MAP OF HISTORY WANG KAIHAO/CHINA DAILY/SU JINGBO/LI XIAOTIAN/CHINA DAILY

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).