Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 2.3
Waterways in the vicinity of Dadu City (Beijing)
from the lower valley of the Changjiang (Yangtze River). An area on its northeast
shore, including the vicinity of the Central Platform and a street along the north side
of the lake, became the most prosperous commercial center of the city (Fig.
2.4
).
The Yuan Dynasty's construction of Dadu City required 18 years from begin-
ning to end. If the design of Dadu is compared to the elements of ideal city layout
set forth in the
Book of Artifi cers
, such as “palace in front, market in back, temple
of ancestors on right, altar of soil and grain on left,” and the street plan, it can be
seen that these principles were completely realized in the construction of the city.
Thus, the design of Dadu City without question had its origins deep in Chinese
culture. But it was not just a machine-like copy of the ancient ideal form; its sides
were not built in the form of a perfect square, but rather the ideal was modifi ed to
meet the requirements of reality to produce a creative work. By building the city
around a wide body of water and extending its north-south dimension, it was pos-
sible to create a great city which combined grandeur with beautiful scenery.
Moreover, the main elements of the ideal plan were still strongly represented, and
this was no mean achievement.
