Beijing city is centered on this central axis, forming a pattern of east-west symmetry, which is reflected in place names.
The clear central axis of Beijing can be traced back to the Jin Dynasty. An imperial road runs through Fengyimen in the outer city, Xuanyangmen in the imperial city and yingtianmen in Miyagi, but there are no famous buildings on the imperial road. In the Yuan Dynasty, the central axis was formally formed, which was located on the central line of the old Gulou Street and its extension line to the south, passing through the Miyagi Center on the east bank of Taiyechi (now Beihai and Zhongnanhai) and reaching the main entrance of the outer city. The rulers of the Ming Dynasty moved the central axis of Beijing eastward by 1.50 meters, and finally formed the present pattern. The purpose is to highlight the palace, which is not connected with the Xiyuan Taiye Pool, and avoid the numerous pavilions and pavilions on Qionghua Island and Xihaizi, with corresponding space in the middle, making the palace look dignified and rich. So the central axis of Beijing is not completely on the center line of the city. For example, the distance from Zhengyangmen to Chongwenmen is 200 meters closer than Xuanwu Gate.
The purpose of establishing the central axis is to emphasize the central position of feudal emperors, just as China was named China, which means "the central country in the world". The overall layout of the city is centered on the central axis, with the ancestral hall on the left and the social altar on the right; The imperial court is in the front and the market is in the back, that is, "Zuo Zu You She" and "Qian Chao Hou Ye", so Beijing has become one of the most brilliant cities in the world in terms of urban layout.
In order to reflect the central position of the feudal dynasty in the country, many famous buildings in Beijing are located on the central axis, such as Zhengyangmen, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City where the emperor lived, the central clock that tells the time in the whole city, and the Drum Tower. These buildings are not only symbols of the ancient capital Beijing, but also symbols of Chinese civilization, and occupy a high position in the history of world civilization. So there are no visitors to Beijing.
After the founding of New China, Tiananmen Square, Monument to the People's Heroes and Chairman Mao Memorial Hall have been expanded one after another. People who have been to Beijing may be interested in many place names in Beijing: Dongzhimen and Xizhimen; There are East Four and West Four; There are Dongdan and Xidan; There are Dongbianmen and Xibianmen; There is a left door and a right door ... what's going on?
It turns out that Beijing has two famous central axes, one is Chang 'an Avenue.
Chang 'an Street is well-known at home and abroad and is known as "the first street in China". Chang 'an Street, built in the Ming Dynasty, is the main road for the construction of the Forbidden City, the Imperial City and the inner and outer cities in Beijing. According to relevant records, it was built at the same time with the Imperial City from the fourth year to the eighteenth year of Yongle in Ming Dynasty (1406- 1420), and it is an important part of the overall planning of Beijing city construction in Ming Dynasty, with a history of 600 years. Chang 'an Street is named after the left and right gates of Chang 'an on both sides of Tiananmen Square. After the founding of New China, the left and right doors of Chang 'an Avenue were demolished on August 1952 to solve the traffic problem.