Beijing: The Capital on the Central Axis

Author: Zhu Yong / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: "The square should be centered, the round should be at the heart." Many cities in the world develop from a central point in a radiating pattern, a situation more common in the West. Many cities in the world spread out along both sides of an axis, a pattern more prevalent in China, with Beijing being the most typical example. Why does Beijing have such a clearly defined axis? What mysteries does it hold? With an extremely distinctive writing style, Zhu Yong blends philosophy, aesthetics, history, anthropology, sociology, geography, architecture, religion, and folk studies into one, presenting a book that is both accessible and vivid, comprehensive and delicate. Starting from the axis, he lights a lantern, illuminating the path to understanding Beijing. Such a wonderful book—how could one miss it? Renowned writer Liu Xinwu
Beijing is a city that has largely preserved its central axis to this day. Although we cannot witness the construction process of this capital, its urban layout offers us rich hints. The city walls, temples, markets, and streets, with their strict symmetry, demonstrate the importance of the axis. It is like a trunk nourishing the increasingly dense branches. This reminds me of childhood paper-cutting games, where I would first fold a deep crease in the paper. Only then could the intricate patterns appear symmetrically on both ends of the crease, one after another.