Nanhaizi culture is a witness to the cultural development of the Chinese nation, an expert says.

The area where Nanhaizi culture was most intense partially functioned as a capital city in ancient times, according to Liu Zhonghua.

Liu, a researcher and head of the Institute of History, Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, was speaking at the first Nanhaizi Cultural Forum in Daxing, Beijing, Dec 8.

According to Liu, Nanhaizi culture is an important part of Beijing culture and the development of Beijing city. In its day was of the same importance as the imperial mountains and gardens.

The Nanhaizi Cultural Area was formed in the Liao (916-1125) and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties. After Beijing was initially established as a capital city in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the area was called Nanhaizi.

The formation and rise of Nanhaizi history is inseparable from the interaction and integration of the nomadic culture in North China and the Han culture of Zhongyuan, or China's Central Plain, in the later period of Chinese feudal society, he added.

The Nanhaizi Cultural Area played an important role in the history of cultural exchanges among different ethnic groups. Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) received the 5th Dalai Lama in Nanhaizi, and Emperor Qianlong received the 6th Panchen Lama in Deshou Temple in Nanhaizi.

During the reign of Emperor Shunzhi, it was particularly urgent for the troops of the Qing Dynasty that bypassed Shanhai Pass to consolidate national unity and the new regime.

Emperor Qianlong's reign, following the reigns of emperors Shunzhi, Kangxi and Yongzheng, was a critical period for achieving national reunification during the Qing Dynasty.

Therefore, Nanhaizi not only witnessed cultural exchanges of ethnic groups in China, but also played an important historical role in promoting national unity and maintaining solidarity of all ethnic groups.