Heritage with Related Tags
Dholavira: a Harappan City
The ancient city of Dholavira is the southern center of the Harappan civilization, located on the arid island of Kadir in Gujarat. The archaeological site, built between 3000-1500 BC, is one of the best-preserved urban settlements in Southeast Asia and consists of a fortified city and a cemetery. Two seasonal streams provided water to the walled city, a scarce resource in the region, and within the walls was a heavily fortified citadel and ceremonial grounds, with streets and houses of varying proportions and quality, testifying to the social order of the time. The complex water management system demonstrates the wisdom of the Dholavira people in surviving and thriving in a harsh environment. The site includes a large cemetery with six types of monuments, testifying to the unique Harappan view of death. Archaeologists have discovered bead-making workshops and a variety of crafts such as copper, shell, stone, semi-precious gemstone jewelry, clay, gold, ivory and other materials during excavations at the site, demonstrating the artistic and technological achievements of the culture. Evidence of inter-regional trade with other Harappan cities as well as cities in the Mesopotamian region and the Omani peninsula has also been found.
Beijing's Central Axis: A Masterpiece of China's Ideal Capital Order
The Beijing Central Axis is located in the center of Beijing's old city, running from north to south. It consists of 15 heritage elements in five categories, including ancient royal palaces, ancient royal sacrificial buildings, ancient urban management facilities, national ceremonial and public buildings, and the remains of the central road. Together, they witness the historical transformation of Beijing from an imperial capital to a modern capital, and showcase China's urban planning tradition. Its site selection, layout, urban planning, roads and design, as a whole, demonstrate the ideal capital planning paradigm recorded in the ancient Chinese book "Kaogongji". This area, located between two parallel rivers, has a history of human settlement of about 3,000 years, and the Central Axis itself originated from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), which established its capital in the north. Many ancient buildings on the Central Axis were built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and perfected in the Qing Dynasty (1635-1912).