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Beijing Central Axis is a site that demonstrates both the Imperial and Communist Chinese interest in symmetry and symbolism.
The UNESCO World Heritage List includes over a thousand properties. They have outstanding universal value and are all part of the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
Official facts
- Official title: Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital
- Country: China
- Date of Inscription: 2024
- Category: Cultural
UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre’s short description of site no. 1714:
Running north to south through the heart of historical Beijing, the Central Axis consists of former imperial palaces and gardens, sacrificial structures, and ceremonial and public buildings. Together they bear testimony to the evolution of the city and exhibits evidence of the imperial dynastic system and urban planning traditions of China. The location, layout, urban pattern, roads and design showcase the ideal capital city as prescribed in the Kaogongji, an ancient text known as the Book of Diverse Crafts. The area, between two parallel rivers, has been settled for about 3,000 years, but the Central Axis itself originated during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) that established its capital, Dadu, in the northern part. The property also features later historical structures built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and improved during the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912).
More about this site
The map reveals that this site, the Beijing Central Axis, starts in the north by the Bell and Drum Towers (1). It connects along a narrow line (2) with the Jingshan Hill (3). This artificial hill and surrounding park provides a great view of the Forbidden city (4) directly its south. The outer perimeter to the south of the Forbidden city (5-9) proper is called the Walled City. It leads straight onto the Tiananmen Square through the gate with the famous Mao portrait.
The Beijing Central Axis includes the large buildings lining this huge square (10-11) and continues further south on a narrow line until it reaches a group of religious edifices (13-14). It ends at the Yongdingmen Gate (15). To the east this heritage site also includes the huge Temple of Heaven complex (12).
The axis is 7.8 kilometres long and contains 15 major landmarks, shown on this map. Like all World heritage sites, there is a buffer zone surrounding the site proper.
Consider this
It is interesting to notice that the two largest areas in this site, are World heritage sites already.
The Forbidden City is a prominent part of site #439, “Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang”. Secondly, the Temple of Heaven is almost identical in size to site #881, “Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing”. In addition, the northern part even crosses #1443, “The Grand Canal”.
Other heritage sites around the world have solved this by expanding the existing sites instead of creating a new one, like the Beijing Central Axis in 2024. There is perhaps only one outstanding exception to the historical axis in Beijing – the Tiananmen Square. It was deliberately left out of the definition of the Forbidden City. In fact it seems to be the only landmark that would not have become enlisted as an outstanding universal value in its own right.
However, Chinese authorities have obviously had an intention to include the major communist structures on and off the square on the World Heritage List. The most prominent are the Great Hall of the People, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. UNESCO took the bait. If you like, read some reviews on this topic.
My visits
Sandalsand has been here several times, just follow the links above and below to find more information. The images are from various places along the Beijing Central Axis, taken during my latest visit in 2019.
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