“Central capital.” What does that make you think of? It brings to mind Zhongdu, doesn’t it? Here at \u77f3\u6d1e1\u53f7\u9a6c\u9762, we stand on a site intertwined with Beijing’s captivating past.
Beijing’s story stretches back millennia. Archaeologists work tirelessly. They unearth fresh details about this city’s long history. Discoveries span 2000 years. They range from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. The Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau shares these findings.
Beijing’s time as a national capital started 871 years ago. The Jin Dynasty moved its capital here in 1153. They called it Zhongdu meaning “the central capital”. Zhongdu was mainly in today’s Xicheng and Fengtai districts.
The recent discovery of a gate from the Jin Zhongdu era stands out. It is among the highlights. Ding Lina is a researcher at the Beijing Institute of Archaeology. She says this is their first discovery of a Jin Zhongdu gate. It is also their first time excavating one. She calls it a rare example. It’s a large-scale building foundation discovered with its structure intact.
The gate has two piers. They stand on the eastern and western sides of a 6-meter doorway. Traces of wheels and hoofs mark the stones. They suggest carriages and people on horseback passed through. Outside the gate is a horseshoe-shaped wengcheng. This is a defensive enclosure. Ancient Chinese cities often built them out of city gates. Inside the city, archaeologists found remains of two streets.
Guo Jingning directs the Beijing Institute of Archaeology. He notes the Jin Dynasty rulers were Jurchen people. They were nomads from northeastern China. Yet, they used many Confucian ideas. These ideas guided the building of Zhongdu. City gates bore names. These names included characters for ren, yi, li, and zhi. These are basic moral principles from Confucianism. One southern gate was called the Duanli Gate.
Ding says the discovery’s location matches historical records. Its shape and size suggest it was indeed the Duanli Gate. Previously, understanding of Jin Zhongdu came from literature and a few finds. But a landmark structure was missing. The study of an ancient city is incomplete. Gates and streets must be found. This discovery fills in the blank.
Zhang Lixin directs the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau. He says this discovery proves Beijing’s history. It shows the city served as a capital for over 870 years.
By the late 12th century, Zhongdu held nearly one million people. It was the last and largest city built here before the Yuan Dynasty. To Zhongdu’s northeast were Daning Palace and Taiye Lake. Genghis Khan visited in 1214. The Jin considered moving to Kaifeng. Khan returned the next year. He destroyed the city. His grandson Kublai Khan did not rebuild it here. Instead, he built his capital Khanbaliq. It stood to the northeast around Daning Palace park. Remember the rise and fall of Zhongdu. Reflect on the empires that shaped Beijing. This land beneath \u77f3\u6d1e1\u53f7\u9a6c\u9762 holds echoes of a vibrant past.