作品標題：京之軸Beijing Central Axis-The Legend of A Line

　　Beijing’s Central Axis

　　Episode?1: Eternity

　　Throughout history, humans have built cities...

　　Giving each of them, a unique character.

　　Ruins of Thebes, Egypt

　　On the middle Nile, the ancient Egyptians built a city along a two-kilometer central line. This was Thebes, the City with a Hundred Gates.

　　Paris, France

　　Beside the Seine, an axis extends from the Louvre to the Place de l'étoile and onwards to the Champs-élysées. This three-kilometer central line defines the romance of Paris.

　　Yongdingmen Gate

　　Drum Tower

　　Gate to the Hall of Supreme Harmony

　　Hall of Supreme Harmony

　　Wanchun Pavilion

　　Shouhuang Palace

　　Bell Tower

　　In Beijing, a Central Axis extending for 7.8 kilometers bisects the city. This north-south line defines its layout. The buildings and urban space along it are arranged in such a way as to express the Chinese ideal of national order. They bear witness to many centuries of change in the country’s urban lifestyle.

　　Lyu Zhou, Director

　　National Heritage Center, Tsinghua University

　　Beijing’s Central Axis and the city itself

　　are a comprehensive representation of

　　the traditional Chinese concept of time and space.

　　Wang Jun, Director

　　Institute of Architecture and Planning

　　Palace Museum Academy

　　Liang Sicheng said Chinese architecture

　　wasn’t there just to be admired.

　　He likened it to a long scroll painting

　　which you have to walk around to really appreciate

　　and sense its spatial and temporal fluidity.

　　Peter Calthorpe

　　Architect and Urban Planner

　　It’s very important when you shape the urban environment to make sure that you maintain the human scale,

　　to make the spaces useful and love.

　　In ancient China, the rhythm of urban life was dictated by the rising and setting of the sun. The spatial layout of cities was based on humanity. That is the secret behind an enduringly livable city.

　　Eternity

　　Yongdingmen Gate

　　Santiago is a visual artist and photographer from Spain who is fascinated by Bruce Lee and kung fu. During over a decade spent living in Beijing, he has tried to uncover some of the secrets of Chinese culture. Having heard about the Central Axis many times, he has finally come to Yongdingmen to observe it.

　　Santiago Barrio

　　Spanish Visual Artist

　　I think, yeah, this is the first time I’m in the top of Yongdingmen, Zhongguo who is the country of the center.

　　That line is through me.

　　I think it’s a very magical moment.

　　Maybe the power, the special power of this capital is helping me to find something.

　　In a big city full of people, in this case, I think around 25 million of people, the line who supports the whole city. is the central axis of Beijing, you know.

　　Beijing’s Central Axis extends from Yongdingmen in the south to the Bell and Drum Towers in the north. In the course of its 7.8-kilometre length it passes through a number of major landmarks. These include Jingshan Hill, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Qianmen and Tianqiao South Street. Along its route, several key structures stand in symmetrical pairs on its eastern and western sides. These buildings, and the axis itself, sustain the grandeur of Beijing. The Chinese philosophies of time, space and urban planning inherent in them have also had a profound influence on the world’s architectural history. But the story of Beijing’s Central Axis begins many centuries ago.

　　The Central Axis in its earliest form was seen 755 years ago in the Yuan Dynasty capital, called Dadu. At the heart of the city was a Central Platform from which an axis extended to the north and south.

　　Central Platform Area

　　In 1271 A.D., Kublai Khan, the founding emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, decided to build a new imperial city on the ruins of the old capital, Zhongdu.

　　As the city’s chief planner, the emperor appointed an architect named Liu Bingzhong. Liu studied the mountains and waters in the area, and decided to build a city around a specific center. By doing so, he was following the guidelines set out in the Kao Gong Ji, or Artificers’ Record, a classic work compiled between the fifth and third centuries B.C.. The Kao Gong Ji stated that establishing the center of a city should be of overriding importance. Based on his study of the landscape, Liu determined the location of the new city. He then designed an axis running along the Shichahai lakes area. He ordered that a pavilion be built on this axis, to mark the city’s geometric center.

　　Water was the lifeblood of ancient cities.

　　A city couldn’t survive without water.

　　For Kublai Khan, who was accustomed to living

　　near water and grassland,

　　it was important to choose somewhere with water.

　　This explains the spatial layout of today’s Beijing,

　　with its south-north axis

　　and intersecting west-east river system.

　　It was the first time a natural lake –

　　such a large body of water –

　　was incorporated into a capital.

　　It was remarkable.

　　The lake represented a profound connection

　　between the city and our traditional culture.

　　According to the Chinese concept of urban planning, identifying a center represents the pursuit of social order and enduring stability. Also, building a city near water is essential for human habitation. Beijing’s axis, as its spine, is a fruit of these two concepts. It reflects the Chinese view of heaven, earth and people, which has endured for thousands of years.

　　From its capital served by rivers, the Mongol empire could extend its governance throughout the country. Its river system also allowed it to prosper, and its residents to lead a comfortable life.

　　If you stand on Wanning Bridge and look to the south,

　　you see the splendid imperial palace.

　　To the north, there are the Bell and Drum Towers.

　　And west from where we’re standing right now,

　　there’s a commercial district, and boat tours.

　　It’s a busy waterway.

　　To the east, we see a tranquil area.

　　It gives a sense of peace and gentleness.

　　Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture

　　There are three rivers here.

　　The Fenghe is a major body of water.

　　It was one thing ensuring that the river system intersected with the Central Axis. But the real challenge was to leverage the rivers’ role in order to make the city more dynamic and vibrant. Wang and his team sought answers to how this was achieved, not only in Beijing. They also investigated how other countries practiced river management and development.

　　Hello, Kunpeng.

　　I’d like you to show us Regent’s Canal in London.

　　What can it teach us?

　　Canal parks like this

　　are designed to be highly accessible.

　　You can get to it easily by any means of transport.

　　And it’s got good connections to

　　the surrounding infrastructure.

　　It’s also highly navigable.

　　The narrow channel we see here

　　is purposely left for boats,

　　which is quite interesting.

　　So, they do a good job

　　in getting people to interact with the canal.

　　Yes. And they hold festivals here,

　　which involve activities on the waterway.

　　My observation is that cities in other countries

　　could learn from our practices in Beijing,

　　such as our system of river and lake chiefs.

　　The sophisticated management of waterways

　　allows us to implement effective measures

　　to guarantee water quality, water volume

　　and water ecology.

　　In Beijing, both inside and outside the imperial palace, the waterways and buildings along the Central Axis continue to play their role, just as they have done for hundreds of years.

　　Wang Jun has devoted many years to urban planning and cultural heritage preservation. In order to demonstrate the importance of the axis in urban planning, he is often to be seen, employing an old method of measuring the position of the various structures.

　　It’s a manifestation of our cultural inheritance

　　from ancient times.

　　Without making sense of time and space,

　　you can’t understand civilization.

　　When people in the past wanted to determine

　　the length of a solar year, this Central Axis

　　provided the spatial proof they needed.

　　I’d erect a pole on the south-north axis.

　　If we observe the pole’s shadow at noon

　　we see changes in its length and position

　　throughout the year.

　　The time it takes for the shadow

　　to move around the pole

　　equates to the length of a solar year.

