Competition helps raise awareness of Beijing's Central Axis

As a part of this year's Beijing Culture Forum, a salon session, Cultural Heritage Supporting Urban Sustainable Development, was organized by Beijing Cultural Heritage Bureau in Beijing on Friday.

The session showcased the achievements of the Competition for the Transmission and Promotion of the Beijing Central Axis.

Since 2021, the Beijing Cultural Heritage Bureau and the Beijing Municipal Office for Conservation and Management of the Beijing Central Axis together launched the annual competition, to enhance public participation in the protection of the Central Axis.

According to Chu Jianhao, deputy director of the Beijing Cultural Heritage Bureau, the competition has received more than 200,000 submissions in the past four years from a total of more than 1 million participants both from home and abroad.

"The competition's influence has rapidly increased, effectively raising public awareness of the Beijing Central Axis, encouraging participation in its preservation, and enabling the public to share the benefits of its protection. It has become an innovative approach to cultural heritage conservation and promotion," Chu says.

More than 200 governmental entities, organizations, companies and universities have been engaged in the organization of the competition and its subsidiary events, including lectures, creative markets and training sessions.

During the salon, an award ceremony was held for the 2024 competition, honoring 10 winners aged from 4 to 86 as representatives.

Following the inscription of Beijing Central Axis on the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 27, the competition aims to continue to promote the protection and sustainable utilization of the cultural landmark, ensuring its vitality for future generations.