The Splendid Central Axis

The ancestors of China explored and measured time and space in their production and daily life, mastering the methods of determining time and spatial orientation by measuring the shadow of the sun and observing the heavens. In this process, the concept of 'center' as beauty and honor was formed, and it was extended to the social domain, developing the values and order of 'honoring the center' and 'imitating heaven and earth': Heaven is centered around the 'Pole Star', the Earth is centered around the 'Central Soil', and the human world is centered around the 'Son of Heaven'; 'center' represents a visible order, and 'harmony' is the value pursuit, that is, 'achieving centrality and harmony'. All of these are regulated and realized through 'rites', as it is said, 'the purpose of rites is to be responsible for harmony'. In the selection and planning of the capital city, the principle of 'honoring the center' led to the concept of 'governing from the center'—the capital city is at the 'center' of the nation, and the emperor resides at the 'center' of the capital city. With the 'Ninefold Palace of the Son of Heaven' as the axis, extending north and south, expanding east and west, a city architecture and cultural space sequence with the symbolic meaning of 'establishing the center and reaching the extremes' was formed—the capital's 'central axis'. The Beijing central axis is planned, constructed, and perfected with reference to the ancient ideal capital paradigm depicted with a layout facing the market in the back, ancestral temples on the left and altars to the gods of soil and grain on the right, and a symmetrical layout at its core, showcasing the creativity and talent of Chinese civilization in urban planning and construction from the 13th century to the present.