Historical and Modern Architecture Tourism in Beijing
Table of Contents
1.1. Traditional and Modern Architecture. 3
3.1. Sustainable Historical Architecture in Beijing Tourism Industry. 6
3.2. Sustainable Modern Architecture in Beijing Tourism Industry. 8
Bibliography. 14
Historical and Modern Architecture Tourism in Beijing
1. Introduction
Beijing the capital of China brags of beautiful historical and modern structures among them the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and the iconic Great Wall. This structures have a great wealth of history that dates back thousand years back. The city’s structure has acquire global attention due to the designs acquired, as well as the size. The site has gone through major transformation involving major innovative structures like transportation systems, and national stadiums among others.
This paper aims to show the nature of architecture, art and cultural impact on the tourism industry. It elucidates the historical aspects of the relation between cultural creation which is the architecture and cultural consumption which is the tourism. This paper argues about the ability of the tourism industry under the pressure of economic aspects, to a capacity, to change both contemporary and modern architecture into tools of touristic display. In this setting, modern technology is applied as a mode to create such iconic images. Hence, architecture gets to be a mode of touristic consumption in the modern setting. This pressure by the tourism industry places pressure between architecture and the location of certain cultural origins. This is focused in the paper as a threat to sustainable tourism as it harms its origin, which is the wealth of culture.
1.1. Traditional and Modern Architecture
The sustainability of contemporary and modern architecture is a challenge for the tourism industry and the country as a whole. Arguments can be drawn that any form of architecture has to be taken care of and maintained for the improvement of the livelihood of the locals of the country and the world in general. According to a report (Our Common Future) by the World Commission on Environment and Development, humanity has the capacity to create a sustainable setting so as to make sure that it acquires the needs of the present without adversely affecting future generations to acquire its own goals.
Sustainable development of architecture has grown to be the latest form of development. A number of NGOs and governments have acknowledged it as the new model of development. Additionally, it has been attributed through focus on the environment issues. The built environment in a major way affects the environment as well as the community living there.
1.2. Tourism
Tourism on the other hand is an emerging activity globally which involves traveling and places different from the locality for leisure and business. Additionally, they look for places they are able to get attractions be it historical, artistic or cultural among others. Tourism has both good and bad implications to the hosting country. This varies from economic, social to environmental implications.
Architecture like ancient monuments, buildings and certain objects are of great attraction to the tourism industry. They are valuable structures to the host country as it adds to its economic wealth as well as display its artistic and cultural values to other countries.
2. Architecture and Relation to Tourism
Tourism and architecture are connected to be of great advantage to the locals of the country. Currently, people get economic success from architecture as well as look to get more through varied means. This comprises of food and clothes which are produced and tourism there are new architectural structures of attraction[1]. Architectural aspects are one that is to a great extent demanded by tourists. However, care has to be applied to safeguard these architectural structures of a country.
Tourism ought to offer means through which individuals are able to escape from pressures brought about in the society and offer opportunities through which tourists are able to relax and enjoy the structures. However, tourists and tourism in general can lead to destruction of the community hosting them[2]. They are involved in an act of ‘invasion and destruction’ of the locals. This offers negativity and leads to environmental degradation as well as offers unfavorable implications to the social and cultural setting in addition to the architectural sites in the touristic areas. These aspects state the significance of sustainable architecture at the same time consider architecture as a mode of tourism development.
Hence, one aim of sustainable tourism ought to be planning and designing accommodations with keen consideration to the environment. Basically, a significant factor in sustainable development of tourism resources ought to be consideration and growth of the design and construction so as to acquire an ideal energy application as well as water and land (Graham, 2012). This would lead to effective management for safeguarding the natural and built attractions as noted in the tourism industry.
Sustainable strategies and models in architecture can lead to indigenous capabilities of a region through application of contemporary knowledge and skill of the region. Where locals and historical structures are applied, these buildings are bound to be durable and economical as well as environmentally friendly.
If it is aimed that tourism offers a chance for travel, awareness about other cultures, self-awareness with regard to other cultures and varied forms of living, then we are called upon to offer due consideration forms of accommodation and designs (Wang, 2003). This is since they are symbols of contemporary cultures and values of the locals.
