On July 24, António Costa, President of the European Council, who is on an official visit to China, led a delegation to explore the Zhengyangmen Arrow Tower in Beijing. During their visit, they toured the special exhibition titled “Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital”, gaining deeper insights into the achievements in heritage conservation and adaptive reuse of the Central Axis. This visit allowed them to savor the unique charm of the “spine of the ancient capital”, along with the grandeur of the city’s spatial order.

As the first anniversary of Beijing Central Axis being inscribed on the World Heritage List approaches, the city has been exploring its cultural heritage resources and developing distinctive venues for foreign affairs events. The tall, majestic Zhengyangmen Arrow Tower is a landmark of Beijing’s ancient city wall system. Following its restoration, it reopened to the public last December. Costa ascended the arrow tower, where a collection of cultural relics, historical documents, and old photographs offered him a comprehensive understanding of the Central Axis heritage sites, the historical evolution of the Central Axis in traditional Chinese capitals, and the measures Beijing has taken to restore cultural relics and preserve ancient architecture. One exhibit—The Kangxi Emperor’s Southern Inspection Tour, Scroll Twelve: Return Journey—particularly captured Costa’s attention. As he followed the unfolding panorama, iconic buildings along the Central Axis gradually came into view: the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Golden Water Bridges, Wumen, Duanmen, Tian’anmen Square, Zhengyangmen, and Yongdingmen.

Meanwhile, Costa was intrigued by the varied shapes of the ridge beasts adorning the palace roofs. He listened attentively as the guide explained their profound cultural symbolism, while taking in the beauty of ancient Chinese architecture. On the third floor, Costa and other delegates gazed southward through the arrow windows. Guided by the narrator, they admired the bustling Qianmen Street in the foreground and identified the distant Temple of Heaven and Yongdingmen. Using the arrow windows as a natural frame, they recorded the elegance of Beijing Central Axis with their cameras.

Before concluding their visit, Costa received a special gift from the Zhengyangmen Arrow Tower—a “Guji Gift Box” of cultural creations themed on the Central Axis, which included two plush toys: a Beijing swift and a dove of peace. Holding this symbol of peace and friendship, Costa posed for a photo to capture the delightful moment.