Beijing Dongcheng Hosts 2026 Historical and Cultural City Annual Conference

Key points

• On September 24 the 2026 Historical and Cultural City Annual Conference of Beijing's Dongcheng District was held at Guanghe Lou in Qianmen under the theme of inheriting heritage along Zhengyangmen.
• The conference featured a main venue and four thematic breakout sessions, with the Qianmen Changxiangli urban-renewal project on Xixinglong Street debuting at the same time.
• The opening released the "Under Zhengyangmen, Ancient and Modern Together" Qianmen City Walk route covering Zhengyangmen Arrow Tower, Jingxian Guild Hall and Yancai Guild Hall.
• Dongcheng has advanced the vacating and restoration of 12 Central Axis heritage sites including the Altar of Land and Grain and the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and opened a 7.8-km landscape corridor from Bell and Drum Towers to Yongdingmen.
• Dongcheng is revitalizing 10 guild halls under a one-hall-one-policy approach and has launched the immersive "Story of Time" exhibition at the Bell and Drum Towers plus 15 cultural exploration routes.
• Shan Jixiang, head of the Beijing Dongcheng Cultural Development Research Institute, said old-city culture should move beyond static preservation and enter contemporary daily life.