Architecture has the ability of defining spaces and hence has the capacity to sway the human behaviour and understanding and this is what has to be considered in regards to sustainability, optimizing economic success and safeguarding the ecosystem.
Sustainable architecture with regard to contemporary cultural practices and limiting the adverse impacts on the environment has the ability to relate the natural and manmade structures and create a sense of belonging to the tourism industry[3]. Moreover, offering culture and attraction sites can the technical and cultural elements of contemporary setting. If the construction is undertaken in regards to local and contemporary designs and styles, the sense of place and opportunity for the tourists is revitalized.
3. Sustainable Architectural Tourism in Beijing
3.1. Sustainable Historical Architecture in Beijing Tourism Industry
The most ancient Chinese architecture are the cave dwellings which are still occupied to date in the plains of China. The modern caves are now refurbished with electricity and television, however, there is no need for air conditioning as the caves are naturally cool in hot weather and warm in cold seasons[4].
Chinese architecture evolved with time to be quite complicated in the rule of Zhou. Here tiles were applied and plaster made from soil, sand and lime to make them tighter. We are able to see the rise of features like courtyard style of construction and of fend-shui which can still be noted in the modern art.
The most notable success of Chinese architecture is the Great Wall. This was created in the Qin dynasty that succeeded the Zhou dynasty (Frommer, 2013). Qin, popular for martial effectiveness and tyrannical rule, created the massive palaces to awe the disloyal servants.
The Han dynasty succeeded the Qin rule, and this period foresaw the rise of Buddhism. This led to new architecture styles and oversaw the creation of Buddhist pagodas.
The multi-eaved roofs that are common in temples in the modern time have been developed with time to greater levels. Extreme care has been accorded to the carving doors, windows and inner structures.
The Monglo Yuan dynasty added creativity in architectural features with the use of steppe on horseback. As opposed to other cultural trends that come to China and Beijing, they opted to develop architectural styles that foresaw their invasion – a way to steal attention from them not being of Chinese origin.
Lastly, the Ming and Qing dynasties had rules over traditional Chinese architecture getting to greater heights with building the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and Forbidden City which are located in Beijing.
Source: Tour-beijing.com, 2013
Most of Beijing’s historical architecture were razed in an effort to make the city modern. However, the major symbols that are common in the city are Chinese features that date way back. The temples and palaces has their emphasis on the symmetry; the main model is the axis and the secondary framework which are located to appear as mirrored wings to form a courtyard. This leads to the creation of siheyuan, a space bound on all sides by structures joined directly or using archways or verandas. The Forbidden City is quite a huge siheyuan that comprises of a number of self-contained courtyards.
3.2. Sustainable Modern Architecture in Beijing Tourism Industry
For most architects, Beijing is a place worth visiting as a tourist destination. The authorities in the city are engaged in projects of commissioning structures and it is focused to explore unconventional designs. In most times when structures are being made, architects are given a free hand to oversee zaniest ideas they can come up with[5]. The outcome is a constantly growing city skyline which is quite modern, however it does not have a consistent appearance (Wu, 2006, 2). For instance, when one walks to the western part of Tian’an Men Square, one could bypass the astounding sweeping roofs of the Forbidden City, the Communist architecture and the architecture that appears like a spaceship, National Grand Theatre.
The founding of the People’s Republic of China had its leaders coming up with a vast number of changes in the city’s architecture. The most notable are the Great Hall of People, the National Museum, the Railway Station, Military Museum and Worker’s Stadium. These among others are part of the several transformation that was taking place in China and specifically, Beijing (Ong, 2004, 34). It was labelled as the Great Leap Forward. Abiding by Zhou Enlai’s principle of acquiring everything from the contemporary age to the modern time, local and foreign, the structures were free to be used by everyone[6]. This meant that the structures could be used as a tourist destination[7]. This offered a great benchmark to develop the place as a tourist destination for local and foreign tourists. For a greater part of the designs used in the buildings, the styles to a great extent relied on Stalinist architecture. Additionally, there are certain aspects of Chinese style like the pitched roof found in National Agricultural Exhibition (French, 2005, 32).
