Beijing's historic north-south Zhongzhouxian, the central axis¹, is to apply for World Heritage status in 2035, the municipal administration of cultural heritage said Wednesday.

 

北京市市政文化遗产管理局周三表示，北京南北中轴线将于2035年申请世界自然遗产。
 

 

Fourteen historical places along the axis, including Qianmen, the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, the Drum and Bell Towers, Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, the Monument to the People's Heroes and Tian'anmen Square have been identified as the key heritage sites.

 

Preservation² work of these sites should meet the requirements of the application by 2030, said Shu Xiaofeng, director of the administration.

 

First created in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the original Zhongzhouxian was 3.7 kilometers. The Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties extended the length to 7.8 kilometers from Yongdingmen in the south to the Drum and Bell Towers in the north.

 

Situated³ at the city's center, Zhongzhouxian separates the districts of Dongcheng and Xicheng. "It is like the backbone⁴ of Beijing's urban spacial structure," said Beijing historian Li Jianping.

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