Wang Jun, Research Librarian of the Palace Museum and Deputy Director of the Palace Museum Research Institute:
The construction of the "Four Palaces" creates favorable conditions for the application of the central axis
On May 25, the "Regulations on the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Beijing's Central Axis" was passed.
The Forbidden City, located at the core of the central axis, has put forward many innovative measures in the protection, research and dissemination of cultural heritage in recent years.
Wang Jun, research librarian of the Palace Museum and deputy director of the Palace Museum Research Institute, introduced that since 2011, the Palace Museum has started the systematic construction of the World Cultural Heritage Monitoring Project. Last year, the Palace Museum World Heritage Monitoring Department was specially established.
Talking about experience, Wang Jun believes that a solid academic foundation provides strong support for telling the story of the Forbidden City, and this is also the experience that can be "replicated" first in the work of cultural relics protection.
Wang Jun also said that after more than 90 years of construction and exploration, in 2019, the Palace Museum officially proposed the construction system of the "Four Palaces", including the "Safe Palace", "Academic Palace", "Digital Palace" and "Vibrant Palace". mission and vision.
In recent years, the construction achievements of the "Four Forbidden City" are obvious to all, which has created favorable conditions for the application of the central axis.
The central axis system was founded on the basis of the north-south meridian
Beijing News: The central axis is an interlocking, end-to-end overall concept, what special role does the Forbidden City play in it?
Wang Jun: On the central axis of Beijing, the Forbidden City occupies the core position and is the climax of the architectural complex on the central axis.
In ancient times, when establishing a capital and establishing a country, as stated in the "Zhou Li", the first thing to do is to determine the right position, because the determination of the right position can determine the timing, which is related to the source of power and the birth of civilization.
In ancient Chinese farming society, the measurement of time is related to agricultural production and the safety of crops and crops. Whoever tells the people the time will gain public power. This is the so-called "nothing is more important than the time of the Ming Dynasty, and there is nothing more important than the time of the Ming Dynasty".
The emergence of public power and the formation of state forms are the signs of the birth of civilization.
The determination of time must be based on the determination of space, and the north-south meridian is the most important observation axis for determining the solar annual cycle.
The ancients used a standing watch to measure shadows on this line. The longest shadow at noon was the winter solstice; the shortest shadow was the summer solstice.
From this, a solar year cycle can be determined.
Therefore, the central axis system established on the basis of the north-south meridian has become a major tradition in the construction of ancient Chinese capitals.
In 2016, scholars from the Palace Museum were invited to undertake the sub-project "Research on the Protection and Cultural Value of Beijing's Famous Historical and Cultural City", a sub-project of the revision of Beijing's urban master plan. The Meridian Line) intersects at the Palace of Supreme Harmony Square in the Forbidden City, which is of great significance because the Sun Altar carries the ritual of sacrificing the sun on the vernal equinox, and the Moon Altar carries the sacrificial sacrificial ceremony for the moon on the autumnal equinox. Solar term observation axis.
The Beijing News: How do you view the value and significance of the central axis system in ancient China?
Wang Jun: The time and space pattern of the Ziwu Maoyou is related to the measurement and management of the solar year cycle, and is the knowledge base for the birth of agricultural culture and civilization.
Judging from archaeological data, this system can be traced back to the Neolithic culture dating back 8,000 to 9,000 years.
The occurrence of agriculture in China was 10,000 years ago, indicating that the ancestors had a preliminary grasp of time and space at that time.
It can be seen that although the Forbidden City is a group of palaces in late ancient China, the palace system used by it is extremely ancient and goes straight to the origin of agricultural civilization.
The sacred significance of the Forbidden City standing on the central axis is self-evident.
Emperor Qianlong inscribed the plaques of "Jianji Suiyou" (hanging in Taihe Hall), "Yunzhi Juezhong" (hanging in Zhonghe Hall), and "Huangjian Youji" (hanging in Baohe Hall) for the three halls of the Forbidden City. Hall of Harmony), repeatedly emphasizing the importance of the right and the right position, the significance is particularly far-reaching.
I understand that this is the most important historical and cultural value contributed by the Forbidden City to the application of the central axis.
If this axis is not regarded as a world cultural heritage, what other heritage is worthy of this honor?
The World Heritage Monitoring Department of the Forbidden City was established last year
Beijing News: This year is a critical year for the application of the central axis. What kind of work and preparations has the Forbidden City done for the application?
Wang Jun: As a world cultural heritage, the Palace Museum has long promoted various undertakings based on the principle of world cultural heritage protection, adhered to the general policy of protection of cultural relics first, and gained extremely valuable experience in many aspects.
Dean Wang Xudong proposed that the academic research of the Forbidden City must be promoted at the height of the formation and development of Chinese civilization, and provide academic support for the development of various undertakings.
"Introduction to Forbidden City Studies" (written by Zheng Xinmiao), "Forbidden City Studies as Learning" (written by Zhang Hongwei), "Preliminary Research on the Construction of Forbidden City Studies" (written by Wang Su) and other works have been published one after another. The construction of the academic system is in full swing.
At the same time, the Palace Museum launched an open project plan to strengthen academic exchanges inside and outside the hospital, and launched a talent plan to introduce social forces to fund the construction of the "Academic Palace Museum" talent team.
In recent years, the Palace Museum has actively provided academic support for the application of the Central Axis to the World Heritage List. Scholars in related fields have undertaken the key project of the Beijing Social Science Fund’s decision-making consultation “Research on the Historical and Cultural Values of the Yuandadu Qizheng Building, Wanning Bridge and the Central Axis”. Invited by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics, to put forward the "Opinions on the Evaluation of the Central Axis Application Text" (2020), "Opinions on the Forbidden City Part of the Central Axis Application for Cultural Heritage" (2021), "On the Development of Qizheng Building and Central Pavilion in Yuandadu" , Suggestions on Archaeological Work of the Center Station (2022), etc.
Scholars in related fields are also committed to deciphering important academic topics related to the central axis, including the distribution of buildings at the northern end of the central axis of the Yuan Dynasty, the ancient Chinese view of time and space, and the inheritance of the central axis system in Beijing during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.
These studies demonstrate the outstanding universal value of the central axis of Beijing, and have attracted the attention of decision-making departments and academic colleagues.
Beijing News: You have rich experience in the management of heritage protection of the Forbidden City. What specific measures have you taken in recent years?
Wang Jun: In order to realize the standardized and scientific management of the world heritage of the Palace Museum, since 2011, the Palace Museum has started the systematic construction of the world cultural heritage monitoring project.
The monitoring team established a monitoring framework centered on immovable cultural relics, and included heritage elements and influence factors such as cultural relics buildings, outdoor furnishings, ancient and famous trees into the monitoring scope; successively built environmental quality, termite, lightning protection, indoor temperature and humidity, Monitoring systems for audience dynamics, electricity, ticket sales, outdoor furnishings, heat, and cultural relic buildings; carried out a census of basic information on cultural relics buildings, basic information collection and preservation status assessment of outdoor furnishings, and carried out a number of typical disease monitoring and prevention and control exploratory projects. Work.
Last year, the Palace Museum also set up the Palace Museum World Heritage Monitoring Department.
In addition, the research, protection and inheritance of the "eight major works" of traditional craftsmanship, namely "tile, wood, stone, bar, soil, paint, color painting, and paste", are also being carried out in an orderly manner.
Beijing News reporter Ma Jinqian