Beijing Central Axis

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Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital

UNESCO World Heritage Site
South-to-north view of the Beijing Central Axis, taken from Yongdingmen
Criteria	Cultural: (iii), (iv)
Reference	1714
Inscription	2024 (46th Session)
Coordinates	39°53′58.70″N 116°23′29.79″E / 39.8996389°N 116.3916083°E / 39.8996389; 116.3916083

Beijing Central Axis^[1] (simplified Chinese: 北京中轴线; traditional Chinese: 北京中軸綫; pinyin: Běijīng Zhōngzhóuxiàn), or Central Axis (simplified Chinese: 中轴线; traditional Chinese: 中軸綫; pinyin: Zhōngzhóuxiàn), refers to a stretch of road in Beijing, China. Beijing Central Axis extends 7.8 kilometers from the Drum and Bell Towers in the north to the Yongdingmen Gate in the south.

Beijing Central Axis boasts both ceremonial and iconic buildings dating back to the 13th century (Yuan dynasty). These structures, with distinctive features, serve as exemplars of ancient Chinese architecture. When so many heritages come together, the complex becomes a story of Chinese civilization and the process of unity in Chinese history, as well as a concise overview of Chinese aesthetics.

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The Central Axis was inscribed in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in China.