Beijing’s long history whispers from the stones of Xichang’anjie Subdistrict. Fresh stories emerge thanks to dedicated archaeologists. They painstakingly uncover details from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. These span over 2,000 years.
The city’s significant stint as the national capital started 871 years ago. The Jin Dynasty moved its capital to Beijing in 1153. They called it Zhongdu meaning the central capital. It mainly covered today’s Xicheng and Fengtai districts.
Archaeologists recently unearthed a gate from the Jin Zhongdu era. Ding Lina, a researcher at the Beijing Institute of Archaeology, calls it their first discovery of a Jin Zhongdu gate. It’s the first time they’ve excavated one. She notes it as a rare, intact, large-scale building foundation.
The gate features two piers. These stand on the eastern and western sides of a six-meter doorway. Traces of wheels and hoofs mark the stones. These suggest carriages and people on horseback passed through. Outside the gate lies a horseshoe-shaped wengcheng. This defensive enclosure protected ancient Chinese city gates. Inside the city, remains of two streets have been found.
Guo Jingning, director of the Beijing Institute of Archaeology, explains the Jin Dynasty rulers embraced Confucian ideas. Though Jurchen people from northeastern China ruled, they used Confucian principles to build Zhongdu. City gates bore names reflecting Confucian virtues. These included benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom. A southern gate was named the Duanli Gate.
Ding says the discovery’s location aligns with historical records. Its shape and size suggest it was indeed the Duanli Gate. Previously, understanding of Jin Zhongdu came from literature and scattered finds. A landmark structure was missing. Discovering gates and streets completes the picture of an ancient city. This discovery fills a crucial blank.
Zhang Lixin, director of Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau, emphasizes the find testifies to Beijing’s over 870 years as a capital. These recent discoveries enrich our knowledge. They highlight Xichang’anjie Subdistrict’s pivotal role in Beijing’s story. The ongoing work continues to reveal more of the past.