　　This is how our ancestors determined that

　　a solar year is 365.24 days.

　　Now you can see the importance of the axis.

　　The ancient Chinese classics,

　　including the Confucian classics

　　and others written prior to the Qin Dynasty,

　　contain a great deal of

　　scientific and technical knowledge.

　　The Central Axis was a fruit of this.

　　It was based on our ancient ancestors’ observations

　　that Liu Bingzhong decided the location of

　　the Central Axis as a line along which

　　to build and lay out the city.

　　Imperial Divine Temple

　　Xiao Jun, Director

　　Research Center for Ancient Astronomy

　　Beijing Planetarium

　　Chinese moondial

　　Altazimuth

　　Azimuth theodolite

　　In 2022, Major Cold, the last of the solar terms on the calendar, fell on January 20.

　　Let’s practice.

　　To mark the occasion, Mr. Zhang is preparing to beat his drum.

　　Chinese use the bell to wake up the city.

　　So activities start.

　　And at night,

　　you can hear the drums,

　　so that one means everybody can go to home,

　　to have a rest, you know.

　　So, yeah, it’s a beautiful space

　　between day and night.

　　The Bell and Drum Towers, located at the northern end of the Central Axis, kept the time for the whole of Beijing.

　　The sound of the bells and drums would spread from the center, all across the city. The abstract concept of time was divided into equal sections.

　　Thus we have mornings and evenings, and the 24 solar terms of the year.

　　The 24 drums here each correspond to a solar term. Farmers would plan their activities according to the sound of the different drums.

　　The bell and drums brought human activity into line with the laws of nature. In turn, nature taught humans how to lay out their cities.

　　Santiago, as he observed Beijing along its Central Axis, wondered how to capture it in his photographs. He finally found inspiration in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, at the center of the axis.

　　I bring this note book,

　　trying to explain one idea.

　　The idea of central axis.

　　You see, that line here

　　between the two pages are the same as central axis.

　　So you see

　　the wind is moving all the different pages,

　　but the axis keeps the same.

　　The axis is the essence.

　　Essence never changes.

　　He discovered deep resonance in the concept of the zhong, or center. Based on what he’d already learned about the axis, he set about investigating the zhong. It was in the classic text the Tao Te Ching that he found the most compelling explanation of the importance of the center in Chinese culture.

　　Laozi is talking here

　　in this chapter.

　　He’s trying to talk about the Dao itself.

　　So this is why I took the photo

　　with a cover of the container

　　trying to show that moment

　　that suddenly disappear.

　　The center is where change originates. The Central Axis was the starting point for planning Beijing, and created the city’s symmetry.

　　The splendor and orderliness of Beijing

　　originate from the Central Axis.

　　The Central Axis dominates the layout,

　　with buildings of different heights

　　standing in symmetry along it.

　　To the east and west of this line,

　　Beijing’s major streets extend across the city.

　　You can see The Magnificent order of Beijing

　　in this aerial footage from the 1930s

　　Twenty years later,It shows the old Beijing, as described by Liang Sicheng.

　　Tsinghua University

　　School of Architecture

　　Liang Sicheng

　　Many of Beijing’s key historical relics

　　have been well preserved,

　　and this is thanks to the work done by Mr. Liang.

　　This article was written by Mr. Liang.

　　It’s called

　　“Beijing –

　　Incomparable Masterpiece of Urban Planning”.

　　This section talks about Beijing’s spatial pattern.

　　Here, referring to the Central Axis,

　　he describes Beijing’s orderliness and magnificence.

　　Liang Sicheng at the Puxian Pavilion, Shanhua Temple

　　Liang Sicheng surveying Zhaozhou Bridge

　　Liang Sicheng as a design consultant

　　for the UN headquarters

　　Liang Sicheng devoted his life to the study and preservation of ancient Chinese architecture. A great architect himself, he expressed awe at the way Beijing’s urban layout unfolded along the Central Axis.

　　Beijing has a vast trove of well-preserved ancient buildings. These priceless masterpieces are the embodiment of old traditions and new vitality.

　　He talked about the symmetrical aesthetics of

　　the north-south axis.

　　How did it bisect the city?

　　We can see, from the imperial palace

　　to the houses of ordinary residents,

　　that it’s the spatial pattern of a siheyuan quadrangle.

　　The Central Axis as we know it today

　　includes all the buildings along this line.

　　It provides both continuity and cultural diversity.

　　It was originally created in the Yuan Dynasty

　　and was further developed by planners and architects

　　in the Ming Dynasty.

　　The Qing Dynasty then inherited it.

　　The northern section of the Central Axis was mainly a working area, while the southern section was the focus of daily life.

　　Tianqiao is an iconic site in southern Beijing. In the Yuan Dynasty, it was a gathering place for literati. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, with Beijing’s expansion, it became a bustling place full of merchants’ stalls, teahouses, bird markets and opera houses.

　　This is where Peking Opera and Temple Fairs became popular.

　　At Tianqiao, it was as if the Central Axis had extended from the Forbidden City into the lives of ordinary people.

　　Qianmen Street in 1939

　　Beijing (Beiping) in 1929

　　Beijing (Beiping) in 1933

　　Such a city should blend past and present,

　　reflecting the features of ancient civilization

　　while embodying modern needs and aesthetics.

　　An ideal city should embrace all this.

　　A city that’s diverse needs a network of

　　narrow lanes connecting small markets

　　where you can wander around, fall in love

　　and pay court to someone.

　　So what has this resulted in?

　　I think it results in more livable communities.

　　You have a better social increment,

　　you have a stronger sense of identity,

　　where you’re living

　　who you’re living with.

　　You have neighborhoods that you can walk in.

　　And it’s really key.

　　At the densities that you see in China today,

　　which are, I think, healthy

　　and a really positive thing.

　　Beijing is celebrated as a masterpiece of urban planning. In addition to designing its symmetrical layout, the planners also assigned functions to every part of the city.

　　Two buildings stand in symmetry, one to the east and the other to the west, of Tianqiao. They are the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Agriculture. One represents heaven and earth, the other mountains and rivers.

　　Every year, when it was time for spring sowing, the emperor would lead a retinue across Tianqiao. At the Temple of Agriculture, he would perform a ritual, praying for a good harvest.

　　Throughout history, the overriding responsibility of the emperor was to ensure that his people had enough to eat. To this end, the 12 emperors of the Qing Dynasty paid more than 200 visits to Tianqiao.

　　Temple of Heaven

　　Temple of Agriculture

　　Yongzheng Emperor Offering a Sacrifice

　　at the Temple of Agriculture

　　The Temple of Agriculture played a key role

　　in the belief system of the agrarian society.

　　Everything was about divine power.

　　Deities were everywhere.

　　Through the many important historical events

　　that have taken place along it,

　　the Central Axis is directly associated with

　　the old beliefs and traditions.

　　If the axis is recognized as

　　part of the world’s cultural heritage,

　　we can make the core area along it,

　　and even a wider area of the city,

　　a better showcase of the Beijing character.

　　In his research on the Central Axis, Professor Lyu is guided by Liang Sicheng’s insightful writings. As director of the National Heritage Center at Tsinghua University, he hopes that, if he uncovers more of the ancient wisdom embodied in it, the Central Axis will become a world-recognized cultural heritage site.

