刍议北京城中轴线研究十要点

刍议北京城中轴线研究十要点

Ten Points on the Study of Beijing City’s Central Axis

张妙弟 | 著　　

黄宗英 | 译　　

摘 要: 北京城中轴线是经过长期的历史积淀，经过多个古都的不断实践，在明代形成并发展至今的。当下的北京文化研究领域，大家都在热烈讨论北京城中轴线申遗问题，文章列举了北京城中轴线研究的十个要点，对推动北京城中轴线研究和申遗工作具有重要参考意义。

关键词：北京城; 中轴线; 申遗

Abstract: Formed and developed since the Ming Dynasty, Beijing city’s central axis has undergone an accumulation of long-term historical legacies and continuous practices of multiple ancient capitals. In the current field of Beijing cultural studies, there exists an active discussion over the issue of application for World Heritage for Beijing city’s central axis. This article presents ten key points in the study of Beijing city’s central axis, which holds important reference for promoting the research and application endeavors.

Key words: Beijing city; the central axis; application for World Heritage

当下北京，文化领域热度最高的事情莫过于中轴线申遗。据媒体披露，有关部门已作决策，2011年9 月份前该项目将入围《中国文化遗产预备名录》，2012 年正式冲击世界文化遗产。受形势鼓舞，各界纷纷行动，形成社会上一个热潮。与此同时，由于事情来得仓促，各方面准备多少有点不足，很需要群策群力，共襄盛举。本文刍议几点看法，以作“引玉”之举。

At present in Beijing, the application for World Heritage for Beijing city’s central axis has become the most enthusiastic topic for discussion in the field of cultural studies. It has been made public through media by departments concerned that this application project will be included in The Preparatory Roster of Chinese Cultural Heritage before September 2011 and that the final battle for the application for World Heritage will be launched in 2012. Encouraged by the situation, all walks of life take an active and successive part in it, thus forming an upsurge in the society. At the same time, because of the urgency of the project, all aspects of preparation for the application have been somewhat inadequate, it is highly necessary to pool all the brains and brawn and to work with united wisdom and efforts to accomplish this task. In this article, a few points have been introduced in hope that others may come up with valuable opinions.

要点一，从发生上讲，中轴线是北京城市规划设计的“原线”，即起始线; 从形态上讲，中轴线是北京城市的脊梁; 从功能上讲，长期以来中轴线是北京作为首都运转的中枢和象征。总之，有中轴线，才有北京城; 反之，有北京城，才有中轴线。所以，“北京城中轴线”应该是它的正名。从逻辑上讲，没有中心，就没有周边; 没有中线，就没有两翼。没有中轴线，就没有我们现在所讨论的北京城。反之也一样。所以，“中轴线”与“北京城”同属一个有机体，不可分割，一定要一起讲。

Point One: In terms of occurrence, the central axis is the “original line,” or the initial line, of the planning and design of Beijing city; in terms of pattern, the central axis is the ridgepole of Beijing city; in terms of function, it has long been regarded as the pivot of operation and symbol of the capital Beijing. In a word, with the central axis, there exists Beijing city, and in other words, with Beijing city, there exists the central axis. “Beijing city’s central axis,” therefore, should be its correct name. Logically speaking, without a center, there is no periphery, and without a central line, there are no wings. Without the central axis, there would be no Beijing city that we are discussing now, and vice versa. “The central axis” and “Beijing city,” therefore, belong to the same organism and are inseparable. They should be talked about together.

要点二，关于北京城中轴线的发生发展，较多学者采用“肇始于元，形成于明”的说法，笔者认为，一方面这有一定的道理，因为明清中轴线与元大都中轴线在主要段落上确是重叠的。但另一方面，明清中轴线是在彻底摧毁了元大都中轴线建筑之后重新规划、重新建设，而不是局部重建的。要说理念上的传承，那传承的不仅仅是元大都的，完全可以再往前追溯，至金中都，至汴梁，至洛阳，至邺城等。从文化遗产角度讲，明清中轴线以及当代的发展，是今天仍然看得见摸得着的。所以，我倾向于说，北京城中轴线是经过长期的历史积淀，经过多个古都的不断实践，在明代建成并发展至今的。

Point Two: With regard to the occurrence and development of Beijing city’s central axis, many scholars tend to agree with the saying that “it was initiated in the Yuan Dynasty and completed in the Ming Dynasty.” In my opinion, however, this saying, on the one hand, is reasonable because the central axis of the Ming and Qing dynasties and the central axis of the Yuan Dynasty did overlap each other in the main parts of the axis, but on the other hand, the central axis of the Ming and Qing dynasties was redesigned and rebuilt after a complete destruction of the buildings of the central axis of the Yuan Dynasty. It was not a partial reconstruction of the axis. When it comes to the inheritance of ideas, it is not only the inheritance of the Yuan Dadu, but can also be traced back to the such capital cities as Jinzhongdu (金中都), Bianliang (汴梁), Luoyang (洛阳), Yecheng (邺城), etc. From the perspective of cultural heritage, the central axis of the Ming and Qing dynasties and its contemporary development are all visible and tangible today. I tend to say, therefore, that Beijing city’s central axis was built and developed from the Ming Dynasty after a long-term accumulation of historical legacies and the continuous practices of multiple ancient capitals.

