Reconstruction of Fangtou's Cultural and Tourist Image
The Chauntou area of Fangtou, Beijing, was once water-rich and lush with vegetation, possessing a 'wild' historical ecological landscape feature. The picture is from the Qing Dynasty's 'Emperor Qianlong's Hunting Chart.'
Beijing's Second Seven Locomotive Factory's first batch was included in China's Industrial Heritage Protection List.
Beijing's Second Seven Locomotive Factory was one of China's earliest railway factories, and it was the production site for the first steam locomotive in Beijing, model 5321, and the first type 600 horsepower internal combustion engine-driven electric train built in New China. The picture shows a GMC-96B type rail grinder.
Beijing is a historical and cultural city; however, most tourists 'turn around' in the city center district. The Fangtou District of Beijing is located to the southwest of Beijing and, as one of the central districts of the capital, lacks prominent cultural characteristics and a distinct cultural image, often overlooked by visitors. In fact, the Fangtou area has historically been a key transportation hub for Beijing's southwest land routes, with deep historical roots and abundant cultural connotations.
According to the latest urban planning, Fangtou District should be built as a 'new urban development area leading in historical culture and green ecological.'
Historically, the Fangtou area was like what it used to be – full of vitality and 'local flavor.' The Changdian area is bustling with traffic and filled with wine shops; the South Garden was surrounded by performances of pear blossom songs and games. Fangtou District currently has 113 immovable cultural relics, 1 historical protection zone, 3 underground cultural burial sites, and 44 intangible cultural heritage items and various industrial heritage.
However, due to a lack of in-depth exploration and attention to cultural development, rich historical and cultural resources have not brought prominent cultural characteristics to Fangtou. The countless lion statues on Lugou Bridge and the setting sun over the bridge in the morning mist are lost among Beijing's many Instagram-worthy spots.
During a period of over a year, the research team conducted a survey of more than 100 historical and cultural resources and more than 400 public cultural resources.
There is a station named 'Rocket Wan Yuan Station' on Beijing's Metro Line 8. Most passengers passing through are curious about the special naming method, but few people know that it's the location of the China Academy of Aerospace Technology – the birthplace of China's rockets and missiles.
Since the Zhou and Qin dynasties, Changdian and Lugou Bridge areas in Fangtou have always been the throat of Beijing's southwest land transportation routes. Today's Fangtou District is still a veritable gateway to Beijing, with Beijing West Station and Beijing South Station, as well as the upcoming Fangtou Station on the New Railway and the Lizheng Airport Terminal of the Daxing Airport.
Through research, it was found that Fangtou is not only a witness to the founding of Beijing, a red revolutionary culture inheritance site, a confluence of ancient and modern important transportation hubs, but also a historical ecological cultural conservation area, a cradle for China's aerospace industry, a gathering place for folk festivals and customs, a transmission area for traditional opera culture, and a cultivation and viewing area for characteristic flowers.
These cultural features correspond to relatively concentrated geographical distributions: the resources related to the 'Beijing Founding Witness' feature are mainly concentrated in Lizheng, Taipingqiao, and Ru'anmen areas, related to the Jinzhongdu are the waterguan ruins, city ruins, and lotus pond system resources; while Fangtou, as a gathering place for folk festivals and customs, has more characteristics, which are embodied in Wangzuo area, Changdian Lugou Bridge area, and Caotou area, and also includes some important intangible cultural heritage.
To restore 'Autumn Wind in the South Garden' historical landscape and the historical ecological cultural conservation area's cultural characteristics, the South Garden area may appear as a wetland park. In the future, the South Axis-South Garden Cultural Block will be planned to form a 'multi-garden' layout with the South Garden's wetland park as its core. In 2020, the initial construction zone of 1308 mu will be completed.
The Lugou Bridge-Wanping City-Changdian Cultural Block is a resource aggregation area of historical and red revolutionary cultural heritage sites. It is currently under planning and construction of the Lugou Bridge National Culture Park. 'Changxinhai' landscape area focuses on Changdian Old Town as the core, combining Changdian Second Seven Great Strike site, embodies the characteristic landscape of Changdian Old Street with lined elm trees. Under the combined effect of organic upgrading of Changdian Old Town and the industrial heritage of the Second Seven Locomotive Factory and the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage and old brands, it is expected to restore the bustling scene of Changdian Old Town 'where customers come frequently and stores are always fresh'.
Image source: China National Machinery Standard Car Factory website
Source: People's Daily-People's Daily Overseas Edition
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