Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
The principle of “weed through the old to bring forth the new” has been fully
realized. With regard to the improvement of the layout of Beijing's Old City, it can-
not be said that this was not a success.
There are still many opportunities for today's city planners to apply their creative
talents, in accordance with this principle, to the reconstruction of Beijing's Old City.
For instance, one such case is the question of what to do with the old Ji-shui Tan.
Should we consider it an obstacle to the city's development and fi ll it in to create
land for buildings? Or should we consider it a place of historical signifi cance in the
development of the city and protect and improve it?
The Ji-shui Tan of antiquity, as discussed earlier, had a great infl uence on
the location and layout of Beijing's Old City. The city's main axis was set next to
the eastern shore of Ji-shui Tan, and the width of the lake determined the location of
the east and west city walls. It could be said that had Ji-shui Tan not existed, Beijing
would not exist in anything like its present form. In Dadu City of the Yuan Dynasty,
Ji-shui Tan was of great importance as the northern terminus of the Grand Canal.
After the early period of the Ming Dynasty, when the north city wall was moved
southward 2.5 km, the northwest part of Ji-shui Tan was excluded from the city, and
the area of the lake inside the city was greatly reduced. Subsequent reconstruction
of Beijing's Old City, while further developing the primary themes of the original
city plan, resulted in the fi lling of the Grand Canal's bed within the city and the
elimination of its upper reaches. All that remained was the spring from Yu-quan
Hill, which fl owed into Ji-shui Tan and thence on to Tai-ye Chi. After this rearrange-
ment of Beijing's water system, Tai-ye Chi, which was inside the Royal City, was
again enlarged by the addition of a new lake at its southern end. The trees and struc-
tures around it increased in number, and it developed into the most scenic park dis-
trict in the city. The lake became known as the “Three Seas”—the “South Sea”
(Nan-hai), the “Middle Sea” (Zhong-hai), and the “North Sea” (Bei-hai). The
“North Sea” has now been opened to the public; known as the Bei-hai Park, it is
renowned for its most beautiful scenery. This was the location of the Jin Dynasty's
imperial retreat, Tai-ning Palace.
Ji-shui Tan, which lay outside the Imperial City, has a much different fate than the
“Three Seas,” with their imperial parks and gardens. Throughout the Ming and Qing
dynasties and up to the establishment of New China, it never received much attention
from the highest rulers. Thus it has not benefi ted from any defi nite plan or develop-
ment, and has quite naturally become a neglected backwater. The lake shrank into
three parts, and only the northwestern most part was still called Ji-shui Tan. A larger
part of the lake, to the southeast, was called Shi-cha Hai. The area remained, however,
one of the most scenic parts of the city. Especially lovely was the view looking west
from the east shore of Shi-cha Hai; the refl ected peaks of West Mountain seemed like
part of the city landscape. Therefore this region in old times, especially during the
Qing Dynasty, attracted some of the imperial nobility. They built great houses near the
lake shore and channeled lake water into their private gardens. In addition, a number
of large, wealthy temples were established around the lake. But, apart from the nobles'
houses and temples, the greatest part of the lake region became a public recreation
place for the common people. The southern part, especially, evolved naturally into a
