Preserving the Charm of the Ancient Capital

Wanning Bridge is the only Yuan Dynasty relic on the central axis of Beijing. From 2021, Beijing launched a protection campaign of the Bridge involving multiple departments such as planning, utility, and the garden bureau, following the concept and requirement for cultural heritage protection. A comprehensive recovery plan was introduced, mobilizing a wide range of stakeholders to preserve cultural relics, explore and display its historical and cultural values through repairs of relics, restricting traffic flows, among other measures. Now the bridge has reclaimed its ancient glory. This is a fantastic case highlighting the protection of cultural heritage along Beijing’s central axis.

Unlike in the past where efforts were solely concentrated on the relic itself, today, Beijing focuses more on displaying their cultural values, upgrading their underlying environment, their functions, as well as the rights and interest of the public.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that Beijing is a world-famous ancient capital. Rich historical and cultural heritage is a golden “business card” of the city. Preserving its precious historical and cultural value is the responsibility of Beijing. With greater protection of Beijing’s historical and cultural elements and continuous enhancement of Beijing’s role as a national cultural center, Beijing’s creative and innovative development of its traditional culture is underpinned by large-scale and systemic efforts.

Beijing has a history of 3,000 years as a city and more than 800 years as a capital. As early as 700,000 to 200,000 years ago, the Peking Man in Zhoukoudian had started to use fire and make stone tools, making Beijing an important part of Chinese history and culture and a great testimony to the long history of the Chinese civilization.

Standing at the intersection of the “two centenary goals”, Beijing is ready to shoulder the important task of promoting the national culture, and building itself into a world historical and cultural city as a leading model city and an innovation center in China.