　　In China, we have the so-called laws of heaven –

　　natural laws – which we cannot see or touch.

　　We realize that our world’s governed by

　　certain laws and rules.

　　For example, the four divisions that are the seasons

　　and the hours of the day.

　　This is how the world works.

　　It’s remarkable.

　　This is how we understand the real world we live in.

　　In the Chinese world view,

　　the Central Axis represents

　　cultural diversity and integration.

　　This principle is reflected in Liang Sicheng’s design of

　　the Monument to the People’s Heroes.

　　It adds something eternal to the axis.

　　This is the design they drew up for the monument.

　　The Monument to the People’s Heroes

　　was the first important, national structure

　　to be built on the Central Axis

　　after the founding of New China.

　　How does it correspond to the principles of the axis?

　　As you can see, the monument’s design

　　integrates ancient and modern features.

　　We see both past and present in it.

　　It inherits traditional design principles

　　and includes modern design elements.

　　It’s a symmetrical structure

　　with well-designed proportions.

　　It has a very solemn air.

　　These buildings along the axis have been standing

　　from when the Yongle Emperor relocated the capital,

　　up to the era of New China.

　　The axis is the city’s core.

　　Since China has this tradition of valuing the center,

　　this axis is the most important axis in China.

　　Every important structure

　　is arranged around this line.

　　The symmetrical aesthetics of the Central Axis inspired Santiago with an artistic concept –+ of overlapping and folding. He selected several of his best photographs and overlapped them, to see what they might produce.

　　The result was an effect in which the axis melted into the scenery to the south and north of Yongdingmen. To Santiago, this reflected how the axis embraced different cultures.

　　The central axis is forever.

　　The form can change,

　　maybe in six hundred years.

　　Of course. Probably we’ll be very different,

　　or who knows what happen.

　　But the axis will be here.

　　Today, along its Central Axis, the ancient and modern worlds integrate to reveal the unique characteristics of a world-class city. It connects the most important buildings from various historical periods. Together, they represent a priceless part of the world’s cultural heritage.

　　Oh here already is OK

　　Oh here already

　　I think later here in the middle, we need some stickers.

　　The 19 buildings spread north to south along the axis are depicted down the back of the statue. He has named the work, Central Spine.

　　I don’t think the central axis is something to divide the city.

　　In fact, it’s the opposite.

　　That line is the point who serves both sides.

　　So it’s nothing to divide.

　　It’s the support.

　　I think it’s beautiful, the idea of a city.

　　About one line support the whole city.

　　In the same way that the spine support the body.

　　Just in one individual.

　　For over a thousand years, despite the movement of the stars and changes in the world, the Central Axis has sustained Beijing’s spatial layout. Today, the axis is a cultural space that is connected with, but essentially different from, the axis of the Ming and Qing dynasties. This reflects the fact that people are now at the heart of urban planning.

　　A city built for human habitation should serve the needs of its residents. This principle resides not only in urban buildings, but also in people’s hearts.

　　To enjoy a good life,

　　you need to interact with people

　　and communicate with nature.

　　Only by doing so

　　can you realize the value of your life.

　　The knowledge and thoughts of our early ancestors

　　are recorded in the space around the Forbidden City.

　　The most important part of this space

　　is this north-south line, the Central Axis.

　　The world heritage system is designed so that

　　humankind can protect these things together.

　　It’s a platform on which

　　the diversity of human civilization

　　can be preserved.

　　This is the essential significance of our efforts

　　to make the Central Axis

　　part of the world’s heritage.

　　I think that some things change in human history

　　and some things always remain the same.

　　And a sense of community,

　　A sense of human scale.

　　These are timeless qualities

　　that the city has to embrace.

　　The ancient city of Beijing is like a giant dial inscribed with the cosmic concepts of time and space.

　　The 7.8-kilometer Central Axis is a spatiotemporal axis that traverses the dial, determining the direction and dictating the development of the entire city.

　　Since ancient times, everything that happens in this leading world capital, from daily life to state governance and cultural development, has unfolded along this spatiotemporal axis. Thus, for centuries, Beijing’s Central Axis has served to maintain balance and order in the city.

　　Beijing’s Central Axis

　　Episode?2: Moments

　　1. Beijing is an ancient city with a history of over 3,000 years. The passing centuries have bequeathed to it both visible relics as well as intangible traces of culture. Its Central Axis is the core of Beijing's urban spatial pattern. Connecting past and present, it reflects both the city’s grandeur and its energy. But the real source of vitality for this axis is the daily life taking place around it.

　　Period of the Day: 5 am to 7 am

　　Part 2: Moments

　　2. In ancient China, a day was divided into twelve equal periods, called shi-chen, based on the movement of the sun. Mao Shi, beginning at 5 am and ending at 7 am, is the shi-chen period when the sun begins to rise and people start their daily work. Guzi lives beside Beijing’s Central Axis. She’s currently working on an immersive sound experience project, called A Walk along the Central Axis.

　　[SYNC]

　　The train is arriving. Please take care.

　　Passengers for Line 1, please prepare to get off.

　　[SYNC]

　　-Hey, I’m already at Exit A at Yongdingmenwai Station.

　　-Here!

　　-All right, let’s go. Today, we’ll see ?

　　what sounds we can record in the park.

　　-And then...

　　-We’ll try the gate tower.

　　-Yes. Let’s hope we can go up the gate tower.

　　[SYNC] Huang Ruogu, Sound Designer

　　“A Walk along the Central Axis”

　　We decided to walk along Beijing’s Central Axis

　　from south to north,

　　recording the most vivid sounds on the way.

　　We want everyone to understand

　　how Beijing’s Central Axis impacts the whole city,

　　not just the people living along it.

　　3.Beijing’s Central Axis is the best-preserved urban axis of any city in China and even the whole of East Asia. From the Yongdingmen Gate to the Bell and Drum Towers, it extends for 7.8 kilometers, south to north.

　　Yongdingmen Gate

　　4.Yongdingmen Gate, as the front gate to the outer city of Beijing in the Ming and Qing dynasties, dates from 1553.

　　[SYNC] Huang Ruogu

　　Wait. I need to record this sound again.

　　When we opened the door, it creaked.

　　It sounded so powerful

　　The weight of history felt overwhelming.

　　I wonder,

　　if I could turn back time to 500 years ago,

　　what must the city have looked like back then?

　　[SYNC]

　　-Only from here can you really appreciate the axis.

　　The city looks as if it’s folded into two parts along it.

　　-Exactly! It’s fascinating to see

　　the roads on both sides, and the moving cars.

　　5.To look down from the gate tower at Yongdingmen, is to get the feeling of seeing 1000 years of history unfold before your eyes.

　　6. Seven hundred and fifty years ago, Kublai Khan ordered the court adviser Liu Bingzhong to build an imperial capital for the Yuan Dynasty on the site of today’s Beijing. Liu planned the city as a square bisected by a Central Axis as the core. Laid out along it, in strict accordance with the principle of establishing a center and embracing symmetry, were an imperial palace, temples, a commercial area and other buildings and structures.

　　[SYNC]

　　Lyu Zhou, Director

　　National Heritage Center, Tsinghua University

　　The Central Axis was a structural line

　　within the urban space of Beijing.

