2024 Grand Finale: Beijing Central Axis (North Section)

In 2024, I want to end my travels with the Beijing Central Axis, which was successfully added to the World Heritage List in July. My greatest achievement in 2024 will be visiting all the buildings along the Central Axis! The Beijing Central Axis starts at Yongdingmen in the south and ends at the Bell and Drum Towers in the north. It is about 7.8 km long and is the central axis of the symmetrical layout of buildings in Beijing since the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The Bell and Drum Towers are the tallest buildings on the Central Axis and were the timekeeping centers of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. They were first built in the 9th year of the Zhiyuan period of the Yuan dynasty (1272). The Bell Tower is gray, 47.9 meters high, and has an ancient bronze bell hanging on the second floor. The Drum Tower is red, 46.7 meters high, and now only has one large drum remaining. You can buy a ticket to climb the tower and overlook the northern section of the Central Axis and the Wanchun Pavilion in Jingshan Park. The bustling commercial buildings along the northern section of the Central Axis from the Bell and Drum Towers to Wanning Bridge and Jingshan Park clearly define the scale of the streets and alleys of the central road, in line with the "Zhou Li Kao Gong Ji" (Rites of Zhou) which states, "Face the market, the market is one husband." Now, there are many small shops here, selling stewed pork, fried noodles, mung bean milk, imperial afternoon tea, tea soup, and noodle tea. It's a great place to visit on an empty stomach! Wanning Bridge, also known as Haizi Bridge, was first built in the 22nd year of the Zhiyuan period of the Yuan dynasty (1285) and is the only Yuan dynasty bridge in Beijing that is still in use. This single-arch stone bridge and the Yuhe River system it crosses add a gentle and warm atmosphere to the northern section of the Central Axis. The ancients praised it, saying, "The Jin River is open to traffic, and the Haizi Bridge is moored with boats. The spring water in Jiangnan is rising, and the waves are lapping against the sky."