Axis is central to capital's appeal

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. 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. 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.