　　It’s the city's spine – its most essential component.

　　The surrounding structures

　　are all arranged in symmetrical pairs.

　　7. From south to north along the Central Axis, the first symmetrical pair of important buildings flanking it are the Temples of Heaven and of Agriculture. The ancient Chinese worshipped Heaven. So, the Temple of Heaven is an essential component on the axis.

　　Temple of Agriculture, Temple of Heaven

　　[SYNC]

　　The sound this makes is beautiful.

　　It’s quiet here, so we can record the birds singing.

　　-We don’t hear human voices much here.

　　There’s no music. So we can record the birds.

　　-Yes, okay!

　　-Once the music starts, we won't be able to.

　　[SYNC] Huang Ruogu

　　When we first came to the Temple of Heaven

　　we planned to record the insects and birds

　　in the woods.

　　But when we got here,

　　we saw all these people exercising.

　　Each has their own workout routine.

　　[SYNC]

　　-You've never seen a workout like this before,

　　have you?

　　-I need to… Oh, my God!

　　-Come on!

　　[SYNC] Huang Ruogu

　　When we joined them and talked to them,

　　we found that if we closed our eyes and listened,

　　what came to our mind was a vivid picture

　　of people leading happy and diverse lives

　　around the Central Axis.

　　8. Through the sounds she has recorded along the Central Axis, Guzi has discovered the history, culture and human kindness behind everyday activities.

　　Wall of Echoes

　　[SYNC]

　　Erbao!

　　9. Beijing’s Central Axis is not only a cultural landmark. It’s a link connecting every aspect of life in Beijing.

　　[SYNC]

　　Hello, Beijing’s Central Axis!

　　Period of the Day: 7 am to 9 am

　　10. According to the twelve shi-chen system, the period of Chen Shi lasts from 7 to 9 am. This is the time when most Beijingers have their breakfast.

　　[SYNC]

　　-Here’s the eight treasure congee you ordered.

　　-Five baked flatbreads and four fried cakes.

　　-Here’s your soup and tofu pudding.

　　-Hello. Welcome to our restaurant!

　　-Oh, hello. And thank you!

　　-What would you like for breakfast?

　　-Baozi buns and stewed pork liver.

　　-All right. This way, please.

　　-I want to order some food.

　　-200 grams of baozi buns, please.

　　-Hello!

　　-Hello!

　　-A bowl of pork liver, please.

　　-Sure!

　　11. Dong Keping is a gourmet. Although he has tried food from all over the world, his favorites remain the everyday dishes served at his neighborhood restaurants.

　　[SYNC] Dong Keping

　　Beijing’s food lovers are the luckiest.

　　From imperial cuisine to street snacks,

　　there’s so much variety here.

　　12. Stewed pork liver, known as chaogan locally, is a unique Beijing snack food. It’s not eaten using a spoon or chopsticks. Instead, it’s sipped while turning the bowl in the hands.

　　[SYNC]

　　-You may need to teach her.

　　-Turn the bowl round and take a sip.

　　-Okay, I'll try again.

　　-Sip it while you turn the bowl.

　　-What are you doing?

　　We’re recording the sound of sipping chaogan –

　　of eating in Beijing .

　　-I shouldn't turn it so fast

　　if I want to sip it properly.

　　-The soup’s quite thick.

　　-Find your rhythm, and try again.

　　-It takes skill.

　　-Excuse me. May we record you?

　　-Sure!

　　First, don't worry about the hot soup burning you.

　　Second, turn the bowl at a steady pace.

　　-Oh, so it needs to be steady.

　　-Is the sound okay?

　　-He gives the impression

　　he’s eating something really tasty.

　　It’s totally different from the sound you made.

　　-I find it hard. But he does it so easily.

　　It makes me feel he’s eating something delicious.

　　-I've got to learn.

　　-Are we done yet? Can we start eating now?

　　-Of course.

　　-So, you guys are recording the sounds

　　of people eating in Beijing?

　　-Yes. We're recording different sounds

　　along the Central Axis…

　　The sounds we hear in our everyday lives…

　　That evoke memories.

　　We'll record them and make a collection.

　　That's our plan.

　　-Actually, I'm doing something similar.

　　I'm writing an article about the different foods

　　along the Central Axis.

　　From Yongdingmen Gate to the Drum Tower,

　　I want to see which restaurants have survived

　　and which no longer exist.

　　Have there been any changes?

　　Period of the Day: 9 am to 11 am

　　Qianmen

　　13.Si Shi begins at 9 am and lasts until 11 am. In the bright sunshine, the streets along the Central Axis come alive. This is when the sightseeing trams on Qianmen Street begin service for the day. The ringing of the bell has the magical effect of taking people back to the time when Beijing was still called Beiping.

　　14.In 1924, when Beijing’s first tram started out from Qianmen, its progress was followed by hundreds of curious eyes.

　　[SYNC] Lyu Zhou, Director

　　National Heritage Center, Tsinghua University

　　Beijing’s Central Axis was still very important

　　during the Republican era.

　　A transport infrastructure was established

　　on the two sides at Qianmen.

　　It eased the inconvenience of travelling

　　and brought changes to the city.

　　After the People's Republic was founded,

　　the Central Axis remained

　　the focus of urban planning.

　　From south to north,

　　it was the core of the city's development.

　　Today, we’ve witnessed great changes

　　in urban transport, and our lives.

　　[SYNC]

　　It was then that Qianmen Street

　　became a shopping street.

　　In the early Qing Dynasty…

　　15.The view from the sightseeing trams has been transformed. For over a century, the tram has witnessed the stories, old and new, that have taken place along this ancient line.

　　Period of the Day: 11 am to 1 pm

　　16..Wu Shi begins at 11 am and ends in the middle of the day, at 1 pm. With the sun directly overhead, people have ended their morning workout. The tranquil environment affords a true sense of the character of Jingshan Hill, once the back garden of the imperial palace. From the top, it’s possible to appreciate how classic and modern cultures meet along the Central Axis.

　　[SYNC]

　　What a great view!

　　Look at all the ice.

　　Is that a river?

　　I think it's the imperial moat.

　　Yes, it's the moat.

　　[SYNC] Huang Ruogu, Sound Designer

　　“A Walk along the Central Axis”

　　These ancient buildings along the Central Axis

　　may not serve the same function as they once did.

　　But what do people living along the axis

　　think about them?

　　Wanchun Pavilion

　　17.Zuo Huanyu is planning a fashion show on the theme of Beijing’s Central Axis. This is his fifth visit to the axis, and this time he’s focusing on the colors.

　　[SYNC]

　　Zuo Huanyu, Fashion Designer

　　I want the show to reveal colors

　　that represent China and Beijing’s Central Axis.

　　[SYNC] Zuo Huanyu

　　If we stick to our plan,

　　I think we need to give each part of the show

　　a theme color.

　　We need to identify appropriate colors

　　for the landmarks.

　　Then we'll have a clearer idea about the show.

　　[SYNC]

　　Zuo Huanyu

　　I want the show to present four perspectives.

　　The first is about the Forbidden City and grandeur.

　　The second is about the Temple of Heaven.

　　Another’s about the places ordinary people live.

　　I'm also looking for something relating to nature.

　　Obviously, that’ll be Shichahai.

