Beijing makes progress in Central Axis application to world heritage list

BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Beijing has made progress in the application for its Central Axis to be included in the list of world cultural heritage sites, a spokesperson with the city's cultural heritage bureau said Sunday.

According to a three-year action plan on the conservation of the Central Axis, projects related to cultural relic protection, environmental improvement, and resident relocation have been advanced well, Liu Hongchang, spokesperson of the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau, said at a press conference.

"Our draft application text was submitted to the World Heritage Center for format review ahead of schedule," Liu said.

A series of events, including the Asian Dialogue for Cultural Heritage Conservation and the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, has been successfully held for the international publicity of the Central Axis, said Liu.

The Beijing Central Axis is 7.8 kilometers long, starting in the south of the city from the Yongding Gate and ending with the Drum Tower and Bell Tower in the north. Most of the significant old-city buildings of Beijing are along this axis.