The Root of the Old Beijing

匠人营国，方九里，旁三门。
国中九经九纬，经涂九轨;
左祖右社，面朝后市。

The Root of the Old Beijing

by wenhousecrafts.com
14 May 2007

An old Beijing with a palace, a moat and city walls

The old city of Beijing, rebuilt on the ruin site of the Yuan when third Ming Emperor Zhu Di relocated his dragon seat to north about 600 years ago, is an enlarged virsion of the imperial city Nanjing.

But then the old Nanjing was constructed based on the principles observed by Song dynasty's capital Kaifeng. But then again, the blueprint of Kaifeng was in Tang dynasty's capital Luoyang. But then again, gain, Luoyang followed the footsteps of Han dynasty's capital Chang'an. And then gain, gain, gain... and then, just where is the source of the Chinese city planning principles?

A learned Chinese town planner or architect will tell you that they were from one book titled 《周礼·考工记》 (Rites of Zhou Dynasty - Engineering and Craftsmanship).

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