The 46th session of the World Heritage Committee has received good news that the project "Beijing's Central Axis: A Masterpiece of China's Ideal Capital City Order" has been approved by the General Assembly and has been officially inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Congratulations China! Congratulations Beijing!
(a)
The most outstanding achievements of ancient Beijing's urban construction are the centripetal pattern centered on the palace city and the central axis of Beijing, which is about 7.8 kilometers long from Yongding Gate in the south to the Bell and Drum Tower in the north.
This central axis of the traditional capital, which is the most complete in the world, is planned, built and perfected with reference to the ideal capital city paradigm depicted by the ancient Chinese facing the city, facing the back city, the left ancestor and the right society, and the symmetrical layout, and is known as "the soul and backbone of the old city of Beijing", and "Beijing's unique magnificent order is produced by the establishment of this central axis", which shows the imagination and creativity of Chinese civilization in urban planning and construction.
Zhongzheng is harmonious, inheriting the past and connecting the present.
With the pace of development of the times, the central axis that has gone through more than 700 years of vicissitudes is bursting with new vitality.
To the south of Yongding Gate, Beijing Daxing International Airport, the world's largest single airport terminal, connects the world with an open attitude and shines in the sun.
To the north, the Bell and Drum Tower connects the Bird's Nest, the Water Cube, the Ice Ribbon, the Olympic Forest Park, and also connects the Chinese Academy of History, the History Exhibition Hall of the Communist Party of China, the China Arts and Crafts Museum, and the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum......
In the future urban planning of the capital Beijing, the south central axis will be extended to the Yongding River system, and the north central axis will reach the Yanshan mountain range. The central axis, which grows in the mountains and rivers and the years, is like the annual rings of trees, recording the history of the construction and development of the Shoushan District.
History and the present, nature and humanity are intertwined and blended on this line, continuing the magnificent civilization and creating a new future.
(b)
"History and culture are the soul of a city, and we must protect the city's historical and cultural heritage as we cherish our own lives."
From the perspective of urban renovation and development and the protection and utilization of historical and cultural heritage, the central axis is not only a cultural line that measures history and continues the cultural context, but also a development line that records the changes of the ancient capital and the governance of the city in the new era.
According to statistics, within the old city of Beijing, the heritage area and buffer zone of Beijing's central axis account for about 66% of its area. From the improvement of the environment of back streets and alleys, to the orderly promotion of the micro-renewal plan of hutongs, from the revision of regulations to provide legal guarantee for the protection of the old city of Beijing, to the introduction of a five-year plan to clarify a series of specific tasks for the protection and development of famous historical and cultural cities, in recent years, the butterfly changes of the old city and the rebirth of the central axis have resonated and complemented each other.
The old city is no longer demolished, the alleys are quiet, and there are more ecological landscapes...... Thanks to the governance and reduction of the development of the city, a clear, orderly and solemn picture is slowly unfolding, creating a cultural golden business card for the city, and promoting the deepening of international exchanges and the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations.
The protection of heritage is not only to protect historical memory, but also to protect and promote the improvement of people's livelihood. Beijing's central axis is not only a cultural heritage that needs to be protected, but also a beautiful home for people to live in.
Looking back on the heritage protection work over the years, it has long been inseparable from the lives of the people. The once dirty and messy Yu'er Hutong has changed greatly, with blue bricks and gray tiles, vermilion doors, simple and tidy. Parking garage, canteen for the elderly, Qi Baishi's former residence memorial hall, old neighborhoods and new business formats are adjacent to each other, which is convenient and comfortable.
The same story is happening in more areas around Beijing's central axis. The "embroidery" fine management of "one courtyard, one design, one household, one plan" has restored the original style of the old house and completed the modernization. From the restoration and protection of cultural heritage, to the management of the surrounding environment, to the renovation of shops with traditional architectural features......
Facts show that by insisting on development in protection and protection in development, continuously enriching cultural supply and continuously improving the living environment, we can maximize the comprehensive benefits, let citizens truly feel the benefits brought by protection, and attract more people to become supporters and participants in the protection of the central axis.
(c)
The successful inscription is a new starting point for conservation and development.
As the common heritage of the world and the common spiritual wealth of all mankind, the inclusion of the Beijing Central Axis in the World Heritage List also puts forward higher requirements for heritage protection.
In recent years, from the compilation of the "Guidelines for the Urban Design of the Central Axis of Beijing", to the issuance of the "Regulations on the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Central Axis of Beijing", to the promulgation and implementation of the "Beijing Central Axis Protection and Management Plan (2022-2035)", a systematic, standardized and effective protection and management mechanism has been continuously constructed, precisely to protect, inherit and make good use of this valuable historical and cultural heritage.
Only by being down-to-earth and persevering, and continuing to promote the protection and development of Beijing's central axis with higher standards and stricter requirements, can history and culture be better integrated into life and let China's excellent traditional culture go to the world.
Cultural relics and cultural heritage carry the genes and blood of the Chinese nation, and are non-renewable and irreplaceable resources of China's excellent civilization.
Protecting cultural heritage is not only material inheritance and protection, but also spiritual accumulation and sublimation.
With firm cultural self-confidence and a high degree of cultural consciousness, we will continue to promote the protection and development of Beijing's central axis, and this "cultural spine" will surely witness a brighter future for the city and the country on a new journey.