The Central Axis of Beijing (Tips, Photos & Map)

Plan your Beijing tour? Maybe you are now looking for top attractions for your short trip to Beijing. Surely, you will visit Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Great Wall and the list could be much longer if you are going to stay in Beijing for a longer period.

Now you are kindly reminded that the Central Axis of Beijing is worth your exploring for a few hours’ walking if you have strong legs.

Now the Central Axis of Beijing is on the tentative list for UNESCO cultural heritage, which was submitted in Sept 01, 2013 by National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO .

The Central Axis of Beijing is 7.8km long from Yongdingmen Gate in the south and Bell Tower in the north, passing through Qianmen Gates, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Hill Park, Dianmen Gate ( non-extent ), Drum Tower and Bell Tower.

This central axis is also flanked by many most important pieces of architecture in the city such as Temple of Heaven, The Temple of Agricultural God, Imperial Ancestral Temple and Altar of the Land and Grain.

Beijing central “axis”, which is interpreted as a royal line. The emperors in ancient China believed that they were the center of the world, so all of their palaces should be built on the axis or along the center from south to north of Beijing.

As the core of old Beijing city, the Central Axis of Beijing also show us the ingenious urban planning in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as China today.

The Central Axis of Beijing was first laid out in 1403 in Ming Dynasty that can be traced even further back to the Mongol that Beijing was served as the capital Dadu. Today the Central Axis is still intact though some original buildings and gates are non-existent.

Last week, I had a 3-hour walking tour of the Central Axis of Beijing from Yongdingmen Gate to Bell Tower. Below are some of the pictures I took on my walk tour.

Yongdingmen Gate Tower