This is the ruins of the city wall from the Ming Dynasty. Inside the city wall is the current city center and the past imperial city.
Sketch map of the ancient capital ruins
01 ?The earliest twin cities, Fenghao of the Western Zhou Dynasty
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In the agricultural era, cities were generally located where there was water.
Unlike the Weihe River, which has a wide bed and many swamps on both sides, the Fenghe River is quiet and warm, making it the first choice for living on the Guanzhong Plain.
The Book of Songs:
? "Guan Guan Jiujiu, on the island of the river. A graceful lady, a gentleman likes to fight."
?"The jianjia is green, and the white dew is frost. The so-called beauty is on the side of the water."
It is said that it all happens Things by the Feng River.
"The Book of Songs" also said, "King Wen was ordered to have this martial arts, and he not only attacked Chong, but also built the city of Feng." What does it mean?
This is the story of the 11th century BC, when King Wen of Zhou Jichang killed the Duke of Chongguo, established the Zhou Dynasty, and established the capital Fengjing west of the Fenghe River.
One year after the establishment of the capital, King Wen went to Hexi. His son Jifa, King Wu of Zhou, came to the throne and built Haojing east of Fenghe River.
There are ancestral temples and gardens in Fengjing, where sacrificial activities are often held; Haojing is the residence of Zhou kings and is the administrative center. Fenghao and Beijing went hand in hand, becoming the earliest twin cities in China.
More importantly, they are the starting point for the construction of Xi'an.
Geographic Map of Fenghao and the Second Capital
02? City of Starry Sky, Qin Xianyang
In 350 BC, Qin Xiaogong established Xianyang as his capital, thirty or forty miles northeast of Fengjing.
Nearly 130 years later, Qin Shihuang transformed Xianyang into a magnificent transformation and built a unified empire. He also marked the development of the city with the character of the Emperor who was astute, courageous, and ambitious. .
Schematic diagram of Qin Xianyang Palace
Qin Shihuang’s approach is as follows:
1. Focus on military affairs, economic development, and talent acquisition to stabilize the fundamentals of urban development.
Xianyang City spans the north and south of the Wei River. Weibei is engaged in military affairs and state management, and Weinan is engaged in economy. When Qin Shihuang moved 120,000 wealthy households to enrich Xianyang, most of them came to Weinan, and the industrial and commercial economy developed rapidly. In this way, both military defense and economic development have been steadily achieved.
2. Look up at the stars and work hard on imitating "celestial phenomena".
Qin Shihuang simulated the constellations of the Milky Way, using Xianyang Palace as the "Celestial Pole" and Weishui as the "Celestial Han". At the same time, 270 buildings within 200 miles are connected using complex technologies such as Chi Road, compound road, and corridor. In the end, the celestial image of the emperor's residence in Xianyang Palace was completely constructed from spirit to form in the form of stars.
Schematic diagram of celestial phenomena
3. Demonstrate domineering power/ambition with the general pattern of "everything in the world is the king's land" .
We know that the Guanzhong Plain is easy to defend but difficult to attack. The Qin Dynasty took advantage of the dangerous mountains and rivers as natural sanitation; it used economic and traffic control to condense surrounding suburban counties as social defense, and built a Guanzhong Plain Economic Circle.
Is it a big layout? In fact, it's ambitious. Because in the heart of the First Emperor, the city meant the whole world, not just Guanzhong.
The above three steps created the historically famous Qin Xianyang.
But the reality is cruel. Just fourteen years later, the dynasty changed, and Xianyang Palace became dim.
03? Han Chang'an, satellite city
202 BC, Western Han Dynasty.
Different from the Qin Dynasty's plan to build palaces and temples based on "celestial phenomena", the Western Han Dynasty built seven satellite cities, creating a Guanzhong city cluster that was unprecedented in the feudal dynasty.
There are two reasons for the formation of this advanced and powerful economic structure: one is the impact of the tomb funeral projects of the Qin and Han Dynasties, and the other is the construction mania of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
Satellite city: originated from the imperial mausoleum.
In terms of policy, while the emperor was working on the imperial mausoleum city project, he also moved old noble families and emerging powerful people from all over the country to enrich the mausoleum city and avoid it becoming an empty city.
In terms of the market, when people came, they found that the city was full of central palaces, and there was insufficient supply of land and commerce. They could only go to the Lingyi area to live, work and consume.
With the centralization of power in Chang'an City, talent, capital, and economic activities gathered in the Lingyi area, and satellite cities were formed.
Central City: lined with palaces.
There are many palaces in Chang'an City, accounting for two-thirds of the total, as shown in the picture
Han Chang'an City Schematic diagram
In 206 BC, Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, moved into Xingle Palace on the outskirts of Xianyang City in Qin Dynasty and changed its name to Changle Palace.
Two years later, Weiyang Palace and North Palace were built.
