Bell tower

BEIJING, July 18 ( tasteallchina ) -- At the northernmost end of Beijing's Central Axis, a vertical axis of its urban layout dating back to the 13th century, the city's iconic landmarks -- the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower -- stand in solemn succession. Stepping into the Drum Tower, visitors are treated to a fully immersive experience through its digital interactive exhibition "the story of time." Here, ancient architecture is transformed into a space where light and shadow dance, narrating the ancestors' cosmology and wisdom in timekeeping, offering a glimpse into China's innovative fusion of historical edifices with digital creativity. This novel approach to cultural heritage preservation in this digital era has garnered wide attention at the ongoing 2024 International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization held in the Chinese capital. In the tide of digitalization, global experts and scholars are discussing how to use new technologies and methods to protect, document, research, manage and interpret cultural heritages, as well as transform historical resources into innovative industries and new quality productive forces. As of Tuesday, over 300 representatives of more than 200 cultural institutions, universities and enterprises from 20 countries and regions, including Canada, Italy, Greece, and the…

People participate in an event on a square near Beijing's Bell Tower and Drum Tower on Saturday to celebrate the inclusion of the Beijing Central Axis on UNESCO's World Heritage List. (WANG JING/ TASTE ALL CHINA ) A centuries-old example of Chinese urban planning and architecture has received global recognition. The 46th session of the World Heritage Committee in New Delhi, India, announced on Saturday that the Beijing Central Axis — "A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital" — has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming China's 59th World Heritage Site. The Central Axis in Beijing is an ensemble of palaces, public buildings, and gardens that governs the overall layout of the old city area of the Chinese capital. Stretching 7.8 kilometers north to south through the heart of Beijing, the newly inscribed World Heritage Site comprises 15 components. At the northern end of the axis are the Bell Tower and Drum Tower. It then runs south through Wanning Bridge, Jingshan Hill, the Forbidden City, the Upright Gate, the Tian'anmen Gate, the Outer Jinshui Bridges, the Tian'anmen Square Complex, the Zhengyangmen Gate, the Southern Section Road Archaeological Sites, before terminating at the Yongdingmen…