要点三，现在有一个被广泛采用的说法: 北京有一条贯穿城市南北的中轴线。这条中轴线，南起永定门，北止钟楼，全长7.8 公里。笔者认为，这个说法并没有错，但它不是最具本质属性的说法。人们对同一个事物往往可以从不同角度采用多种表述，这些不同的表述中，有的从形态表象出发，有的从内在性质出发，有的从发生发展角度出发，而发生发展角度往往是最具本质属性的。据此，建议对北京城中轴线采用如下说法: 这条中轴线，起自于封建时代最集中象征皇权的金銮宝殿———三大殿，向南、向北延伸，首先形成紫禁城内长约1公里的中轴线，然后继续向南延伸至永定门，向北延伸到钟鼓楼，形成北京城的中轴线，全长7.8 公里。笔者认为，这种说法揭示了北京城中轴线最深刻的含义，而不是仅限于形态和静态的一种表象描述。

Point Three: It is now widely accepted that Beijing has a central axis running throughout the city from north to south. The axis starts from Yongdingmen in the south, and ends in the Bell Tower in the north, with a total length of 7.8 km. This statement, I think, is not wrong, but it is not the most essential attribute of the central axis. People often have many expressions for the same thing from different perspectives. Among these different expressions, some are based on the appearance, some on the inherent nature, and others on the occurrence and development, but the one which is based on the occurrence and development of the things often expresses the most essential attribute. Therefore, it is suggested that Beijing city’s central axis be said as follows: Starting from the Great Hall of Golden Chimes (金銮宝殿), or the Three Great Halls (三大殿), the most centralized symbol of imperial power of the feudal society in China, Beijing city’s central axis extends southward and northward, first forming the central axis of 1 kilometer within the Forbidden City, then continuing to extend southward to Yongdingmen, and northward to the Bell-and-Drum Tower, forming the Beijing city’s central axis, 7.8 km in length. The author of this article believes that this view not only reveals the most profound meaning of the Beijing city’s central axis, but also avoids being confined to a superficial and static description of the form and appearance of the axis.

要点四，根据故宫史研究专家单士元先生的描述，千门万户的宫殿，约近万间的紫禁城，是三重城墙包围之下的“城中之城”，全城面积72万平方米，约1087市亩，相当于一个中小县城，豪华富丽却达极点。城墙四周绕以护城河，用条石砌岸称筒子河。波光城影，庄严之中给人以玲珑剔透之感。这是中国古代“城”的最高建筑形式，而这座城只住一户人家———皇帝［1］。根据人居环境科学的理论，“人类聚居由两部分组成: ①内容，即单个的人以及由人所组成的社会; ②容器，即由自然的或人工的元素所组成的有形聚落及其周围环境”［2］228。“人类聚居是为了满足居住其内的人和其他人的需要，满足各种不同影响因素的需要而创建的”［2］272。那么，居住在紫禁城中明清两朝的皇帝，其首要的需要是替天发布命令，统治全国。任继愈先生曾经说过: “无论中外，古代封建社会都是政教合一，神权支配王权。中国封建社会独具特色，皇权神权高度合一，皇权也是神权，神权也是皇权。皇帝诏令一开头必为'奉天承运，皇帝诏曰……’。故宫三大殿有行政作用，更具有神殿作用。”［3］据此，故宫三大殿作为紫禁城中轴线的起始，进而作为北京城中轴线的起始也就不足为怪了。

Point Four: The Forbidden City, according to the description of Mr. Shan Shiyuan (单士元), a specialist in the study of the history of the Forbidden City, is “a city of cities,” which was a palace surrounded by triple city walls and consisted of hundreds and hundreds of doors and nearly ten thousand rooms. It covered an area of 720000 square meters, about 1087 mu, equivalent to a small and medium-sized county town, but it used to be extremely luxurious and rich. The city walls were surrounded by a moat which was called Tongzi River with its banks built by boulder strips. The brilliant shadow of shimmering waves of the city in sunlight gave people a sense of exquisiteness and clarity in its solemnity. This was the highest architectural form of “city” in ancient China, and therein dwelt only one family---the imperial family.[4] According the theory of the science of human settlements, “human settlement consists of two parts: First, content, that is, a single person and a society composed of people; Second, container, that is a tangible settlement composed of natural or artificial elements and its surrounding environment.”[5] 'Human settlements are created to meet the demands of the people and others living within them, as well as the demands of various influencing factors.'[6] So, for the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties residing in the Forbidden City, their primary need was to issue orders on behalf of Heaven and rule the country. Mr. Ren Jiyu (任继愈) once said: “Ancient feudal societies, both in China and abroad, were characterized by the integration of politics and religion, with divine power dominating royal power. Chinese feudal society has unique characteristics, with a high degree of unity between imperial and divine power. Its imperial power is its divine power, and vice versa. An emperor’s edict must open with 'By the grace of Heaven, the emperor decrees that...’ The Three Great Halls of the Forbidden City have their administrative functions, but they also serve as shrines.”[6] Accordingly, it is not strange that the Three Great Halls of the Forbidden City serve as the starting point of the central axis of the Forbidden City and then as the starting point of the central axis of Beijing city.