After the short-term cultivation of people's livelihood during the Wenjing period, during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the construction mania mode started:
In 138 BC, Shanglin Garden was built;
In 129 BC, the Cao Canal was built;
120 BC In 104 BC, the Kunming Pool was opened;
By 104 BC, when Zhang Palace was built, the space in the city was already tight. The record says: "The emperor built Riguang in Weiyang, making the city a small one, so he built a flying pavilion across the city in the west of the palace, built the Zhang Palace in front of it, and built a chariot road up and down."
In 101 BC, they also found ways to build Mingguang Palace and Gui Palace.
Such urban construction along the way forced two-thirds of the Han Chang'an city to be turned into houses. Except for the residences of major government agencies, important officials of the imperial court, and the residences of common people surrounding the logistic support of the royal family and the government ecosystem, there is basically no room for other functions in the city.
The Guanzhong urban agglomeration composed of 1 palace central city and 7 imperial mausoleum satellite cities is far larger than Rome, Byzantium and Baghdad in the same period, and has become one of the most famous cities in the world. .
However, the prosperity came to an end, Wang Mang replaced the Han Dynasty, and the city of Chang'an was destroyed in a war. Later, 10 dynasties such as the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Western Jin Dynasty also established their capitals here, which lasted for nearly 800 years, but there was no more prosperity like the Qin and Han Dynasties.
04? Initial template for palace city, imperial city and outer city
582 AD, Sui Dynasty.
Yang Jian inherited the old capital of Han Chang'an from the Northern Zhou Dynasty. However, the groundwater in the old capital was seriously polluted, and the Weihe River in the north was unstable and there was a great risk of flooding. Yang Jian had to consider building a new capital.
The southern slope of Longshouyuan in the southeast is the highest point of this land. Under the auspices of the architect Yu Wenkai, a new capital was built in Longshouyuan and named Daxing.
The rule of the Sui Dynasty was short-lived in Chinese history, lasting only 37 years. However, the city structure of the palace city, imperial city, and outer city of Daxing Xindu laid a long-lasting example for the later Chang'an City!
Schematic diagram of Daxing City in Sui Dynasty
05? The most glorious moment of the ancient capital Xi'an
In 618 AD, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty established his capital in Daxing and changed its name to "Chang'an".
The dazzling light is reflected in the concrete city construction as grand scale and majestic momentum; in the abstract economic development, it is reflected in the eclectic culture.
First of all, the scale and momentum of Chang'an City are supported by the three palaces, 108 squares and the two east and west cities, as well as the palace city Chengtian Gate, the imperial city Zhuque Gate, and the outer city. Mingde Gate is symmetrical along the axis and arranged in a chess game.
Schematic diagram of Chang'an City in the Tang Dynasty
Three palaces.
Taiji Palace is similar to Daxing City in Sui Dynasty. It was used for the emperor's office and daily life, with the Yeting Palace in the west for the maids to rest, and the East Palace in the east where the prince lived.
After living in Taiji Palace for a while, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty found that it was a little damp, so he built the Daming Palace to the east of Taiji Palace, which later became the office of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty.
Xingqing Palace was the residence of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty when he was King of Linzi. After he ascended the throne, it became the residence of him and Concubine Yang. It can be said to be very affectionate.
108 square meters.
There are 11 streets in the north and south, 14 streets in the east and west, and 114 squares are separated by checkerboard roads. After the southeast corner of Waiguo City is divided into Qujiang Pool, the east and west cities will be removed. The land is actually 108 square meters.
The square has four doors, and there are cross streets, winding alleys, mansions, etc. in the square. To learn more about the culture of Tangcheng City, you can watch "The Twelve Hours of Chang'an".
East and West cities.
The East Market is close to the three major palaces, surrounded by royal family members and celebrities, and all the goods sold are luxury goods, just like what is now called CBD.
West Market has a lot of good and bad things, and is more down-to-earth for ordinary people and foreign businessmen.
"Wherever the flowers fall, I laugh into the orchid wine shop." It's the West Market.
Chang'an Twelve Hours stills
Secondly, the economic prosperity of Chang'an City is inseparable from the eclecticism and openness of the Tang Dynasty tolerate.
The Tang Dynasty’s national power was at the top of the world’s C wave. In the Tang Dynasty, businessmen from all over the world gathered in Chang'an City; nearly a hundred diplomatic envoys came to study and exchange; the Imperial College and Imperial College also accepted more than 30,000 global talents; Hu Fu, Hu Shi, and Hu Zhuang immigrated to Chang'an, bringing new customs, such as Hu The small Mazaki on the bed made people in the Tang Dynasty no longer stick to the kneeling and sitting posture, and became the trend of the times.
Flowers bloom and fall. The prosperous city of Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty finally fell into ruins after several fires and wars during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of the Tang Dynasty, leaving only the imperial city.
06? ?Xi'an, the center of the northwest during the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Republic of China
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Republic of China, Xi'an was an important center in the northwest Military, political and economic center.