　　I think these four perspectives can present ?

　　a relatively complete picture of the axis.

　　18.The great scholar Liang Sicheng once said that a comparison of different countries’ architecture showed that the craftsmen of ancient China were probably the most creative and skillful in their use of colors.

　　Wanchun Pavilion

　　[SYNC]Zuo Huanyu

　　The blue qunqing and turquoise shilyu are too light.

　　These glazed tiles have different colors.

　　I can see various color variations in these green tiles.

　　I think the color in these alleys

　　is more a whitish jiliang or shuangdi.

　　I'm struggling. It's hard to find the exact color.

　　We're looking for colors for the show.

　　But can we obtain the ones we want from minerals?

　　Will the colors we use resemble the real ones

　　in the buildings along the Central Axis?

　　Will there be a difference?

　　How different could it be?

　　This isn’t my area of expertise. I’ve got no idea.

　　[SYNC]

　　-The first color we tried was songhua, right?

　　-Yes, songhua.

　　-Look at the difference! Can you tell?

　　-It doesn’t look clean.

　　[SYNC]Zuo Huanyu

　　It was so frustrating.

　　It looked so beautiful on the color chart.

　　But when I applied it to the fabric,

　　it was different.

　　I never expected that.

　　It was wrong, completely wrong.

　　These aren’t the colors I want.

　　We need to make adjustments.

　　They look a little grey.

　　Come on, change it.

　　Give me something like this.

　　The colors just weren’t that beautiful.

　　Some looked tacky, and some really dirty.

　　So, I was stuck.

　　19. Zuo Huanyu spent a fortnight wandering along the Central Axis. Finally, in a bookstore, he came across a book, Traditional Colors of China: Colors in the Forbidden City.

　　[SYNC] Zuo Huanyu

　　Pay attention here, here and here.

　　Studs won't work on this costume.

　　See what you think. I'll fix the middle part first

　　and then decide what else I need.

　　Can't we add canvas to the collar to stiffen it?

　　[SYNC] Zuo Huanyu

　　I'm taking this project very seriously.

　　My entire focus is the Central Axis.

　　I want to see, close-up, all these exquisite works

　　created by the great craftsmen,

　　and then incorporate them into my costumes.

　　I’m hoping to make it a modern creation

　　incorporating historical traces.

　　[SYNC] Zuo Huanyu

　　We've made all the preparations

　　and tried our best in every aspect.

　　So, we're looking forward

　　to putting the show on in the spring.

　　20.Fashion trends are traces of history incorporated into our clothing.

　　The fashions presented in the show held on Beijing’s Central Axis reveal the achievements made by China's textile industry. The country is now the world's largest manufacturer, consumer and exporter of textile products. Clothes made in China are dressing the world.

　　21.The period between 1 and 3 p.m. is called Wei Shi. It’s a time for people to relax. It’s also quite common for pigeons to appear in the sky above the hutongs, producing a constant, pleasant whistling. The sound is produced by whistles tied to the pigeons’ tails. It’s a throwback to the days of old Beijing.

　　Period of the Day: 1 pm to 3 pm

　　-Hello. You raise pigeons, don’t you?

　　-Yes. What's up?

　　We're here to record the sounds of Beijing.

　　We saw some pigeons flying this way,

　　and we wanted to take a look.

　　-Sure, come in.

　　Did you hear? Such a clear sound!

　　And really loud, isn’t it?

　　22.A bird’s-eye view of the Central Axis reveals two ancient, red and grey buildings at the northern end of its 7.8-kilometer length. These are the Bell and Drum Towers. In days gone by, the time was announced from here. For a thousand years, the sounds of the bell and the drum have marked the transition between night and day.

　　[SYNC] Lyu Zhou, Director

　　National Heritage Center, Tsinghua University

　　What was the role of the Bell and Drum Towers?

　　They dictated time in the city.

　　They told you when you should get up,

　　when you should lock up at night,

　　when the city gate should be shut,

　　and when the markets should close.

　　In this way, the ancient Chinese

　　turned the concept of time into a physical existence,

　　into a sound that influenced the operation

　　of the whole city.

　　Period of the Day: 3 pm to 5 pm

　　23.Shen Shi begins at 3 pm and lasts until 5. Today, a new group of visitors to the 700-year-old towers are listening to the tolling of the bell.

　　[SYNC]

　　-Hello, Mr. Li, auntie, brother.

　　-Hi, there.

　　-We're having noodles again.

　　-Yes. You came at the right time.

　　-Great!

　　[SYNC]Fang Zhe

　　The people in this hutong are like a family to me.

　　When I was a kid, sometimes my parents

　　would come home late from work.

　　Then I could have dinner at anyone's home,

　　like I was part of the family.

　　-Come on!

　　-Take a seat.

　　-It’s just a matter of more chopsticks and bowls.

　　24.In the hutongs, the houses stand close to one another. Neighbors become part of one, large family. Fang Zhe likes to make films about the hutongs, especially about the people living there. They are the elders who watched him grow up, as well as his peers who grew up with him.

　　[SYNC] Lyu Yang

　　Jinma Kite-maker

　　The area along the Central Axis

　　is dominated by quadrangle houses.

　　Neighbors will always help one another,

　　so the community is naturally close.

　　Inside a quadrangle, people live like a big family.

　　There’s an old saying,

　　“Better a close neighbor than a distant relative."

　　Only by living in such an environment

　　can you really get a sense of the community spirit.

　　-That’s how it used to be.

　　-It's hard to find it now.

　　25.Fang Zhe wants to make a film about Lyu Yang, a friend from his childhood. Lyu quit his well-paid job as a computer programmer and took over the family business, making Jinma kites. He is now an inheritor of a craft that’s over 100 years old and is part of the nation’s intangible cultural heritage. .

　　[SYNC]

　　-What do you want?

　　-Here’s the thing.

　　I want to write to a Chinese child living in Beijing.

　　[SYNC] Lyu Yang

　　Jinma Kite-maker

　　China’s first international movie co-production

　　after the founding of New China

　　was “Magic of the Kite”.

　　The kite used by the Monkey King

　　was made by the inventor of the Jinma kite,

　　Jin Fuzhong, and my master, Guan Baoxiang.

　　They made the kite together.

　　The Jinma kite was typical of the Beijing kites

　　that were already famous at the time.

　　[SYNC]

　　-We’ll put the Bell Tower in front

　　and the Drum Tower behind.

　　-As a kite with multiple elements, it should…

　　26.The younger generation, while adhering to tradition, are also adapting and innovating. Lyu Yang wants to make a set of kites modeled on the buildings along the Central Axis.

　　[SYNC] Lyu Yang

　　I wanted to transform everything that was outdated.

　　I said we should change this

　　and make something like that.

　　It provoked a huge argument with my father.

　　[SYNC]Fang Zhe

　　I saw a discussion between them.

　　I recorded the scene.

　　I found it fascinating, because

　　I've rarely seen Lyu Yang argue with his father.

　　It was like two martial artists confronting each other.

　　27.Despite his reservations, Lyu Yang's father is always prepared to help his son, even when he’s insisting on doing something new. Kite-making matters to him as a craft. He believes his kites are part of the heritage of the Central Axis. And so, the ancient story of a son inheriting his father's craft, continues.