Capital Museum
Source: Tour-beijing.com, 2013
It was not till some few years ago that Beijing started to see major growth in structures that alter the appearance of the city. A good number of the architecture applied in Beijing is acquired from other countries (Wang, 2003, 32). The most notable structures built recently have acquired designs from other nations constructed by foreign experts. Some can be noted when Beijing was given the right to host the 2008 Olympic Games that there were major modern buildings and creation of life in the city (Ong, 2004, 36). The city took major steps to modernize the city which saw huge and beautiful buildings like the CCTV Tower and the Bird’s Nest – and there were a number of restaurants opened and clubs.
The National Stadium (Bird’s nest)
The New China Central Television (CCTV) Tower
Source: Tour-beijing.com, 2013
Beijing has been able to adapt fast to the modern times and events like the 2008 Olympic Games. From this there was the construction of the Bird’s Nest which is an astounding and a stadium of mega events. The cost was 423 million dollars with a capacity of 90,000. The stadium is still popular with several ceremonies hosted daily that attract several tourist (Owen, 2005, 5). According to the general manager, the place has been able to attract several tourists even with poor weather and days that are not holidays[8]. The stadium has been of great success economically, even with a low entrance fee (7 dollars), the stadium is able to meet its needs due to the large numbers of visitor to the place[9].
The varied architectural structures have led to the construction of several transportation systems while upgrading of others. This has been with the aim of accommodating a large number of locals and tourists. Additionally, the city’s Airport center has gone through massive changes and creation of a new terminal[10]. It is able to hold about 7000 passengers on an hourly rate (Lai & Lee, 2006, 576). This changes are made in effort to meet the huge number of tourists the go all over the city. Additionally, this helps local shopping and lead to investments.
Jobs are created as a result it leads to many locals getting employment. This was facilitated by the ‘Zero-employment’ policy which was used during the Olympic Games and helped most of the unemployed people. The policy helped in giving opportunity to families that do not have a stable income. This offered all of the families with a chance to work and help in the advancement of the Beijing Municipal Labor.
Environmentally, Beijing was among the leading cities that polluted the world. Studies have shown that the atmosphere was greatly polluted and even went above the WHO standards. With the rise in tourism that was brought by the architectural innovations in the stadiums and other structures, the city has followed a strategy to change greatly the city; ‘Green Olympics’ (Graham, 2013). It is from here that Beijing started to clean up its environment and atmosphere to make it a great place as well as healthy for visitors. It is due to this that pollution went down by 44 percent. This was made possible by changing coal power plants to natural gas as well as closing several power plants. However, the country has yet to take any action to the industries that polluted the environment (Owen, 2005, 7). The environment has however been made clean and a drop in the number of visible visiting the city and has similarly lead to appeal to several tourists to visit the area.
Tourism in Beijing thrives to a great extent due to the architectural structures in place. Being one of the oldest cities in China in regards to architecture, the past 15 years has been filled with major construction of the push for the 2008 Olympic. Due to this, most of the innovative and fascinating structures have arisen in the city (Lai & Lee, 2006, 562).
Tourism in Beijing would focus on several architectural sites. The common one is the Tiananmen Square which has a rising public area that comprises of Mao Zedong’s tomb. The Square was constructed in the 1600s close to the Gate of Heaven to the Forbidden City as we stated initially. The square developed with time in the 50s. The Square has been able to serve several people as it was destined to by Mao. It is the social heart for the city and a gathering place. Visitors are able to visit it though it is occupied by police officers following protests by students.
Another major ancient structure that appeals as a tourist destination is the Forbidden city which is next to the Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace north of the city; the Temple of Heaven of south of Tiananmen Square and the Hutongs that attribute the communal life in the city. The Forbidden City is well preserved as a tourist site though it appears a shadow of its former self considering its wealth being taken from it.
The Summer Palace was known as a site for emperors an still used by tourist. They are able to relax around the Palace’s pavilions, mansions, lakes and bridges. Going far ahead there is one of the wonders of the world, 5000 kilometers in length, the Great Wall (Graham, 2013). Its construction was over 2000 years ago, however only a third of the wall can be found to date. It is a great tourist attraction and can be viewed from Badaling, located 80 kilometers of Beijing.
