A centuries-old example of Chinese architecture and urban plans has gained international recognition.
The 46th World Heritage Committee consultation in New Delhi, India, announced on Saturday that Beijing’s Central Axis – “A set of buildings presenting the ideal order of the Chinese capital” – has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, China’s 59th building. World Heritage Site.
The Central Axis of Beijing is a set of palaces, public buildings and gardens that govern the general layout of the ancient city of the Chinese capital.
Stretching 7. 8 kilometers from north to south through central Beijing, the new World Heritage Site contains 15 features. At the northern end of the shaft are the bell tower and drum tower. Then cross the Wanning Bridge, Jingshan Hill and the Forbidden City. , Right Gate, Tiananmen Gate, Jinshui Outer Bridges, Tiananmen Square Complex, Zhengyangmen Gate, Southern Section Highway Archaeological Sites, before finishing. At the Yongdingmen Gate at the southern end, the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the Altar of Earth and Grain. The Temple of Heaven and the Altar of the God of Agriculture are situated on the east and west sides of the Axis.
The complex includes imperial palaces and gardens, imperial sacrificial buildings, ancient city control facilities, national and public ceremonial buildings, and remains of the original roads of the central axis.
“It is a symbol that embodies notable characteristics of Chinese civilization, highlighting Beijing’s remarkable prestige among the world’s most prominent ancient capitals,” Li Qun, director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, said in an interview with the World Wide Web. China Television on Saturday. Delhi.
“It has had a profound impact on the history of urban plans and structure around the world and sets a Chinese example for the preservation and lasting policy of ancient capitals,” Li added.
The structure of the Central Axis began in the thirteenth century and ended in the sixteenth century. It has undergone constant innovations over the past few centuries and continues to influence Beijing’s urban progress today.
The World Heritage Committee has identified the Beijing Central Axis as meeting variety criteria No. 3 and No. 4 of the World Heritage List: it offers an exclusive or notable testimony of a culture or cultural civilization, living or extinct, and constitutes a notable example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape that illustrates one or more milestones in human history.
Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO’s assistant director-general for culture, speaking on a celebratory occasion in New Delhi later on Saturday, said Beijing’s complex urban plans are encouraged through Confucian philosophy whose history spans thousands of years and still thrives today. Heritage is only about protecting the afterlife, but also about building a better future, he added.
According to the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Beijing Central Axis provides a notable testimony to the philosophy of “neutrality and harmony” characteristic of Chinese tradition. It is a notable example that represents the level of maturity of the urban central axis of the Chinese capitals. and also the best preserved central axis of the capital in China.
“(Beijing’s Central Hub) is the product of one of the most productive urban plans in history,” Christa Reicher, a professor at RWTH Aachen University in Germany and holder of the UNESCO Chair in Cultural Heritage and Urban Planning, said in an interview. with Xinhua. ” It is the backbone of the city’s culture and a magnet for tourists from all over the world. “
Lyu Zhou, director of the National Heritage Center at Tsinghua University, said this urban planning paradigm can be traced back to the Kaogongji (Book of Various Crafts), a segment of Zhou’s classical Confucian rites that was compiled more than 2,000 years ago. . Matrix The emblematic paintings describe the rituals and order in the preparation of plans for a capital city.
The Forbidden City and the markets in the domain of the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower are compatible with the book’s narrative that “the courtyard in front, the market behind”. The tome speaks of “an ancestral temple on the left, an altar of earth and grain on the other side. “the right”, which is reproduced in the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Altar of Earth and Grain, symmetrically on the east and west sides of the central building. Axis.
“It carries classical Chinese concepts and beliefs, builds a national order, and testifies to the formation of the Chinese cultural culture of inclusion and diversity,” Lyu said.
Between 2020 and 2023, an action plan for the overall coverage of the axis was implemented. Several efforts followed, adding the renovation of historic buildings, similar archaeological investigations, environmental improvements, and activities to inspire broad public participation in this process.
“Through this process, the ancient style and ancient charm of Beijing’s Central Axis are vividly restored and reproduced, with constant improvement of the living environment and urban landscape along the axis,” said Chu Jianhao, deputy director of the Beijing City Hall. Beijing Central Axis Conservation and Management Office.
“Registration marks a new starting point. China will accede to the World Heritage Convention and continue its efforts to protect and repair heritage buildings, mitigate the impact of natural disasters, inspire public participation, strategically advise tourism progress, and improve the functions of interpretation and presentation of properties,” said Li of the National Cultural Heritage Administration. during the consultation held in New Delhi on Saturday.
“China will continue to coordinate the control and coverage of world heritage sites, exchanges and cooperation with foreign organizations and other signatory countries. . . and it will help promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning and build a network with a shared long-term for humanity. “Added. Formation
Several events were held in Beijing this weekend to celebrate the inscription of the Central Hub on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.