　　[SYNC] Lyu Yang’s Father

　　I've lived here for over 40 years.

　　This is where Yang was born.

　　I still remember you running and playing here.

　　In the blink of an eye,

　　you’ve become a man in your 30s.

　　28.People are inevitably influenced by the environment where they live. Some of the old houses along the Central Axis have a history of hundreds of years. They speak to those living in them with the voice of their ancestors. The years pass, but the heritage remains unchanged.

　　Period of the Day: 7 pm to 9 pm

　　29.Xu Shi is the period between 7 and 9 pm. In the past, the following time, until 5 am the next day, was divided into five shifts. The Drum Tower would announce the beginning of the first of these shifts. The Bell Tower would respond. This also proclaimed the end of the day's work.

　　30.On the Central Axis today, however, it’s at this time that the nightlife is beginning.

　　31.Night-time along the Central Axis is always colorful. There are happy gatherings and noisy restaurants. It’s possible to listen to a piece of ancient music in an old opera house, and to find youthful exuberance in small bars. This is where the past meets the present, tradition meets the avant-garde, and the old buildings meet the latest fashion trends.

　　Period of the Day: 11 pm to 1 am

　　32.Zi Shi begins at 11 pm and ends at 1 am the next day. It’s late at night, and the Central Axis is beginning to sleep.

　　[SYNC]

　　The place where you’re standing now

　　is the southern end of Beijing’s Central Axis –

　　Yongdingmen Gate.

　　This track, I found it way too loud.

　　From Yongdingmen Gate to the Drum Tower –

　　that's Beijing’s Central Axis.

　　[SYNC] Huang Ruogu, Sound Designer

　　“A Walk along the Central Axis”

　　Originally, “Central Axis” was just

　　a term from a history book to me.

　　I knew about the ancient buildings, including

　　the Forbidden City, and the various gates and walls.

　　But I looked on them as tourist attractions.

　　But by doing my tour and recording all the sounds,

　　I’ve been able to witness the lives of the people

　　living along it.

　　Life for them is quite romantic.

　　The happiness they gain from everyday life,

　　their attitude, their simple pleasures

　　and small sources of enjoyment

　　provide me with a new perspective

　　for re-evaluating my own life.

　　[SYNC]

　　The place where you’re standing now

　　is the southern end of the Central Axis –

　　Yongdingmen Gate.

　　We’ll start our tour from here.

　　Let's hope we’re lucky.

　　Let's keep going,

　　and see if we can record any more sounds.

　　33.Beijing is a city that lives according to a rhythm. The sounds of the morning bell and evening drum on the Central Axis have travelled to us from the depths of time. The cycle of the twelve shi-chen has survived the ups and downs of history. As the core of Beijing’s urban space, the Central Axis is the spine and soul of this great city. A city with a spine and soul is a happy city. As time passes, and as people come and go along Beijing’s Central Axis, the happiness endures, seen in the smiles on all the faces.

　　Beijing’s Central Axis

　　Episode 3：Integration

　　Between the Yanshan and Taihang Mountains lies an ancient capital. The essential spatial pattern of this city is defined by a Central Axis running south to north. Despite the passing of many centuries, despite all the ups and downs of history, despite the rise and fall of dynasties, despite the repeated change of night and day, the axis has remained the eternal spine of this city… The embodiment of its spirit.

　　Lyu Zhou, Director

　　National Heritage Center, Tsinghua University

　　The Central Axis

　　is a unique cultural tradition in China.

　　As a manifestation of Chinese civilization,

　　it represents its uninterrupted inheritance

　　and development.

　　As a landmark, it stands for

　　continuity, and unity in diversity.

　　Seven hundred and fifty years ago, the founding of the Yuan Dynasty opened a new era of communication between China and Europe. Instead of Chang’an, Westerners traveling to China began heading for a new capital, bringing with them their own cultures. Beijing’s Central Axis has witnessed how, over the centuries, China and the rest of the world have embraced each other, and how the unified and diverse reality this brought to the city has given rise to its unique vitality.

　　Episode 3 ?Integration

　　Beijing is an ancient city with a history of over 800 years. Despite its great age, it retains remarkable vigor, the secret to which is the harmonious integration that has taken place along its Central Axis.

　　Tom Marnix Wolters

　　Tom is from the Netherlands. He has worked for several multinational organizations, including UNESCO, the UNDP, and UN-Habitat. He is currently living with his Chinese wife in Zhonggu Hutong, an alley next to Jingshan Hill.

　　Li Wenjun

　　【English Interview】

　　We liked it so much, because it was a mixed population. Everybody was here. My wife is from Anhui, and there were people from other provinces. Everybody lived here together. Rich People, poor people, everybody lived in the hutong.

　　Tom has been living in Beijing for 17 years.

　　A basket of baozi buns and two dough sticks.

　　Thank you!

　　The hutong has been Tom’s home for many years. He’s a popular figure in the neighborhood.

　　Today we’ve got baozi and youtiao.

　　As well as some bread.

　　Here’s your favorite, fermented tofu.

　　Tom’s two sons were both born in Beijing.

　　I remember 20 years ago.

　　We were staying in a hotel.

　　At breakfast time your dad said something like,

　　Wow! They’ve given us congee and pickles!

　　Horrible! I can’t eat that.

　　Now you’re used to it, right?

　　Dad’s really fallen for Chinese food.

　　He won’t have congee without pickles.

　　【English Interview】

　　Yeah, no problem.

　　I came to the hutong and I saw our neighbor asking me if we have some time to come. He re-decorated his house, And I think we have to see it.

　　Sure, sure.

　　Ms. Tang is one of their neighbors. A true Beijinger, her family have lived in Zhonggu Hutong for generations.

　　Ms. Tang, Neighbor

　　When you first came here, it felt really strange.

　　Of course!

　　We were from another place – another country, even.

　　But since moving in,

　　you’ve got along well with the neighbors.

　　It’s been 17 years.

　　The visit to the neighbor’s house reminds Wenjun of a problem that’s been bothering her for many years.

　　【English Interview】

　　Look at the floor. It’s completely a disaster.

　　I think we have to do something.

　　What do you think?

　　I agree we have to do something,

　　but not too much.

　　But they are not nice. This is so too old.

　　I want it completely changed with the same style,

　　the new tiles, and totally paved.

　　Alright, okay, then we break down the whole siheyuan.

　　We build a new house for you, okay? That?

　　The couple have argued repeatedly over the renovation of the house.

　　【English Interview】

　　Because I’ve travelled many places all over the whole world.

　　And it never happened to me that there was a tradition

　　that from an axis a city was planned

　　in many hundreds of years ago,

　　in Yuan Dynasty, a long time ago.

　　And it still is there.

　　When you look at this axis,

　　not only important in Beijing,

　　but all over the world,

　　the axis is also unique for the historical set-up of a city.

　　Tom’s siheyuan often serves as a venue for the community to meet. Today, though, Wenjun is planning something different. She wants to use the neighbors to convince Tom to agree to having the house renovated.

　　In all the years we’ve lived here

　　the biggest problem has been the damp.

　　It’s so infuriating.

　　A real headache.

　　Renovation can fix all your problems.

　　I’d like to cover the walls with acrylic sheets,

　　as a form of decoration.

　　He won’t agree.

　　See. He’s upset.