There is also the Hutongs that are still present for tourists to see. The awning-enclosed, man-pedaled cars are the only cars that can through the tight and winding lanes. The place is a beautiful tourist site and offers visitors a great place to see the normal life of a street in the urban villages. Tourists are able to book to get a tour of the Hutong.
Over a period of time, the modern architectural that has taken place in Beijing have become one of the world’s biggest arts that attracts several tourists (Ong, 2004, 52). Studies that have been done have shown that the locals of the city are of the opinion that the architectural structures, both ancient and modern have led to an increase in the number of tourists in the city[11]. The structures have acquired global attention and are attractive. They are attributed to be unique by tourists. Additionally, they have been able to show the city’s culture to others and due to this aspect tourists are attracted to the Chinese traditions that may lead to a rise in future tourist economy.
There are still several tourists who visit the country side to have a view of the art that has been in existence for years (Mellor & Cheng, 2006, 74). Tourism in Beijing, and expanding to other major cities, is still growing due to the structural reforms that has been facilitated by the architecture. Hence, this shows a significant connection between tourism and contemporary and modern architecture. For the city to continue to have tis rigid tourism industry, it has to continue to give priority to the environment, security and capacity.
4. Conclusion
Beijing is a city that is rich in terms of contemporary and modern architecture. The country has a rich history of designs that were constructed decades ago by the ruling dynasties. The structures have gone through major transformations due to the rise in technology. Great contrast can be seen in both periods of life but with a similarity in that they both appeal to tourism. This is the focus of the paper, it has been able to focus on a number of historical and modern architecture among them, the Great Wall, Nest, Tiananmen Square, CCTV location and Hutongs. The paper has gone to focus on the tourist implication that has been brought about by the architecture which involve, economic growth, environmental quality and the rise in tourist visiting the city.
The structures in the Beijing make use of local materials and resources leading to a sustainable form of architecture. Arising from this, contemporary methods of conservation of energy, declining use of land and suitability of the climate of every area is bound to create chances in the tourism industry to appeal to more tourists locally and abroad.
The act of sustainable architecture in Beijing in the form of buildings has been realized and has had significant impact in the creation of a sense of place for the local and foreign tourists.
Bibliography
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[1] Frommer’s, Art & Architecture, (2013), http://www.frommers.com/destinations/beijing/702177
[2] Graham, Mark, The buzz of Beijing’ modern and historical architecture, (2012), http://www.ays.com.hk/articles/buzz-beijing%E2%80%99-modern-and-historical- architecture#sthash.hoKMtZOG.dpuf
[3] Wang, H. China’s new order: Society, politics and economy in transition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003.
[4] Graham, Mark, The buzz of Beijing’ modern and historical architecture, (2012), http://www.ays.com.hk/articles/buzz-beijing%E2%80%99-modern-and-historical-architecture#sthash.hoKMtZOG.dpuf (accessed November 14, 2013).
[5] Ong, R. New Beijing, great Olympics: Beijing and its unfolding legacy. Stanford Journal of East-Asian
Affairs, Volume 14, Issue 2 (2004): 35–49.
[6] Tour-beijing.com, “Beijing Top 10 Contemporary Buildings Self Guided Tour,” (2013),
http://www.tour-beijing.com/top_10_new_buildings/ (accessed November 14, 2013).
[7] French, H. W. Alarm and disarray on rise in China. New York Times, Aug. 24, 2005, A2.
[8] Ong, R. New Beijing, great Olympics: Beijing and its unfolding legacy. Stanford Journal of East-Asian Affairs, Volume 14, Issue 2 (2004): 35–49.
[9] Lai, G., & Lee, R. P. L. Market reforms and psychological distress in urban Beijing. International Sociology, Volume 21, Issue 4 (2006): 551–579.
[10] Graham, Mark, The buzz of Beijing’ modern and historical architecture, (2012), http://www.ays.com.hk/articles/buzz-beijing%E2%80%99-modern-and-historical-architecture#sthash.hoKMtZOG.dpuf (accessed November 14, 2013).
[11] Mellor, W., & Cheng, A. Beijing home to US$160b worth of construction. Vancouver Sun, Mar., 2006.
