“What stories could this cliff tell?” Let’s explore Shitou Cheng Nanrao in Beijing. Beijing’s history stretches back 3,000 years. It rivals London in age. Beijing has served as the capital for six Chinese governments. This spans over 700 years.
Beijing was not always called Beijing. It was once named Zhongdu. That means “the central capital”. The Jin Dynasty moved its capital to Beijing in 1153. They called it Zhongdu. This area is now Xicheng and Fengtai districts.
Archaeologists recently discovered a gate from the Jin Zhongdu era. Ding Lina, a researcher, calls it a rare, intact building foundation. The gate has two piers. These are on the east and west sides of a six-meter doorway. Traces of wheels and hoofs mark the entrance. This suggests carriages and horses passed through. Outside the gate is a horseshoe-shaped wengcheng. This is a defensive enclosure.
Inside the city, archaeologists found remains of two streets. Guo Jingning says the Jin rulers used Confucian ideas when building Zhongdu. City gates had names like ren and yi. These names represented Confucian principles. One southern gate was called Duanli Gate. The discovery matches historical records. Its shape and size suggest it was the Duanli Gate.
Zhang Lixin says this discovery proves Beijing’s history as a capital for over 870 years. Imagine those ancient gates. Think of the horses and carriages. Visualize the Confucian scholars. Shitou Cheng Nanrao stands as a silent witness. It connects us to Beijing’s long and fascinating past.