Olympics Redux:New Day in the Ancient Capital

by Zhou Xin

In southwestern Beijing， capital of China， a park named Jinzhongdu was built to commemorate the city’s history as capital of the Jin Dynasty（1115-1234）.

This dynasty， established by an ethnic group called Jurchen， ruled northern and northeastern China for nearly a century. Subsequently， Beijing consistently served as a fort on the border of ancient empires before becoming the capital of China’s last three feudal dynasties， Yuan （1271-1368）， Ming （1368-1644）， and Qing （1644-1911）.

Ancient City with Olympic Imprints

In Jinzhongdu Park， the statues of Jurchen warriors and horses were recently accompanied by billboards displaying the ABCs of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics， a stark contrast to 800 years ago. Activities celebrating Beijing 2022 were held there.

Built in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty， the Temple of Heaven was an important place for Ming and Qing emperors to visit annually to pray to Heaven for a good harvest. The place is now a renowned tourist site with its own Olympic imprints.

Outside the north gate of the Temple of Heaven is a clear blue line which its staff reported was where the marathon route of the 2008 Beijing Summer Games passed by. Many distance running enthusiasts have run the route in the years since.

The ancient capital leveraged its magnificent history， profound culture， and cutting-edge technology to host a second Olympic Games in its own way.