要点五，三大殿是紫禁城外朝部分的主要建筑。现在要问，讲中轴线的起始，为什么不讲一个点? 为什么不讲一个殿? 比如三大殿中的太和殿? 笔者认为，有两点理由: 一是建筑形式及其文化内涵上的，二是功能上的。建筑上，三大殿共用一个统一的台基，前后排列，自成一组。台基为汉白玉须弥座，平面呈“土”字形，表示天下土地皆属皇帝。根据五行学说，土居中央，皇帝的大殿就在中央，皇帝就是天下的中心。功能上，三大殿也是一个整体。三座大殿同时称为“金銮宝殿”。太和殿主要用于举行大朝会，例如新皇帝“登基”、向全国颁布政令和诏书、皇帝生日和新年元旦在此接受朝臣的祝贺，以及冬至节去天坛郊祭之前先在这里举行仪式等。中和殿的主要用途是去太和殿举行大典前做准备的地方。保和殿也是皇帝举行重大活动的场所，并与太和殿先后作为殿试的地方。殿试属于最高级的科举考试，国家大典之一种。总之，三大殿从形式到文化内涵，到实际功能，都是一个整体。所以，笔者不主张用一个点来讲中轴线的起始。如果一定要讲一个点，可以用太和殿中的皇帝宝座来代表。

Point Five: The Three Great Halls are the main buildings of the outer court of the Forbidden City. The questions that can be asked now are: Why is it not about one point when we talk about the starting point of the central axis? Why is it not about one temple or shrine, for instance, the Hall of Supreme Harmony among the Three Great Halls? The author believes that there are two reasons: One is the architectural form with its cultural connotations, and the other is its functions. In terms of architecture, the Three Great Halls, which are arranged in front and back and forming a group of their own, share a unified pedestal base. The pedestal base is the Sumeru base of white marble, the plane of which forms the shape of the Chinses word “土” (earth), indicating that all the land in the world belongs to the emperor. According to the principle of five elements, the earth resides in the center, and the emperor’s great hall sits in the center, making the emperor the center of the world. In terms of function, the Three Great Halls is an integrated whole of its own, called at the same time “Great Hall of Golden Chimes” (金銮宝殿), which consists of the Hall of Supreme Harmony (太和殿), the Hall of Central Harmony (中和殿), and the Hall of Preserving Harmony (保和殿). The Hall of Supreme Harmony was mainly used to hold grand court audiences, such as the enthroning ceremony of a new emperor, the ceremony for an emperor to issue a decree or an edict to the whole country, the ceremony of an emperor’s birthday or New Year’s Day to accept congratulations from the courtiers, the ceremony held here for an emperor before going to the outskirts of the Temple of Heaven for the Winter Solstice Festival, etc. The Hall of Central Harmony was often used as a hall to prepare for the grand ceremony to be held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The Hall of Preserving Harmony was also a venue for the emperor to hold major events and served as the place for the palace examination along with the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The palace examination belonged to the highest level of the imperial examination and was one of the great national ceremonies. In short, the Three Great Halls are a whole in terms of form, cultural connotations, and practical functions. That is why the author does not agree to take the starting point of the central axis as one point. If it is necessary to make one point, it can be represented by the imperial throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

要点六，关于北京城中轴线的空间特征，可以认为，它具有以下几个要点。1．它是由若干个单元组成的; 2．根据不同的功能，这些单元具有不同的南北长度和东西宽度; 3．从文化功能上考察，每个单元是一个统一的整体并明确区分于相邻单元; 4．这些单元相互连结，连续而不间断; 5．具有上述特征的若干个单元连接而成的北京城中轴线，在空间形态上是“宽度不一的多个哑铃的纵向连缀”。

Point Six: Regarding the spatial characteristics of Beijing city’s central axis, it can be considered that it has the following important points: 1. It consists of several units; 2. According to different functions, these units have their different north-south lengths and east-west widths; 3. From the perspective of cultural function, each unit is a unified whole and clearly distinguishes itself from adjacent units; 4. These units are interconnected, continuous and uninterrupted; 5. The Beijing city’s central axis, formed by connecting several units with the above characteristics, is a “longitudinal connection of various dumbbells with varying widths” in spatial form.

