One year since UNESCO inscription: Hi-tech, community efforts drive sustainability of the Central Axis as a live world heritage

Editor's Note:

On July 27, 2024, "Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital" was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Now marking its first anniversary, experts involved in the bid highlight the significance of interpreting its status as a global cultural treasure. They pointed out that "sustainable tourism" has emerged as a key factor for the Beijing Central Axis' future when communicating with UNESCO officials and overseas scholars. After speaking with experts and the public from all walks of life, the Global Times found the answer that key strategies identified for sustainable development include technology-enhanced conservation, immersive heritage experiences, and community-driven stewardship. Those are also the approaches that have already reshaped the Beijing Central Axis over the past year, renewing the heritage site's glamour in the new era.

In the height of summer, Yongdingmen Park is bathed in lush greenery. Along both sides of the ancient imperial road of the south of the Beijing Central Axis, citizens and tourists alike gather in small groups, resting, strolling, and exercising amid the shade, savoring the respite from the sweltering heat.

Climbing the Yongdingmen Gate, the southern endpoint of Beijing's Central Axis, and facing north, one can take in the entire panoramic beauty of the Central Axis: Expansive, magnificent, and orderly.

On July 27, 2024, the Beijing Central Axis has been added to the United Nations' cultural heritage list.

Following the UNESCO inscription of the Beijing Central Axis and two natural heritages of China, Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged further efforts to preserve the country's cultural and natural treasures and renew their glamour in the new era. the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The inclusion of these heritage items has positive significance for the building of Chinese modernization that features material and cultural-ethical advancement and harmony between humanity and nature, Xi said, noting that it also adds new luster to world civilizations, Xinhua reported.

The Beijing Central Axis, the best-preserved example of traditional central axis architecture in China, extends 7.8 kilometers from the Yongdingmen Gate in the south to the Bell and Drum Towers in the north.

Dubbed the "spine of the city's culture," it can be traced to the 13th century in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), while its length was extended in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911).

Lü Zhou, director of the national heritage center at Tsinghua University who was involved in the application for UNESCO World Heritage Site, told the Global Times that the Beijing Central Axis showcases the most spectacular urban form of oriental civilization, filling the gap in urban planning heritage in East Asia.

"The Beijing Central Axis tells the world how Chinese civilization constructs order, embodying the material expression of the concepts of 'centrality' and 'harmony' in Chinese civilization. It demonstrates to the world the 'consistency, originality, uniformity, inclusivity, and peaceful nature' of Chinese civilization, as well as its inheritability, explaining to the world the essence of the Chinese cultural spirit," Lü said.

Now marking its first anniversary, the Central Axis pulses with celebratory energy as communities host events along its 7.8-kilometer span.

As part of the commemorations, the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau unveiled two milestone publications: Action Plan for Conservation and Inheritance of Beijing Central Axis (2025-2027) and the book series Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital.

"We envision these publications as vital keys to interpreting the Beijing Central Axis' significance as a global cultural treasure," Zhang Bo, a research fellow from Beijing Union University, told the Global Times.

She stressed that after communicating with UNESCO officials and overseas scholars, "sustainable tourism" has emerged as a key factor for the Beijing Central Axis' future.

Many experts pointed out that the heart of the Central Axis' sustainability lies in cutting-edge technology.

"Technology empowers citizens to become both guardians and ambassadors of culture," Lü said.

Technology empowers protection
Among Beijing's many city gates, Zhengyangmen is the largest and highest-ranked in terms of architectural specification, according to news portal The Paper. From the third and fourth floors of its arrow tower, visitors can overlook Qianmen Street, with a distant view reaching as far as the Yongdingmen Gate at the southernmost end of the Central Axis, which is a perfect spot for viewing and photography.

Renovation work on Zhengyangmen Archery Tower and the main tower began in 2021, and in December 2024, the archery tower reopened to the public for the first time in over 30 years.

"3D scanning revolutionized our approach," Chen Liang, director of the heritage conservation department at the Beijing Central Axis Heritage Protection Center, told the Global Times.

Teams created precise molds to recreate damaged window lintels originally patched with cement.

"The precision of 3D laser scanning reaches 0.1 millimeters, enabling even the historical traces in the brick joints to be completely preserved," Chen said.

For 150 balustrades and 48 brackets, restorers developed customized solutions using carbon-fiber composites blended with traditional materials, which has preserved authenticity while boosting resilience.

After the renovation, advanced cultural relic monitoring equipment was installed in Zhengyangmen Archery Tower. Zhou Ziyu, director of the heritage monitoring department at the Beijing Central Axis Heritage Conservation Center, introduces that post-restoration, wireless accelerometers, Beidou navigation sensors, and microclimate monitors now stand sentinel.

