Ever wondered what it feels like to unearth Beijing’s hidden stories? Today we are standing before Duandai. Beijing’s history stretches back 3000 years. Beijing has served as a capital for six notable Chinese governments.
Archaeologists are revealing fresh details. These discoveries span 2000 years. They cover the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. The Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau has released these details. Beijing became a national capital 871 years ago. The Jin Dynasty moved its capital here in 1153. They called it Zhongdu meaning “the central capital”. It was located in today’s Xicheng and Fengtai districts.
A recent find is a gate from the Jin Zhongdu era. Ding Lina from the Beijing Institute of Archaeology says this is their first discovery of a Jin Zhongdu gate. It’s also their first time excavating one. It is a rare example of a large-scale building foundation. The structure was discovered intact.
The gate has two piers. They are on the eastern and western sides of a 6-meter doorway. There are traces of wheels and hoofs. This suggests carriages and people on horseback passed through. Outside the gate is a horseshoe-shaped wengcheng. This is a defensive enclosure. It was often built outside city gates in ancient China. Inside the city, remains of two streets have been found.
Guo Jingning directs the Beijing Institute of Archaeology. He notes that the Jin Dynasty rulers used Confucian ideas. They were Jurchen people from northeastern China. They built gates with names reflecting Confucian principles. These included benevolence righteousness propriety and wisdom. One southern gate was called the Duanli Gate.
Ding Lina says the location fits historical records. The shape and size suggest it was the Duanli Gate. Previously understanding of Jin Zhongdu was limited. It was based on literature and few archaeological finds. Finding gates and streets fills in the blanks. Zhang Lixin directs the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau. He says the discovery testifies to Beijing’s history as a capital for over 870 years. Beijing has a rich cultural heritage. It includes seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These are the Great Wall, Forbidden City and Summer Palace. The Temple of Heaven, Ming Tombs, Peking Man Site and Grand Canal are also included.