要点七，如何认定上述单元，应该依据一定的理论。由于从整体上研究北京城中轴线尚属起步阶段，这方面的理论建设有待学界的努力，笔者只能从不同角度借用两个概念。其一，文化生态学中的一个概念———文化区(culture area) ［4］，是指文化特征在均质程度上可被识别的地理区域。显然这个概念在空间尺度上比我们讨论的中轴线的组成单元要大得多，因为研究者们还将这样的文化区划分为三个次一级的区域: 核心区、外围区和边缘区。而这个概念经常被应用于城市亚文化或城市主导生活方式的研究中。笔者之所以认为可以借用这个概念，是因为可以在均质程度上识别其文化特征。我们可以将相对宽泛的文化特征集中在相对具体的文化功能上，而中轴线上每一个单元被赋予的文化功能都是明确而不致混淆的。其二，根据道萨迪亚斯在“人类聚居学”中的表述:“人类聚居的基本细胞，即人类聚居单元，是一个社区的实体空间表现，这个单元具有正常的功能而不能再分割”［2］276 ，完全可以理解，这个“正常”的功能对于这个单元来说是独特而无可替代的，而且是“不能再分割”的。据此，笔者认为，可以暂时借用这两个概念用于北京城中轴线的研究，其中的要点是“专门的文化功能”、“内部统一、均质”和“不可分割”。

Point Seven: It is reasonable for us to identify the above units according to certain theories. Due to the fact that studying the central axis of Beijing city as a whole is still in its early stages, more efforts are required from the academic community in the theoretical construction in this area. The author can only borrow two concepts from different perspectives. First, it is the theory of “culture area,”[7] a concept in cultural ecology. It refers to geographical regions where cultural characteristics can be identified to a degree of homogeneity. Obviously, this concept is much larger in spatial scale than the constituent units of the central axis we are discussing, because researchers also divide such cultural areas into three sub regions: core, peripheral, and edge areas. And this concept is often applied in the study of urban subcultures or urban dominant lifestyles. The author believes that it is reasonable to borrow this concept because it identifies its cultural characteristics to a certain degree of homogeneity. We can concentrate relatively broad cultural features on relatively specific cultural functions, while the cultural functions assigned to each unit on the central axis are clear and not confusing. Second, it is stated in Dossadias’s theory of “human settlements” that “the basic cells of human settlement, namely the human settlement units, are the physical spatial representation of a community, which has its normal functions and can never be further divided.”[8] It is completely understandable that this “normal” function is unique and irreplaceable for this unit, and “can never be [further] divided.” The author believes, therefore, that these two concepts can be temporarily borrowed for the study of the central axis of Beijing city, with the key points being “specialized cultural functions,” “internal unity, homogeneity,” and “indivisibility.”

要点八，在认定北京城中轴线组成单元的具体工作中，除了要符合上述借用的两个概念中的“三要点”之外，还要关注两点。第一是每个单元必须有明确的边界。第二点是历史时期不同，单元的形态与内涵可能发生变化。

先说边界。这些单元大多数具有明确的边界，拿故宫( 明清紫禁城) 来说，其本身的边界就十分清晰。其南北长960米、东西长753米、高10米的宫墙( 由地面到女儿墙) 、午门、东华门、西华门、玄武门四个城门、以及独具九梁十八柱、七十二条脊建筑形式的四个角楼，加上城墙四周围绕的筒子河，严密地划定了明清紫禁城的边界。其所包围的空间，从文化角度来看，是均质、统一而成为一个整体的，也是不可分割的。

像故宫那样本身具有明确边界的，还有正阳门( 按原有瓮城情况下的边界，包括箭楼)、劳动人民文化宫( 原太庙) 、中山公园( 原社稷坛)、永定门( 按原有瓮城情况下的边界，包括箭楼)、天坛公园( 原天坛)、古建博物馆( 原先农坛)、景山公园( 原景山)、钟鼓楼( 钟楼、鼓楼连同连接它们的广场) 。

另一类单元的边界需要专门给予明确或划定。它们是:天安门里单元( 含天安门，不含午门、劳动人民文化宫西门和中山公园东门)、前门大街单元(不含正阳门，含大街东西两侧各第一排商铺，南至天坛墙西北角与先农坛墙东北角之连线)、永定门里单元( 不含永定门，不含天坛西门、先农坛东门，北与前门大街单元相接)、神武门外单元( 以北上门为中心，东西与景山单元同宽，向北接景山单元)、地安门里单元(含原地安门，南接景山单元，东西两侧包含原东、西皇华门及两列雁翅楼)、地安门外单元(不含地安门，北与钟鼓楼单元相接，东、西两侧包含临街各第一排商铺) 。

Point Eight: In the work of identifying the constituent units of Beijing city’s central axis, apart from meeting the demands of the “three key points” of the two borrowed concepts mentioned above, much attention should also be paid to the following two points. The first is that each unit must have its clear boundaries. The second point is that the forms and connotations of units may change due to their different historical periods. First, let’s talk about the boundaries. Most of these units have clear boundaries, for instance, the boundaries of the Forbidden City of the Ming and Qing dynasties are very clear. The palace walls, measuring 960 meters from north to south, 753 meters from east to west, and 10 meters high (from the ground to the parapet), as well as the four city gates of Meridian Gate, Donghua Gate, Xihua Gate, and Xuanwu Gate, together with the four corner towers with its unique nine beams, eighteen columns and seventy-two ridges, and the Tongzi River surrounding the city walls, thus delineating clearly the boundaries of the Forbidden City of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The space it surrounds, from a cultural perspective, is homogeneous, unified and inseparable as a whole. 

