This photo taken on July 21, 2024 shows Qianmen Street and Yongdingmen Gate in the distance seen from the Zhengyangmen Gate arrow tower in Beijing, capital of China. (Photo/Chen Yehua, Xinhua)
Beijing - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Saturday announced the inclusion of the Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital, into its world heritage list.
So far, China has a total of 59 World Heritage Sites.
Beijing Central Axis, initially established in the 13th century and formed in the 16th century, runs through the old city of Beijing from north to south. It has become the longest urban axis in the world today, spanning 7.8 kilometers.
The heritage area of the Beijing Central Axis covers 589 hectares, with a buffer zone of 4,542 hectares. Its location, layout, urban form, and design reflect the ancient Chinese tradition of urban planning, serving as an important emblem that highlights the distinctive characteristics of Chinese civilization.
Chen Geng conducts daily check at the Temple of Heaven, a heritage component on the Beijing Central Axis, in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2024. Interested in traditional architecture since childhood, Chen Geng works now at the administration of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, with a major duty of daily check, maintenance and protection of the cultural relics in the temple. (Photo/Liu Jinhai, Xinhua)
This photo taken from the Drum Tower shows a view of the Beijing Central Axis in Beijing, capital of China, June 2, 2024. (Photo/Ju Huanzong, Xinhua)
Cai Wenke makes cloth shoes in Beijing, capital of China, July 21, 2024. Located at the south section of the Beijing Central Axis, Dashilan commercial area is home to many time-honored Chinese brands such as shoe maker Neiliansheng, silk and fabric store Ruifuxiang, foodstuff company Daoxiangcun and pharmaceutical company Tongrentang. Cai, an inheritor of making techniques of Neiliansheng handmade cloth shoes, is now exploring new possibilities of the products by combining the traditional designs with modern elements. He hopes that more people could wear the cloth shoes and walk on the Beijing Central Axis to experience the colorful Chinese culture. (Photo/Chen Zhonghao, Xinhua)
This photo taken on May 31, 2024 shows a view of the Forbidden City in Beijing, capital of China. (Photo/Chen Yehua, Xinhua)
Lyu Zhou is pictured at the Altar of the God of Agriculture in Beijing, capital of China, June 18, 2024. Lyu is the group leader for text compiling on the Beijing Central Axis World Heritage application team and director of the National Heritage Center of Tsinghua University. Lyu and his team have been dedicated to explicate to the world the unique heritage value of the Beijing Central Axis -- a building ensemble exhibiting the ideal order of the Chinese capital. (Photo/Chen Zhonghao, Xinhua)
This photo taken on July 17, 2024 shows architectures along the Beijing Central Axis, with the Bird's Nest as well as the Water Cube on the extension of the axis, seen from the Olympic Tower in Beijing, capital of China. (Photo/Ju Huanzong, Xinhua)