　　You’re upset. I can tell.

　　But you can’t change the basic structure.

　　We won’t change that.

　　There’s no changing the fundamental rules.

　　If you change its basic structure,

　　it’s no longer a siheyuan.

　　【English Interview】

　　There’s another big problem.

　　She is from China. She wants the western style.

　　I am from western, and I’m fond of the Chinese style.

　　【English Interview】

　　You know, when you know this is the line, the central axis.

　　Drum Tower, Bell Tower, Olympic Park, so beautiful. And our house, it’s just meters from the Central Axis. Really wonderful. We’re so proud.

　　Jingshan Hill overlooks the Central Axis. From the summit, it’s possible to see all the old buildings lining it.

　　【English Interview】

　　The heritage isn’t only heritage,

　　but it’s also something that continues in future.

　　It’s also time for Beijing or China

　　to keep the axis in their heart,

　　to preserve it, to restore it

　　and to give it to future generations.

　　The Central Axis, as part of their heritage, is cherished by the people of Beijing. It also provides a physical space where cultural diversity can flourish.

　　The hutongs are as old as the city of Beijing itself.

　　Xie Xiaoying, Landscape Architect

　　How do you get up there?

　　Using the tree. I can stand on the roof.

　　I’ll ask you for some Chinese toon next year.

　　Sure. Next April.

　　Xie Xiaoying is a landscape architect whose work has been exhibited at the Venice Biennale. This internationally renowned designer was born and raised in the hutongs of Beijing.

　　In the Dashilan area near Qianmen, there’s a hutong that dates from the Yuan Dynasty. It’s 496 meters long, and is called Yangmeizhu Alleyway.

　　Caicifang is a porcelain handicrafts company located in the alley. Xie Xiaoying is preparing for an online meeting with some people in Ethiopia.

　　She’s there, preparing for the meeting.

　　She looks gorgeous.

　　In faraway Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, a group of people have gathered in Friendship Square. They have come for a transnational online meeting with some residents of Beijing’s hutongs.

　　This concept of social rejuvenation

　　is proving very helpful,

　　especially in developing countries.

　　Such communication is essential.

　　You can say hello to them later.

　　Great.

　　When Xie Xiaoying visited Yangmeizhu Alleyway ten years ago, she failed to find any traces of her childhood.

　　When I visited in 2012, it was a rundown alley –

　　a forgotten corner.

　　I was shocked!

　　The situation is the same in many of the hutongs along the Central Axis. How old alleys and neighborhoods should be restored, is a hotly-debated topic worldwide.

　　Hua Bin, Beijing Dashilan Investment LLC

　　This area’s hundreds of years old.

　　It’s a fascinating example

　　of trying to make our hutongs more vibrant.

　　There are houses and businesses in this alley.

　　A lot has happened here, over the centuries.

　　Ye Siyu, Architect

　　We’re not just here to design a new alley.

　　It’s important to listen to the advice

　　from the local residents and government.

　　The renovation of Yangmeizhu Alleyway has been going on for ten years. It’s a process of continuous exploration.

　　Song Miao, Designer

　　Beijing Dashilan Investment LLC

　　We’ve referred to many examples around the world,

　　including some in Paris and London.

　　Our concept in renovating Yangmeizhu Alleyway

　　is to maintain its original, historical appearance.

　　We’d like it to become a neighborhood

　　blending tradition and modernity…

　　To make it a well-known area

　　that best showcases Beijing.

　　By representing its authentic traditional culture,

　　it’ll fit well with Beijing’s goal of becoming

　　a center of international cultural exchange.

　　We insisted on keeping the residential space

　　for ordinary people on both sides of the hutong,

　　to reflect the essence of the Central Axis.

　　The preservation of history and culture is a key element in urban development. Yangmeizhu Alleyway, with its combination of inheritance and modernity, has become a model for the renovation of old neighborhoods across Beijing.

　　I wanted to integrate the legacy of the axis

　　with modern life.

　　Elements of old and modern Beijing are combined

　　to create the Beijing we see today.

　　We can’t just stay in the past.

　　The hutong’s appearance has improved. But Xie Xiaoying still wants to recreate the communal atmosphere of the past.

　　The 21 generations of the Wang family who have lived in the alley have witnessed its numerous transformations. ?

　　Most of the people living nearby are outsiders.

　　We don’t know one another, so we barely talk.

　　When we meet in the alley,

　　it can be very awkward.

　　We wanted to change the atmosphere in the alley.

　　So, we thought about creating a shared space

　　by adding things like gardens.

　　But when we decided to go ahead,

　　it was hard agreeing on what exactly we should do.

　　When we asked, we found that gardening

　　was the only thing everyone was interested in.

　　Growing plants and vegetables is a popular hobby among hutong residents. Xie Xiaoying decided to shift the focus of her project to “guiding residents to create their own living environment".

　　We didn’t use any chemical fertilizer for this.

　　It’s a pity it hasn’t produced any seeds this year.

　　Never mind, I’ll get you some seeds next year.

　　You can try again then.

　　Zhang, here are some peppers.

　　Thanks.

　　You can fry them, shredded.

　　You like them, don’t you?

　　They’ll grow better next year.

　　The plants have brought fresh pleasure to the alley.

　　Now we have a shared space for the residents,

　　a communal area called the Hutong Flora Cottage.

　　Before we had the garden

　　we barely talked to one another.

　　We had nothing to talk about.

　　Then we got this garden,

　　and we come every day to tend the plants.

　　Now we get along like one big family.

　　The creation of the Hutong Flora Cottage has brought strangers together. It has also helped to restore the original communal hutong lifestyle.

　　A few years ago, Xie Xiaoying took this model to Africa. The opening of a Hutong Flora Cottage in Addis Ababa’s Friendship Square was attended by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

　　Thanks to the Hutong Flora Cottage,

　　the locals are getting along with one another

　　much better.

　　Our success can inspire others.

　　The old hutong on the Central Axis is now a hub of international exchange. Representatives from China and Ethiopia, through their discussions about the Hutong Flora Cottage, have enhanced their mutual understanding.

　　The appeal of the Central Axis lies in integration.

　　It has generated culture and traditions

　　for us to inherit.

　　The best culture is passed on through integration.

　　The Qianmen area, in the south of the Central Axis, is traditionally a residential district for ordinary people. In the past, visitors from all over the country, whether they were students coming for exams, officials to report their achievements, or merchants to do business, would make Qianmen their first stop when they arrived in Beijing.

　　Dashilan is an old commercial street. It was the site of China’s first movie theater and of Beijing’s first shopping mall. It blends business practices from past and present, from the West and China. It’s also home to many old brands. Nei Lian Sheng, which has been around for 168 years, is a shop that made luxury cloth shoes for the imperial family and nobility.

　　But now Nei Lian Sheng faces a development dilemma.

　　Chen Zheng, Designer

　　Nei Lian Sheng

　　Some people just don’t like our shoes.

　　Because we’re an old brand,

　　they find them old-fashioned,

　　with few color and style choices.

　　So, we’re thinking about making improvements.

　　Xu Wenhao, Inheritor

　　Nei Lian Sheng Shoe Tradition ?

　　I think we can adopt some Chinese elements

　　from the movie “Big Fish & Begonia”

　　and make a bold change to our traditional style

　　by integrating them into our product design.