Like the Forbidden City, which itself has clear boundaries, there are also Zhengyang Gate (including Arrow Tower according to the original boundary of the Wengcheng City), Working People’s Cultural Palace (formerly Tai Temple), Zhongshan Park (formerly Sheji Altar), Yongding Gate (including Arrow Tower according to the original boundary of the Wengcheng City), Temple of Heaven Park (formerly Temple of Heaven), Ancient Architecture Museum (formerly Agricultural Altar), Jingshan Park (formerly Jingshan), Bell-and-Drum Tower (Bell Tower, Drum Tower, and the square connecting them). Another type of unit boundaries needs to be specifically defined or delineated. They are: Tiananmen Gate Unit (including Tiananmen Gate, excluding the Meridian Gate, the West Gate of the Working People’s Cultural Palace, and the East Gate of Zhongshan Park), Qianmen Street Unit (excluding Zhengyang Gate, including the front row of shops on both sides of the street, connecting the northwest corner of the wall of the Temple of Heaven and the northeast corner of the wall of the Xiannong Temple to the south), Yongdingmen Gate Inner Unit (excluding Yongdingmen Gate, the West Gate of the Temple of Heaven and the East Gate of the Xiannong Temple, and connecting to Qianmen Street Unit to the north), Shenwumen Gate Outer Unit (centered around the North Gate, the same width as the Jingshan Unit to the east and west, and connecting to the Jingshan Unit to the north), and Di’anmen Gate Inner Unit (including the original Di’an Gate, connecting to the Jingshan Unit to the south, including the east and west sides of former East and West Huanghua Gates as well as two rows of Yanyi Towers, and the Di’an Gate Outer Unit (excluding the Di’an Gate, connecting to the Bell-and-Drum Tower Unit to the north, and including the front row of shops facing the street on both the sides of the east and west).

要点九，再说不同历史时期的变化，这种变化有单元形态上的，也有文化内涵以及功能上的。要强调指出的是，从总体上说这种形态上的变化是局部的，内涵以及功能上的变化是传承发展的，而这正是北京城中轴线弥久历新、能长期保持旺盛生命力的原因所在。现择变化中的主要点罗列于下。要说明的是，这里罗列的主要是20 世纪前半叶前后中国社会制度大变革前后的变化，而同属中国封建社会历史阶段的清朝和明朝之间也有变化，但其变化的程度明显属于轻微，本文不作为重点列入。

Point Nine: Now let us look at the changes in different historical periods, which include not only unit forms, cultural connotations, but also functional aspects. It is necessary to point out that the changes in form are overall partial, while the changes in cultural connotations and functions are inherited and developed. This is precisely the reason why the central axis of Beijing city has been renewed continuously and can still maintain strong vitality in its long term. The main points in the current selection of changes are listed below. What is emphasized here is that the main changes listed below are before and after the great reform of China’s social system in the first half of the 20th century. There were also changes between the Qing and Ming dynasties, which belong to the historical stage of China’s feudal society and are clearly minor ones, so they are not focused in this article.

1． 紫禁城，明清时期作为天权神授、统治全国的中心和象征，辛亥革命后失去其显赫的政治功能，转化为保存和展示中国传统文化重要组成部分的皇家文化的故宫博物院，以后又纳入世界文化遗产名录，供人参观，给人启示。显然，这个变化是顺应历史发展趋势的，是继承发展的。

1. The Forbidden City, as the center and symbol of divine authority and national rule during the Ming and Qing dynasties, lost its prominent political function after the Revolution of 1911 and was transformed into the Palace Museum, which preserves and displays an important part of traditional Chinese culture and is an important part of imperial culture in China. Later, it was included in the Catalog of World Cultural Heritage for visitors to visit and for people to find inspiration. Obviously, this change is in line with the trend of historical development and is inherited and developed.

2．20世纪天安门广场经历了一场大改造。改造前，天安门前为南北长540 米的丁字形空间，南起中华门( 明代大明门、清代大清门) ，北至天安门，天安门南东、西两侧为长安左门、长安右门，广场内御道两侧，排列有完全对称的东西向廊房各110间，称“千步廊”，又东、西折建北向廊房各34间，北为天街，即今长安街。当时千步廊是明清两代中央政权的办公之地，各部衙署按文东武西布局。这个天安门广场的核心是御道以及南端的大明门( 大清门) ，是皇帝、宗室冬至祭天、孟春祈谷、先农坛亲耕之必经之路。显然，在当时，这个天安门广场是北京城中轴线的一个组成单元，它以当时的红墙为界，含南端的大明门( 大清门) ，不含北缘的天安门( 前述已将天安门计入天安门里单元) 。还需要提及的一点是，明清时期的这个天安门广场单元与正阳门单元之间还有一个过渡性单元，以棋盘街地名，可以称其为棋盘街单元，是一个广深各数百步的小广场。

