It is the heart of the 850-year-old capital of Beijing.
It epitomizes the quintessence of the city's ancient constructions.
It deviates from the meridian, hiding a lot of unsolved mysteries.
It represents the most genuine Beijing local lifestyle.
It bore witness to the tremendous changes of Beijing through the ages.

Opening a Beijing map, it's easy to locate a central line cutting through the city. It is, as the great architect Liang Sicheng put it, "the longest and greatest south-north central city line in the world. The unique and magnificent sequence and order of the city are engendered by this line."

The central line begins from Yongding Gate, and ends at the Drum Tower, stretching 7.8 kilometers, and represents the vicissitudes of Beijing. Coordinating its layout in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the central line attained its current scale in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The main constructions along the central line are symmetrical, but in graceful disorder, forming a unique and magnificent picture scroll.

  Foreign ambassador's first entry to the capital

Legend has it that an ambassador once wanted to meet the emperor in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), but he refused to kowtow as asked according to the etiquette required at the time.

So the officials arranged a ceremony for the ambassador to enter the city. He entered the imperial city via Qianmen Gate, and immediately found a different Beijing. The orderly, small, brown civilian residences were an unexpected sight.. A broad road led him to the Gate of Heavenly Peace, which presented a dazzling contrast of red walls and yellow glazed tiles. Right in front of the gate stood white ornament columns and stone lions. With the azure sky spotted with clouds as the backdrop, he now began to understand the difference between Chinese and Western architecture.

Passing the Gate of Heavenly Peace, Duanmen Gate, the sight of a construction of almost the same structure struck the ambassador once again. Passing the Duanmen Gate Square, the Wumen Gate was right in front of him, with the walls on the two sides like two embracing arms of a giant host, welcoming the ambassador. On the Wumen Gate was a batch of musicians striking up a welcoming tune.

There were no trees after Wumen Gate, which helped to provide a better view of the buildings and set off their magnificence.

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