Capital brimming with cultural heritage

Preservation of historical landmarks, such as the Central Axis and Forbidden City, now recognized as crucial to the growth of Beijing's tourism

The recent inclusion of the Beijing Central Axis into the UNESCO World Heritage List has ignited a new wave of enthusiasm for cultural heritage citywide, creating a conducive environment for the preservation, protection and promotion of heritage sites.

"Such world cultural heritage is China's cultural landmark and spiritual hallmark, providing a valuable resource for building China into a strong cultural nation, promoting mutual learning among and exchanges of civilizations, and demonstrating confidence in Chinese culture," said Song Haojie, deputy head of the Beijing Cultural Heritage Bureau.

They stand as important pillars for promoting the overall protection of Beijing's old city areas, and the construction and protection of the city's three major cultural belts, revolving around the Grand Canal, the Great Wall, and the Western Hills and Yongding River, he added.

Currently, Beijing ranks top among cities worldwide by number of World Heritage Sites. With the latest addition of the Central Axis, the city is now home to eight World Heritage Sites, which are distributed across districts such as Dongcheng, Xicheng, Haidian, Tongzhou, Yanqing, Changping and Fangshan.

As the jewel in the crown of Beijing's treasure trove of cultural and tourism resources, the eight World Heritage Sites include the city's iconic sites.

Among them is the Forbidden City, which was included in the World Heritage List in 1987. One of the world's largest and best-preserved wooden structures, it served as the imperial palace for 24 emperors during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties and is acclaimed as one of the world's top five palaces.

The Great Wall, a wide-reaching ancient defense project, and the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian were also inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987.

The lesser-known Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site is located in Zhoukoudian town of Fangshan district, southwest of Beijing. It is one of the richest, most systematic and valuable human sites from the early Paleolithic era in the world. Discoveries there in the 1920s became an archaeological sensation that shocked the world.

The Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven are among the must-visit sites in a typical tourist itinerary in Beijing. Both were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.

The Ming Tombs, a grand complex of mausoleums for 13 of the Ming Dynasty emperors, and the Grand Canal, the world's oldest canal, which starts from Beijing in the north and passes through 27 cities in eight provinces and municipalities in its 2,700-kilometer span, joined the ranks of World Heritage Sites in 2003 and 2014 respectively.

With a wealth of cultural heritage, Beijing has developed mature practices and rules for the protection, management, and development of these classic cultural assets.

Behind the success is the unfailing support of the city's policymakers for the preservation and administration of cultural heritage, Song said.

The city government and the Beijing Committee of the Communist Party of China highly value cultural heritage and have rolled out a series of policies and regulations, providing a guarantee for the protection and management of the world heritage sites, he said.

Song also emphasized a holistic approach that Beijing takes in heritage preservation. "These World Heritage Sites are not isolated," he said.

In 2022, the bureau cooperated with various institutions to found the Beijing Alliance of World Heritage Conservation, which is committed to strengthening the overall capacity, creating the cultural brand of "World Heritage in Beijing", and building a community of shared heritage protection responsibilities.

As an international hub, Beijing is rich in international exchange resources. By engaging in cultural exchanges and cooperation with international organizations and other countries, Beijing can contribute solutions and expand the influence of its World Cultural Heritage Sites, Song said.

Riding the wave of renewed public interest, the Beijing Cultural Heritage Bureau continues to delve into the city's world heritage, and take action to increase the preservation awareness of the public and promote the heritage sites' integration into residents' daily lives, according to Song.

The efforts include popularizing the world heritage sites at campuses and in residential communities, promoting the integration of heritage into tourism and encouraging more nongovernmental organizations and individuals to take part in preservation and inheritance of the heritage, he added.

Next year, the bureau plans to give full play to the 40th anniversary celebration of China's accession into the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1985 in a bid to attract wider participation of the public.

The world cultural heritage's systematic and overall preservation provides a fundamental guarantee for the inheritance and continuation of Beijing culture, as it serves as an important carrier of local and traditional Chinese culture, Song said. "It is also an inherent driving force for enhancing the cultural identity of the people and injecting rich cultural connotations into the overall renewal of Beijing.

"The interaction between the holistic preservation of cultural heritage and urban renewal is of significance to promoting the overall sustainable development of Beijing."