现在我们看到的天安门广场是20世纪大改造之后形成的，这个改造始于中华民国成立后，而改造的高潮在50年代。其中主要的变化是: 拆除了原中华门、长安左门、长安右门、千步廊以及外围的红墙; 大大扩大了广场; 建造人民大会堂、国家博物馆、人民英雄纪念碑、毛主席纪念堂等大型公共建筑; 修缮天安门及增建了观礼台等配套设施; 打通东、西长安街成为通衢大道等。改造之后，天安门广场成为了国家政治中心的象征、广大人民群众集会的场所和全国人民向往的地方。它的面貌与封建时代的那个T字形广场已经不可同日而语，它所代表的社会制度已经翻天覆地，但它仍然是北京城中轴线不可或缺的组成部分，仍然占据着无可替代的“政治之轴”的地位。经过这个改造、继承和发展之后，对现在的天安门广场这个单元还要进一步明确三点。一是天安门城楼由原来属于天安门里单元转而属于现在的天安门广场单元，1949 年在天安门城楼上宣布中华人民共和国成立之时，这个转折就完成了。二是现在的天安门广场单元东边包括国家博物馆，西边包括人民大会堂，中间包括人民英雄纪念碑和毛主席纪念堂。三是明清时期的棋盘街单元已经融入现在的天安门广场单元。

2. The Tiananmen Square has undergone a major renovation in the 20th century. Before the renovation, there was a 540-meter long T-shaped space in front of Tiananmen Square, starting from Zhonghua Gate (Daming Gate in the Ming Dynasty, Daqing Gate in the Qing Dynasty) in the south and extending to Tiananmen Square in the north. The southeast and west sides of Tiananmen Square were Chang’an Left Gate and Chang’an Right Gate, and on both sides of the imperial road in the square, there were arranged 110 completely symmetrical east-west corridor rooms, called “Qianbu Corridor” (千步廊). In addition, 34 north corridor rooms were built on both the east and west sides, and the north side was Tianjie, which is now known as Chang’an Street. Qianbu Corridor served as the office zone for the Central Government during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the various government offices were arranged according to the layout of the civilian officials in the east and the military officials in the west. The core of the Tiananmen Square is the imperial road and the Daming Gate (Daqing Gate) at the southern end, which was a necessary path for emperors and members of imperial families to worship Heaven during the winter solstice, pray in the first month of spring for a good harvest of the year, and for emperors to till the land personally and symbolically at the Xiannong Altar. Obviously, at that time, this Tiananmen Square was a constituent unit of Beijing city central axis. It was bounded by the red walls at that time, including the Daming Gate (Daqing Gate) at the southern end, but excluding the Tiananmen Gate at the northern edge (as is mentioned earlier that the Tiananmen Gate was included in the Tiananmen Gate Unit). It should also be mentioned that during the Ming and Qing dynasties, there was a transitional unit between the Tiananmen Square unit and the Zhengyang Gate Unit. Taking Qipan Street as its place name, it can be called Qipan Street Unit, which is a small square with hundreds of steps in width and depth.

The Tiananmen Square we see now was formed after the great renovation in the 20th century, which began after the establishment of the Republic of China and reached its peak in the 1950s. The main changes in this great renovation include the demolition of the original Zhonghua Gate, Changan Left Gate, Changan Right Gate, Qianbu Corridor, and the surrounding red walls, the significant expansion of the square, the construction of such large public buildings as the Great Hall of the People, National Museum, Monument to the People’s Heroes, and Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, the repairing of Tiananmen Square, the building up of additional supporting facilities such as observation platforms, the connection of the East and West Chang’an Streets to become a thoroughfare, etc. After the renovation, Tiananmen Square becomes a symbol of the national political center, a gathering place for the masses, and a yearning place for the people of the whole country. Its appearance has changed a great deal, no longer the T-shaped square in the feudal society. The social system it represents has undergone a tremendous change, but it remains an indispensable part of the central axis of Beijing city and occupies an irreplaceable position as the “political axis.” After this renovation, inheritance, and development, three points need to be further clarified for the current Tiananmen Square Unit. The first is that the Tiananmen Gate Tower was originally part of the Tiananmen Gate Unit and now belongs to the Tiananmen Square Unit. This transformation was completed when the founding of the People’s Republic of China was announced on the Tiananmen Gate Tower in 1949. The second is that the current Tiananmen Square Unit includes the National Museum to the east, the Great Hall of the People to the west, and the Monument to the People’s Heroes and Chairman Mao Memorial Hall in the middle. The third is that the Qipan Street Unit from the Ming and Qing dynasties has integrated itself into the current Tiananmen Square Unit.

