Central Axis competition gears up to host Beijing ceremony

The Competition for the Transmission and Promotion of the Beijing Central Axis has completed its final evaluation sessions and is scheduled to host an award ceremony on Jan 7 in Beijing.

To raise awareness about the value of Beijing's Central Axis, the core structure of Beijing that runs 7.8 kilometers from south to north, and encourage more people from all walks of life to engage in its protection, the Beijing Cultural Heritage Bureau and the Beijing Office for Conservation and Management of the Beijing Central Axis have been running this competition since 2021.

Following its recurring theme of passing down and promoting the cultural heritage, this year's competition set up five major categories: renovation, art, design, ambassador, and digitization. These are then further divided into 12 sections.

These categories invite people from any age group or nationality with an interest in Beijing's Central Axis to promote the cultural heritage in creative formats, from renovation plans for old buildings, original music pieces and artworks, to cultural merchandise design and re-creation of the sites using digital technologies.

Since calling for entries on June 15, this year's competition attracted a total of more than 100,000 submissions, a significant jump from last year's 76,419 entries, according to organizers.

Under the art category, the video and image section, which calls for photos and short videos of the Central Axis' scenery, architecture and people, completed its final evaluation on Nov 20, marking the completion of the assessments for this year's submissions.

This subcategory received nearly 20,000 entries, ranging from photographs, artworks to short documentaries. A total of 100 photography works and 16 videos were shortlisted, reviewed by a jury comprising experts and scholars in documentary filmmaking and photography.

"The participants' works featured truly impressive visuals," said Xu Weinan, a documentary director from China Media Group and a jury member.

"Given the high technical complexity and the ingenious conceptualization in visual productions, I hope that in the future, the entries can be extended into middle-length videos or documentaries of 15 to 20 minutes, so that the stories will be presented with more details."

In the ambassador category, a special section is set up for youth, inviting students from home and abroad to tell their stories relating to the Central Axis. The entries range from poetry recital, fashion design, to presentations of diverse handicrafts of Beijing's intangible cultural heritage.

Around 50,000 students from Beijing's primary and middle schools joined the competition, among which 120 individuals or groups advanced to the final round, including international students from 11 countries.

Yu Dan, professor at Beijing Normal University, commented on the young participants' clear and expansive understanding of the heritage sites and the cultural significance contained within.

"Promoting and inheriting the culture of Beijing's Central Axis requires public participation, and the young ambassadors gave dynamic presentations based on their everyday experience. This contest serves as an excellent opportunity to both nurture youngsters' skills and increase the visibility of the heritage," Yu said.

According to the conservation and management office, 42 primary and middle schools in Beijing have, since June, been offering courses and activities centered on the Central Axis.

Along with the competition, 15 lectures centered on the cultural heritage were organized, so as to attract the public to join in the preservation cause, as well as field trips that engage experts and practitioners to explore the heritage sites and envision their further preservation and promotion.

"This year's competition not only features speeches and talent showcases, but also works with high-tech elements, including digital artworks, cultural merchandise and short films," said Gao Wei, head of the Beijing Folklore Society.

"These works demonstrate the synergy among individuals, the connection between humans and nature, and the participants' adept responses to contemporary trends."

Promoting Beijing's Central Axis can help to pass down and enhance the reach of excellent traditional Chinese culture, Gao said, and from the entries this year, he has seen the fervor of the participants toward Chinese culture.