Humanistic Beijing – The Urban Map of a Millennial Ancient Capital

Author: Qiu Yang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-11
Features: One book, one journey, one humanistic Beijing! 20 precious old photographs, 15 must-visit hutongs, 10 nationally renowned time-honored brands, 10 worth-exploring royal 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 capital of the last four feudal dynasties in China—Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing. During the Jin Dynasty, it was known as Zhongdu; in the Yuan Dynasty, it was called Dadu; and from the Ming and Qing Dynasties onward, it was referred to as Beijing. Zhongdu was the last major city to develop 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 layout of Dadu was planned and built according to a unified design, with its overall urban plan closely resembling the distribution principle of "front court, rear market, and right temple" recorded in the Rites of Zhou (Li Gong Ji).
In the early Ming Dynasty, large-scale renovations were made to the Yuan Dynasty's Dadu city. Additionally, on the site of the Yuan Dynasty's imperial palace, a new 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 Tiananmen and the Altar of Land and Grain systematically incorporated into the city, 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.