the well-being and contentment of the local residents."

According to him, the inscription of the Beijing Central Axis as a UNESCO World Heritage Site demonstrates the continuity, innovation, unity, inclusiveness and peaceful nature of the Chinese civilization. It is both a milestone and a new beginning, marking that the protection of the Beijing Central Axis has entered a new phase.

"Looking ahead, we will carefully summarize the favorable practices of the Central Axis heritage preservation, draw on the international experience in World Heritage Site protection, and fulfill the duties prescribed by the World Heritage Convention to drive the comprehensive preservation of Beijing's old city," Chu says.

"We will also enhance international cultural exchanges, uphold the Global Civilization Initiative, and contribute profound and lasting cultural strength to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind."

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