Local Features: Ancient City Planning 
    
In ancient times, Beijing was walled in on all sides. In fact in Chinese, the word "Cheng" for city, means walls. The city was actually made up of two smaller cities: the inner city and the outer city. The inner city had nine gates and the outer city had six. The city walls are now gone and only Qiannmen Gate and the watchtower at Desheng Gate remain. These gates are used as museums and are open to the public.

However, the plan and design of the city itself has not changed so dramatically. One of the first things that strikes most visitors to Beijing is the structure of the city streets and sites. The city was designed according to ancient Feng Shui principles and the overall arrangement of the city with the Imperial Palace and Tian'anmen at the heart, still resembles this design. The central axis of the city is 7.5 km long, cutting through Beijing in a line from north to south. On this central line, are the Yongding Gate, Qianmen Gate and Tian'anmen or The Gate of Heavenly Peace. Tian'anmen is the front entrance to the imperial city. Going north through Tian'anmen, you arrive at the Forbidden City. Continuing on through are Duan Gate, Meridian Gate, The Gate of Supreme Harmony, The Hall of Supreme Harmony, The Hall of Preserved Harmony and the Hall of Celestial Purity. Visitors eventually exit the Forbidden City via the Gate of Divine Might. Situated here are the imperial gardens on Prospect Hill with Di'an Gate, the bell tower, and the drum lying ahead. On the south end of this axis, are the Temple of Heaven and Xiannongtan Temple. Almost all of Beijing's streets are constructed according to this axis. It's a good idea to take a walk and appreciate the harmony of the design. This may be especially interesting to travelers interested in the Chinese concept of Feng Shui, which is fast becoming the trendiest design concept in the West!