Humanistic Beijing -- The Urban Map of a Millennial Ancient Capital

Author: Qiu Yang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: One book, one journey, one humanistic Beijing! 20 precious old photographs, 15 must-visit hutongs, 10 nationally renowned old brands, 10 worth-exploring princely residences, 10 unforgettable celebrity former residences, 10 historically significant temples, 5 important coordinates on the ancient rural roads in the suburbs of Beijing!
Beijing is the place where the last four feudal dynasties in China—the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing—successively established their capitals. During the Jin Dynasty, it was known as Zhongdu; during the Yuan Dynasty, as Dadu; and from the Ming and Qing Dynasties onward, as Beijing. Zhongdu was the last major city to be built on the primitive tribal lands of Beijing. In the early Yuan Dynasty, a new city was built to the northeast of Zhongdu, which became Dadu. The construction of Dadu laid the foundation for today's Beijing. The city of Dadu was built according to unified planning, with its overall layout highly resembling the distribution principle of "front court, rear market, and right temple" recorded in the Rites of Zhou (Liji Xiaogongji).
In the early Ming Dynasty, large-scale renovations were carried out on the city of Yuan Dadu. Additionally, on the site of the Yuan Dynasty imperial palace, the Forbidden City was built slightly southward. Moreover, the Drum Tower and Bell Tower were newly constructed at the northern end of the old central axis, clearly marking the endpoint of the axis. The renovation project was fully completed in 1420. By 1553, an outer city was added to the south, with the Temple of Heaven and the Altar of Earth being systematically incorporated into the city, thus forming Beijing's unique convex-shaped outline.
The Qing Dynasty fully inherited the Ming Dynasty's Beijing city without further changes, which remained until the eve of liberation.