Ming City was formed on the new city that was reduced in the Tang Dynasty and expanded eastward and northward. The two main streets running east-west and north-south are the skeleton of the city, and the bell and drum towers are the center of the city.
The overall size of Xi'an Fucheng during the Qing Dynasty remained unchanged. "Mancheng" in the northeast of the city is a closed military zone, and "Nancheng" in the southeast corner is the Han army garrison. All that was left for residents was the western half of the city.
A spatial map of Xi'an in the Qing Dynasty
During the Republic of China, the Longhai Railway reached Xi'an, and Xi'an's economy became more active, with cotton spinning, Flour and textile industries emerged.
It is worth mentioning that the Ming City Wall is currently the most complete city wall site in the country and is within reach; the mosque near the Drum Tower in the center of the city and the cultural heritage of the Muslim neighborhood still exist today .
Ming City Wall Scene
07 ? “Development” or “Protection”? This is a problem
For an ancient capital like Xi'an, when we look at its development after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the key is to see how it handles the conflict between development and protection.
This is an issue that ancient capitals like Xi’an and Beijing must solve in the face of development in the new era.
Looking at Xi'an's several plans since the founding of the People's Republic of China, there are no big mistakes but no classics. Xi'an's way of dealing with old and new problems is following Beijing's lead.
In 1950, Liang Sicheng and Chen Zhanxiang proposed the Liang-Chen Plan for Beijing urban planning. It is recommended to establish a new administrative district west of Fuxingmen and separate the old city to protect it as much as possible.
Not long after, the Soviet Union's "expansion based on the old city" plan, which was very different from Liang-Chen's plan, was approved by the central government.
In 1953, at an important meeting in Beijing, the decision to demolish the old and build new ones was confirmed. Liang Sicheng burst into tears on the spot, and the Liang-Chen plan died.
Schematic diagram of Liang-Chen plan
The situation in Xi'an is similar. In 1950, Xi'an's urban development plan planned to build a new city on the west side of Mingcheng. However, the redesigned plan in 1952 suspended the westward strategy. Instead, it develops outward from the old city and builds new cities on top of the old city.
The central area is developed for commerce and residence, the eastern suburbs are developed for military industry and textiles, the western suburbs are an electrical city, the northeastern suburbs are key heritage protection areas, and the southern suburbs are developed for science, education and culture. The above together build the spatial prototype of modern Xi'an.
On March 12, 1966, Deng Xiaoping inspected the Xi’an Aircraft Manufacturing Factory
In the 1980s, the country’s efforts to protect the style of the ancient capital Requirements were tightened and rapid urbanization occurred. The Xi'an City Master Plan (1980-2000), approved in 1983, increased the protection of heritage sites and environmental management. In urban space, the single-center concentric circle mode is activated. This mode is sometimes called "spreading the pie".
Since the 1990s, the real estate industry has taken off, the construction of new districts and new cities has been surging, and the pace of urban expansion has increased. Axis, multi-center, and satellite cities have become the mainstream of urban construction. choose.
In 1992, Xi'an began to compile the "Xi'an Urban Master Plan from 1995 to 2010", which proposed "central groups, peripheral groups, axial distribution, and belt development". The High-tech Zone and Qujiang in the south also gained new influence at this stage.
The Xi'an City Master Plan (2008-2020) has established a main city, the economic development axis of the Longhai Line, and the axes, belts, rings, and multi-centers of the Guanzhong Ring Line urban pattern.
The fourth planned traffic map
There may be a gap between the catchy ideas in the plan and the reality. Satellite cities and multi-centers have not really emerged yet.
From the development of the Qin, Han and Tang Dynasties, we can see that the path to the formation of urban centers is inseparable from the gathering of talents.
Talent follows the industry/career.
08 History’s gift to Xi’an
Xi’an has many cultural heritages.
There are more than 40 national key cultural relics protection units, more than 60 provincial-level cultural relics protection units, nearly 200 county-level cultural relics protection units, about 3,000 registered cultural relics sites, and Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Warriors and Horses are included in the World Heritage List.
Xi’an has a really rich history.
In the past, dynasties favored establishing their capital in Xi'an because the geographical location was easy to defend and difficult to attack. But when the importance of military defense between cities receded and economic development took the lead, defense and isolation became constraints.
After the Tang Dynasty, China's economic center of gravity shifted eastward. The economic differences between the north and south and east and west caused by long-term accumulation made it more difficult for the ancient capital Xi'an to overtake its economy.
History gives Xi’an cultural and creative soft resources that cannot be copied.
The enterprising and pioneering Qin Dynasty and the openness and diversity of the Tang Dynasty in previous generations have injected a long-lasting innovative gene into this land, its people, and its customs. and cultural heritage. Innovation and culture are one of the core carrying capacities of future urban development.
What is the future of Xi’an?
It is necessary to break the old and create new, ride the wind and waves, and find new advantages for development.
END
Spatial observation notes of urban development participants
Personal opinion
Please forgive me if I feel uncomfortable