3.1949 年之后，为适应新的时代的需求，北京城中轴线上一部分单元的功能有了改变，如原太庙由皇帝宗庙、祭祀祖先之地转变为劳动人民文化宫; 原天坛由皇家的祭天之坛转变为市民的公园等。这种改变确实带来了不少问题，不利于历史文化名城的保护。好在这些单元，其古建筑的精华作为文物的国保单位，多数得到了较好的保护。笔者认为，劳动人民文化宫，没有必要恢复其原来的功能。天坛，是否有必要恢复其皇家祭天的活动可以讨论，但有一条可以肯定，即使是恢复，也要让现代的民众能够从中得到优秀传统文化的熏陶，得到人必须与“天”和谐相处的启示，亦即必须在现代意识的观照下考虑对传统文化的继承和发展，而不是形式上的“复古”。

3. After 1949, in order to meet the demands of the new era, the functions of some units on the central axis of Beijing city have changed. For instance, the original Tai Temple (太庙) was transformed from an imperial ancestral temple and a place to worship ancestors to a cultural palace for the working people, and the original Temple of Heaven has transformed from an imperial altar of worship to Heaven to a public park. This kind of transformation has actually brought many problems, which are not conducive to the protection of this historic and cultural city. But fortunately, most of these units have been well protected with the essence of their ancient buildings as national protected units of cultural relics. The author believes that it is not necessary to restore the original function of the Working People’s Cultural Palace, but the question whether it is necessary to restore the royal worship activities in the Temple of Heaven is open to discussion. One thing, however, that should be made sure of is that even if the imperial worship activities are to be restored in the Temple of Heaven, modern people should be able to receive the edification of excellent traditional Chinese culture and the inspiration that people must coexist harmoniously with “Heaven.” In other words, the inheritance and development of the excellent traditional Chinese culture must be considered under the observation of modern consciousness, rather than a simple “restoration” in form.

4．由于思想认识上的局限性，北京城中轴线上的少数单元也有被拆毁的，这不得不说是历史性的遗憾，如永定门、地安门等。好在人们已经开始反思。永定门城楼已于前些年复建，笔者建议继续将其瓮城和箭楼复建起来( 包括护城河恢复原格局) 。也建议将地安门复建起来。现在的经济条件和技术条件已经足以保障复建如旧。

4. Owing to the limitations in ideological understanding, a few units along the central axis of Beijing city have also been demolished, such as Yongding Gate and Di’an Gate, which remains a historic regret. Fortunately, people have started to reflect upon what have been done before. The Yongdingmen City Tower has been rebuilt in the past few years, and the author suggests here in this article that it is necessary to move a step further to rebuild the Wengcheng and Arrow Tower (including restoring the original layout of the moat). It is also recommended to rebuild the Di’an Gate, since our current economic and technological conditions are strong enough to ensure the reconstruction of these ancient architectures as they appeared before.

总之，一个活态的城市，要求其一成不变，应该也是不可能的。历史是长河，文化在流变，变是不可避免的。关键是在北京的实际情况下，有必要把强调保护放在工作的首位，必须以保护为前提，再来考虑继承和发展的问题。没有了保护，继承和发展就失去了“根”，城市就失去了“魂”。

In short, it is impossible for a dynamic city to remain static and unchanged. History is a long river, in which culture flows constantly, but changes inevitably. What is important under the current situation in Beijing is that protection should be prioritized in our work. Protection should be taken as the premise before considering the issues of inheritance and development. Without protection, inheritance and development will lose their roots, and the city will lose its soul.

要点十，分析了北京城中轴线方方面面的问题之后，还有一个相对更高层面上的宏观问题需要解决。即是明清时期什么思想和理论将这些一个一个各具功能的文化单元组合成了北京城中轴线? 又为什么在经历了国家社会如此严重的变革之后，北京城中轴线却依然具有强大的生命力，以至于要将它作为全人类的文化遗产，作为全人类用之不竭的共同财富。简单说，在明清封建社会制度下，从三大殿到紫禁城，到整个中轴线，众多单元各自的文化功能归纳起来，是6 句话、24 个字: 法天宗祖、天下之尊、号令行政、御敌守土、享受荣华、笼络百姓。这恰恰就是封建社会统治理论的纲常所在。每一个单元的功能是各自的，串起来可是统一、完整而至高无上的。其核心是政治，所以北京城中轴线是“政治轴”。从学理上讲，“系统具有多层次、多功能的结构，每一层次均成为构筑其上层次的单元，同时也能有助于系统的某一功能的实现”［5］。要说明一点，作为首都，当时的北京城的“政治之点”在中轴线之外还有，比如地坛、日坛、月坛，比如历代帝王庙等，对这些点的内容，可以在讨论北京城的历史文化中进行，而不能放在中轴线中来讨论。我们已经明确，在几何形态上中轴线必须是连续的，是完整不间断的。如果说明清北京城中轴线的中心和象征是三大殿，或者扩大一点说是紫禁城，那么在当代，这个中心和象征已经转移到了包括天安门在内的天安门广场。在不少单元的文化功能发生了明显改变的情况下，北京城中轴线作为“政治之轴”的地位和作用得到了继承和发展。现在的北京城中轴线，既给今天的世人提供了中国封建时代的“政治之轴”基本完整的范本，同时给出了顺应时代变化保护、继承和发展的成功案例( 当然同时也有失误的教训) 。所以它理应是全人类的永久财富，也可以用6 句话、24个字来概括当代的北京城中轴线: 历史名城，完整中轴，人民时代，政治中心，保护传承，人类享用。

