​A Powerful Testimony to the Philosophy of "Neutrality and Harmony" Prized in the Chinese Tradition

Beijing Central Axis served as the heart of the capital city during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties and in modern China. The planning, construction, and refinement of the Central Axis encapsulate the ideals of Chinese civilization in pursuing a perfect order in managing a nation, a city, and even daily life. It thus stands as an important symbol of the distinctive features of Chinese civilization.

In comparison with the urban axes of other Asian capitals in countries like Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, Beijing Central Axis is distinguished by its grand scale, excellent state of preservation, and its significant and enduring role in guiding Beijing's urban planning and layout. When compared to the urban axes of political centers in other parts of the world, such as Washington D.C. in the US, Paris in France, and Rome in Italy, Beijing Central Axis embodies traditional Chinese concepts of capital planning, ceremonial culture, and philosophical thought. With its unique structure and landscape, it stands alone in the history of world cities and represents an important contribution to the global history of urban planning.

According to this philosophy, "neutrality" refers to the need for both evenness and proportion, ensuring that there is neither excess nor deficiency. "Harmony," meanwhile, stands for equilibrium, order, and stability. When applied in site selection, urban planning, and architectural design, the philosophy of "neutrality and harmony" is manifested in the pursuit of a layout that emphasizes the principles of respecting centrality and ensuring balance and symmetry. In ancient Chinese texts, the principle of choosing the center was closely linked with the idea of ensuring harmony between heaven, earth, and all beings, as well as the stability of the nation and society.

As the capital's core architectural ensemble, Beijing Central Axis, through its central location and symmetry, symbolized and reinforced the primacy of state power and the importance of ceremonial order. In addition, ancient Chinese cities and buildings were also typically seated in the north while facing south. This north-south orientation, along with the principle of choosing the center, has jointly shaped the overall layout of the central axes for China's various capitals.

The architectural ensemble of Beijing Central Axis is symmetrically arranged both along and on the Axis itself. It reflects an enduring and consistent planning philosophy and sense of order that permeate every aspect, from site selection to architectural design. It also embodies China's age-old pursuit of cultivating social harmony and stability through urban planning.

National memorial structures lie at the heart of the Tiananmen Square Complex. The National Museum of China on the east and the Great Hall of the People on the west correspond to the placement of the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Altar of Land and Grain, respectively. This arrangement not only embodies the philosophy of centrality and harmony but also upholds the tradition of placing the ancestral temple on the left and the altar for the god of land and grain on the right. Such a design reflects the enduring respect for the people and contemporary society in China and also ensures the integrity of the outstanding values encapsulated in the Central Axis in the present era.

Editor: Zhang Xian