"Real-time data on vibrations, displacement, and humidity feeds into our conservation database. Algorithms alert us to anomalies, enabling proactive preservation," Zhou said.

"Establishing realistic 3D models and the heritage monitoring and protection platform allow us to simulate environmental impacts and plan urban development without compromising heritage sightlines," Tao Yingchun, deputy director of the Beijing Institute of Surveying and Mapping, told the Global Times, adding that China's digital technology has now reached world-leading levels, driven in part by the need to manage the vast volumes of data related to the Beijing Central Axis.

Immersive experiences

At the northernmost end of the Beijing Central Axis, a wonderful integration of technology and ancient architecture is unfolding within the Bell and Drum Towers.

On the first floor of the Drum Tower, next to the "The Story of Time" exhibition hall, a 35-square-meter VR installation transports visitors to the Yuan Dynasty's founding scenario.

Guided by the mythical dragon "Xiaolongzai," users equipped with VR headsets witness the cosmic vision for the Central Axis by urban planner Liu Bingzhong from Yuan Dynasty, the "chief designer" of the Beijing Central Axis, experiencing the beauty of "artistic conception" in Chinese philosophy through immersive storytelling.

"Since its UNESCO listing, educational tours have surged," Yu Hui, deputy director of the Bell and Drum Towers management office, told the Global Times.

Heritage "passports" allowing stamp collections at 15 Central Axis sites delight young explorers, while the "Chronical Tea" café themed around the 24 solar terms, with seasonal brews and drum-tower-shaped pastries, have become social media sensations.

Keeping lively for people

Xi called for efforts to take this UNESCO inclusion as an opportunity to further strengthen the comprehensive and systematic protection of cultural and natural heritage and make good use of them to better meet the people's needs, Xinhua reported.

He also urged enhanced international exchange and cooperation in this field, and efforts to make greater contribution to the practice of the Global Civilization Initiative and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, per Xinhua.

A year after the Beijing Central Axis was successfully inscribed as a World Heritage Site, both local residents and visitors from across the country have felt its transformative impact. These changes have seamlessly woven into every aspect of daily life - food, clothing, housing, and travel.

Zhao Yan, a Beijing resident, lives on Di'anmennei Dajie. Throughout the ongoing progress of the Central Axis preservation projects, both before and after its UNESCO inscription, she has witnessed the gradual restoration of her street to its former glory.

The once-bustling thoroughfare is now lined with thriving shops and merchants, while the nearby hutongs, teeming with visitors, have seen significant improvements in supporting facilities. Remarkably, many former neighbors who had moved away from the hutongs have returned to their old homes, bringing a lively yet orderly atmosphere back to the community, Zhao said.

"The extended north-south axis has already emerged as a new highlight of urban development. The cultural heritage is now becoming more deeply integrated into residents' daily lives," Liu Zheng, a member of the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics, told the Global Times.

Along the Central Axis, several revitalized time-honored shops have emerged, such as "Qianxiangyi," a historic store specializing in Chinese silk on Qianmen Street.

Liu Qi, an employee at the shop, said that with the coordination and financial support of relevant government departments, "Qianxiangyi" was included in the architectural restoration project along the Central Axis.

The store underwent an 18-month closure for meticulous renovations, during which traditional techniques were used to restore the building's structure, railings, and decorative patterns to the highest standards.

These efforts successfully revived the historical charm and architectural beauty of the store. The restored facade has drawn in more customers, offering the shop a fresh opportunity for growth as a time-honored brand.

The changes can also be seen in the increased number of foreign tourists.

Yang Ziruo, a 14-year-old student in Beijing, told the Global Times she and other students once jointly wrote to UNESCO to express their support for the Beijing Central Axis' heritage bid. "Now a World Heritage Site, the Beijing Central Axis breathes with a vibrant atmosphere," she said.

Dou Junjie, a seasoned tour guide specializing in the landmarks along the Central Axis, said that he has also welcomed numerous international visitors over the past year.

Dou told the Global Times many seasoned travelers expressed great interest in Beijing's cultural elements, such as the traditional quadrangle dwellings and Peking Opera.

One of visitors from the Netherlands was particularly impressed by the smooth traffic flow and the well-developed infrastructure along the Central Axis, describing the experience of walking and cycling along it as truly unforgettable.

As a professional who often communicates with foreign architects, Li Yinong, the chief architect of the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design Co, Ltd, has found that the "Chinese sense of order" of the Central Axis never fails to amaze international friends.

"Unlike the Avenue des Champs-Elysees in France with its geometric precision like trimmed hedges, ours balances rigor with organic vitality," she told the Global Times adding that "Neither is superior; they reflect distinct aesthetic sensibilities."

This cultural dialogue, Li argues, is the Beijing Central Axis' true power. "It also inspires foreign architects working in China to weave such Chinese wisdom into their designs. That is heritage breathing across borders," she said.