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Beijing Central Axis UNESCO world heritage sites

Bell Tower and Drum Tower at Zhonglouwan Hutong Linzi No.9
These majestic landmarks stand as timeless sentinels, echoing the rich history of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties through their ancient timekeeping traditions.

Wanning Bridge at Dongbuyaqiao Hutong and Dianmen Outer Street Intersection
Wanning Bridge, as a node and hub of the Beijing Central Axis and the Grand Canal World Heritage Site, is an extremely precious historical and cultural landmark of Beijing. It is also a rare cultural relic that has been preserved from the Yuan Dynasty to the present day, thus its historical and cultural value is self-evident.

Jingshan Park at No.44, Jingshan West Street
The Wanchun Pavilion at the Jingshan Park lies on the highest point of the Central Axis of Beijing. Visitors can climb up to the Wanchun Pavilion to have a panoramic view of the Forbidden City, overlook the Central Axis of Beijing, and admire the magnificent imperial buildings.

Forbidden City *** at 4 Jingshan Front Steet, Dongcheng Qu
The religious buildings, particularly a series of royal Buddhist chambers within the Palace, absorbing abundant features of ethnic cultures, are a testimony of the integration and exchange in architecture among the Manchu, Han, Mongolian and Tibetan since the 14th century.

Altar of Land and Grain (Shejitan) at Zhongshan Park, No.4 Zhonghua Road
The Altar of Land and Grain in the park, as a symbol of imperial power and a country's agricultural yields, was used by emperors as a site to offer sacrifices to the god of land. In addition, inside the park are ancient sacrificial architectures such as Five-color Soil altar, Sacrificial Kitchen, Sacrificial Storehouse, and Animal Sacrifice Pavilion.

Imperial Ancestral Temple (Taimiao/) at Dongcheng
The Imperial Ancestral Temple has fine production and luxury decoration, ceiling and porch column both have red gold flowers decorated. Two sides of the audience hall both have fifteen side halls, the east side hall consecrated the meritorious thrones of the royal family of past dynasties, the western side hall worshiped different names of meritorious thrones.

Upright Gate (Duanmen/Meridian Gate) at Donghuamen Road
Passing the Meridian Gate and walking through the Inner Golden River Bridges, you will see the huge square in front of the spectacular Three Palaces of the Outer Court of the Forbidden City.

Tiananmen Rostrum-Gate Tower at East Chang'an Avenue
Like other official buildings of the empire, the gate has unique imperial roof decorations. In front of the stands is the palace moat, still filled with water but now containing decorative illuminated fountains.

Outer Jinshui Bridge at East Chang'an Avenue
As paths to Forbidden City, the bridge group in front of Tiananmen Tower is combined by seven bridges. These beautifully crafted bridges were built in the Ming Dynasty.

Tiananmen Square at East Chang'an Avenue
The solemn Monument to the People’s Heroes and Chairman Mao Memorial Hall stand in the middle of the square. On one side of Tian’anmen Gate is the Working People’s Cultural Palace; on the other side is the Zhongshan Park. These magnificent buildings, together with Tian’anmen Gate, combine to form Tian’anmen Square.

Zhengyangmen Gate at Qianmen St
The Zhengyangmen Gate Watchtower is the tallest tower in Beijing, and it is the symbol of old Beijing.

Temple of Heaven *** at 1 Tiantan East Road, Dongcheng Qu
The Temple of Heaven is an axial arrangement of Circular Mound Altar to the south open to the sky with the conically roofed Imperial Vault of Heaven immediately to its north. This is linked by a raised sacred way to the circular, three-tiered, conically roofed Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests further to the north. Here at these places the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties as interlocutors between humankind and the celestial realm offered sacrifice to heaven and prayed for bumper harvests.

Temple of Agriculture (Xiannong Tan) at 21 Dongjing Rd (号 东经路)
The central pavilions at the site are distinguished by their multi-colored façades and broad, hexagonal roofs lined with glazed tile. The interiors of the imperially-styled buildings feature wooden beams adorned with lacquered images of golden dragons and a central roof opening which allowed the energy of the gods to penetrate the well water.

Yongdingmen Park at 21 , No.156, Yongdingmen Inner Street
It is a street park that is open all day. People can fly kites and roller-skate in the park, which is very pleasant.

Yongdingmen Gatetower at Yongdingmennei Main Street
Although Yongding Gate is a gate of the outer city, its gate tower was built in the architectural style of the inner city, which is a typical three-eave roofed building with a ridged roof and a double-layered eave.