Point Ten: With an analysis of all these aspects concerning Beijing city’s central axis, there remains a relatively higher-level macro question that also needs to be addressed here. That is, what ideas and theories during the Ming and Qing dynasties combined these cultural elements with various functions to contribute the formation of Beijing city’s central axis? Why does the central axis of Beijing city, after experiencing such severe social changes in the country, still have strong vitality to the extent that it should be regarded as a cultural heritage and an inexhaustible common wealth for all humankind? In brief, under the feudal social system of the Ming and Qing dynasties, from the Three Great Halls to the Forbidden City, and further to the entire central axis, the cultural functions of numerous units can be summarized in 6 sentences and 24 words in Chinese: “Respecting Heaven and abiding to ancients, being the sovereign over the world, commanding administration, guarding against the enemy and defending the land, enjoying glory, and doting solicitously on common people.” These are exactly the essence of the guiding principles and virtues of our feudal social governance. Each unit has its own function, but when strung together, the functions of which can be unified, complete, and supreme. The central axis of Beijing city is called the “political axis” because its core is of politics. Scientifically speaking, “a system has a multi-level and multifunctional structure, with each level becoming the unit that constructs its upper level, while at the same time contributing to the implementation of a certain function of the system.”[9] It should be noted that as the capital city, apart from the central axis, Beijing had other “political points” at that time, such as the Altar of Earth, the Altar of the Sun, the Altar of the Moon, and the temples of emperors throughout history. The contents of these political points can be explored in the discussion of the history and culture of Beijing city, rather than in the discussion of the central axis of Beijing city. We have made it clear that Beijing city’s central axis must be continuous and complete without any break in geometric form. If the center and symbol of Beijing city’s central axis during the Ming and Qing dynasties were the Three Great Halls, or if it was expanded to be the Forbidden City, then in contemporary times, this center and symbol have been transferred to Tiananmen Square including Tiananmen Gate. Under the significant changes in the cultural functions of many units, the status and role of the central axis of Beijing city as the “political axis” have been continuously inherited and developed. The current central axis of Beijing city not only provides the world today with a basic and complete model of the “political axis” of China’s feudal era, but also provides a successful case of protection, inheritance, and development in response to changes in the times (although there are also lessons from mistakes). It is very reasonable therefore for Beijing city’s central axis to become a permanent piece of wealth for all humanity, and the central axis of contemporary Beijing city can also be summarized in 6 sentences and 24 words in Chinese as follows: A historic city, a complete central axis, a people’s era, a political center, a symbol of protection and inheritance, and an enjoyment for humankind.

向上滑动阅览参考书目和注释

Bibliography:

[1] Shan Shiyuan. The Historical Tales of the Forbidden City. Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1962. [单士元. 故宫史话［M］. 北京: 中华书局，1962:13.]

[2] Wu Liangyong. An Introduction to Residential Environment Science. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press, 2002. (吴良镛．人居环境科学导论［M］．北京: 中国建筑工业出版社，2002.)

[3] Shan Shiyuan. “Preface” to The Historical Tales of the Forbidden City [M]. Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1962. (单士元．故宫史话: 序［M］．北京: 中华书局，1962.)

[4] R. J. Johnston. Ed. Dictionary of Human Geography [M]. Translated by Chai Yanwei, et al., Beijing: Commercial Press, 2004. (［英］R．J．约翰斯顿．人文地理词典［M］．柴彦威等译，北京: 商务印书馆，2004.)

[5] Cheng Siwei. On the Integration of Science [N]. Guangming Daily, 1998-04-26 (3). (成思危．试论科学的融合［N］．光明日报，1998-04-26(3))．

Notes:

[1] This paper was first published in The Journal of Beijing Union University (Humanities and Social Sciences). Vol. 9 (3), 2011(3):33-35.

[2] Author: Zhang Miao-di, Ex-President of Beijing Union University, Chief Expert of Research Base for Beijing Studies.

[3] Translator: Huang Zongying, Ph.D. from Peking University, Professor of English at Beijing Union University.

[4] Shan Shiyuan. The Historical Tales of the Forbidden City. Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1962, p.13.

[5] Wu Liangyong. An Introduction to Residential Environment Science. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press, 2002, p.228.

[6] Shan Shiyuan. “Preface” to The Historical Tales of the Forbidden City [M]. Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1962.

[7] R. J. Johnston. Ed. Dictionary of Human Geography [M]. Translated by Chai Yanwei et al., Beijing: Commercial Press, 2004, p.138.

[8] Wu Liangyong. Introduction to Human Settlement Environment Science [M]. Beijing: China Construction Industry Press, 2002, p.276.

[9] Cheng Siwei. On the Integration of Science [N]. Guangming Daily, 1998-04-26 (3).

END

作者和译者介绍

作者：张妙弟，北京联合大学原校长、教授、北京联合大学北京学研究所原所长、北京学研究基地原主任、原首席专家，北京市文史研究館館员、中軸线宣讲团团长。

译者：黄宗英，北京联合大学北京全国文化中心建设研究院教授。