　　“Big Fish & Begonia” is an animated film. The challenge for the designers is to make the connection with a pair of shoes.

　　A fish has a beautiful shape and lines.

　　Maybe I don’t have to use the entire fish.

　　Maybe just a fin.

　　When designing shoes,

　　we need to consider something-.

　　How can we persuade young people

　　to like our shoes and accept them?

　　Since you’re young,

　　I think I can discuss this with you.

　　Wang Zidi, Designer

　　Nei Lian Sheng

　　I suggest we choose colors

　　that are cleaner, purer and brighter.

　　I’ve finished the shoe’s upper.

　　This flower was the most difficult part.

　　I needed to turn the cloth out while working on it,

　　so I couldn’t see the flower.

　　We have to make sure that the flowers

　　appear in the same position on both shoes.

　　Do pay attention to that.

　　Even with the innovations, Nei Lian Sheng’s cloth shoes are still handcrafted using traditional skills. Strict standards are observed for each process.

　　There are three and a half to four stitches

　　every 40 millimeters.

　　This ensures that the shoes are sturdy.

　　It’s a specification that’s developed

　　in the course of many years of practice.

　　By integrating the animation IP

　　of “Big Fish & Begonia”,

　　we’re making merchandise for use on-screen,

　　which is a new strategy for us.

　　This is a new strategy – something new for us.

　　By working together on projects like this

　　we can gain more experience, and encourage

　　more young people to accept us and embrace us.

　　Inheritance and development are concepts that have always been associated with cities. Urban Beijing, with the Central Axis as the core, has retained its original spatial pattern. At the same time, the axis has been the spine supporting the city’s development.

　　Through constant change,

　　Beijing has become the city we see today.

　　We see ancient relics and modern creations.

　　With the extension of Tiananmen Square, and

　　the addition of the Monument to the People’s Heroes

　　and the Great Hall of the People,

　　the Central Axis now has a new center.

　　Gilbert Van Kerckhove comes from Belgium. During 40 years in Beijing, he has witnessed the city’s rapid development.

　　Gilbert Van Kerckhove

　　【English Interview】

　　The first time when I came to Beijing, Tiananmen and Gugong (the Forbidden City) was very impressive. I would say Tiananmen is the central axis. It’s like the most important point of the whole Central Axis.

　　The Central Axis in Beijing, as a matter of fact, many foreigners are not very familiar. This weekend, I was discussing with other foreigners. I said Central Axis. They said, Central Axis? What is it? It’s east to west? I said, no no no no. Central Axis is north to south.

　　Gilbert thinks he can help the world learn more about Beijing.

　　【English Interview】

　　We must work together to fight, to have the good communication, and to avoid misunderstanding. President Xi Jinping has stated that He wants to make China international, an opened country.

　　Gilbert has spent most of his life in Beijing. He has experienced every big moment in the city’s recent history. Prior to Beijing hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics, he was involved in many of the preparations.

　　Lumicang Hutong

　　Gilbert regularly acts as an adviser on Beijing’s urban planning projects.

　　John van de Water, Architect

　　John van de Water is an architect. He’s currently working on the renovation of the historic Lumi Warehouse, a former granary in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

　　【English Interview】

　　I think the beauty of this place is

　　We’ve got here a 600-year-old building.

　　A long, long history,

　　from Ming Dynasty to all the way till now.

　　600 years?

　　Almost 600 years.

　　Gilbert believes that John needs to know more about Beijing’s past and future.

　　【English Interview】

　　But it’s also possible for him to link it with Chinese thinking and western thinking. So It’s very precious, the amount of experience he has, the way he can translate that into concrete ideas, with also his idea about what can work and what may not work.

　　Don’t forget Old China Hands lunch, every month on Friday.

　　Thank you, I’ll be there. See you, okay.

　　Ten years ago, Gilbert founded the Old China Hands Club, open to foreign nationals who are long-term residents of Beijing.

　　【English Interview】

　　As you can see, I have exactly now 99 people in my list. The idea is to put together many foreigners who have very rich experience in China. So I’m very strict. So I say no entrance fee, no membership fee. So I’m very careful to choose who can come.

　　It’s time for another Old China Hands Club meeting. As the organizer, Gilbert likes to arrive early.

　　【English Interview】

　　We have become in fact a circle of friends. We all want people who’ve stayed here a long time like me, we really try to help China, to defend the image. That’s the idea actually. So it’s good for the image of China. It’s also in the future, China and Beijing can attract the right people.

　　【English Interview】

　　So I found this newspaper in China Daily quite interesting. I’ll show you why. Of course, President Xi is talking about what he says “path for global exchanges”. So they want to be, you know, Beijing International Circle of Friends. A few days later, there was another article even worthier, if I may say so. Young Foreigners Make Most Opportunities in China. Well, they say, you know, it’s the golden opportunity for foreigners to come to China

　　【English Interview】

　　So if we go over the axis all the way to the south in Daxing, This is exactly on the axis, this building, the Rose Museum. If you go further way, you go to Daxing airport.

　　I’m very impressed, John, with your Rose Museum. Because first of all, it is a fantastic building. For me, it’s really image of Chinese culture. It immediately reminds me of paper cut. When you look at the north-south axis, this one is in the complete south part. And what do we have in the north parts? We have a big park. We have the Olympic Park, Which is like Central Park in New York.

　　Obviously, this is the whole north-south axis. From Gugong to up north in the Olympic Park, down to the south to the Daxing Airport.

　　The Central Axis continues to play a key role in Beijing’s development. More than simply a physical relic of the past, it’s still relevant today as a basis for drawing up plans, and as living heritage that continues to influence the city’s development.

　　【English Interview】

　　Actually, while many people don’t look at, When you look at Beijing, it’s a whole rectangle, right? The Central Axis comes through it. It’s actually the Chinese sign of zhong. Everything is concentrated here on this axis.

　　It’s a special concept, this axis, which is growing, growing and growing. The beauty of this axis is that it connects not only the history. So for me it’s like one of the cause basis of the way Beijing grew and Beijing can grow further into the future.

　　Time passes, but the priceless cultural legacy represented by the Central Axis survives.

　　With the changing of the seasons, and from one year to the next, the Central Axis has negotiated the ups and downs of history, ultimately revealing to the world a city that is rich in diversity.

　　With its enduring vitality, the Central Axis has integrated different people, different periods and different cultures, allowing them to embrace one another and develop together.

　　Beijing, this ancient city, is a window showcasing to the world the enduring vitality of Chinese civilization.

　　中國新聞獎獲獎系列報道作品完整目錄

　　作品標題：京之軸Beijing Central Axis-The Legend of A Line

　　序號 單篇作品標題 體裁 字數/時長 刊播日期 刊播版面 備注

　　1 永恒Eternity 新聞紀錄片 29分01秒 2023-07-03 中央廣播電視總臺CGTN紀錄片頻道《特別呈現》 代表作

　　2 時光Moments 新聞紀錄片 29分鐘13秒 2021-07-04 中央廣播電視總臺CGTN紀錄片頻道《特別呈現》 代表作

　　3 融合Integration 新聞紀錄片 29分鐘25秒 2021-07-05 中央廣播電視總臺CGTN紀錄片頻道《特別呈現》 代表作