Capital city on the central axis of Beijing

Author: Zhu Yong
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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 exceptionally unique writing style, Zhu Yong blends philosophy, aesthetics, history, anthropology, sociology, geography, architecture, religion, and folk studies into one. In a clear and vivid, comprehensive and delicate manner, he starts from the axis, ignites a heart lamp, and illuminates the path to understanding Beijing. Such a great book—how can it be missed? 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 still offers us ample hints. The city walls, temples, markets, and streets, with their strict symmetry, reveal the importance of the axis. It is like a trunk nourishing the increasingly dense branches. This reminds me of my childhood paper-cutting games, where I would first fold a deep crease in the paper. Only then could the intricate patterns appear symmetrically at both ends of the crease in sequence.