Axis becomes center of attention

Historic route through the capital is focus of information drive to highlight its significance, Yang Feiyue reports.

Halima, from Iran, took a break from her business trip to Beijing and signed up for an immersion trip through the Beijing Central Axis on Aug 5.

"I am curious about it," she says about the axis, which is lined by key structures exhibiting the ideal layout of the Chinese capital and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 27.

Halima started her trip at Jingshan Park where she got a bird's-eye view of the Palace Museum and was stunned by the historical architecture's grandeur and sheer volume. Then, she walked about 4 kilometers soaking up what the Beijing Central Axis has to offer, including the Bell and Drum Towers, where she was fascinated by how the ancients kept time.

In addition to sightseeing, she tried distinctive tourist facilities along the way. She took a particular shine to a traditional shoe shop near the Drum Tower.

"They were special and pretty," she says, adding that she just bought a traditional Chinese mamianqun (horse-faced skirt).

The central axis trip adds to her affection toward Chinese culture, Halima says.

The trip was part of efforts by the Beijing Bureau of Culture and Tourism and drew more than 100 visitors from home and abroad to better appreciate the historical and cultural value of the Beijing Central Axis.

Routes have been developed to offer different views of the grand scenes and vivid explanations behind major historical sites on the Beijing Central Axis, which covers an area of 589 hectares and has a buffer zone of 4,542 hectares.

It marks China's 59th World Heritage Site and Beijing's eighth.