Millennium Ancient Road Ruins on Beijing Road

Millennium Ancient Road Ruins on Beijing Road

The Millennium Ancient Road Ruins on Beijing Road are a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province and a patriotic education base.

Located in the center of Guangzhou, Beijing Road has been one of the earliest sites of the city’s establishment. During the Qin and Han dynasties, the city was known as Panyu because it housed two hills — Pan Hill and Yu Hill. Pan Hill was located around the small hill near the former site of the Zhongshan Library at Wende Road, north of the Jiusi Pavilion. Originally quite high, it was leveled when the city was expanded during the Southern Han Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, the Jiusi Pavilion was built next to the hill and later renamed Pan Shan Ting, which still exists today. Yu Hill was located west of present-day Beijing Road, east of Xiaoma Station, and between Xihu Road and Yuexiu Shuyuan Street. It was leveled during the city’s expansion in the late Tang Dynasty (907 AD).

Throughout history, the area around Beijing Road has always been the most bustling commercial hub in the Guangzhou region. According to historical records and expert research, the surrounding areas of Beijing Road, Jiaoyu Road, and Xihu Road currently feature or have excavated over ten historical and cultural sites of significant value, spanning more than ten dynasties. These include the Qin Dynasty Panyu City ruins, the Qin and Han shipyard ruins, the Western Han Nanyue Kingdom palace site, the Tang Qinghai Navy Building ruins, the Nanyue royal garden, the Ming Dynasty Great Buddha Temple, the Ming Dynasty City God Temple, the Ming and Qing Dynasty Danan Gate ruins, the Qing Dynasty Lujian Academy, and the Guangzhou Uprising Memorial Hall.

Presently

In recent years, the Yuexiu District government, leveraging the area’s unique historical and cultural heritage and vibrant commercial economy, has committed to developing Beijing Road along with connected Jiaoyu Road and Xihu Road into a comprehensive “Yangcheng Commercial Tourism Zone,” integrating nearby shops, tourist attractions, and cultural relics under the vision of “showcasing Guangzhou’s window to the world.”

In March 1997, Beijing Road Pedestrian Street was designated by the Central Propaganda Department as a “National Model Civilized Commercial Street.” In early 1999, Yuexiu District invested 30 million yuan to renovate the street to high standards, guided by principles of “modern urban character, Lingnan architectural style, rich commercial culture, and a model of civility.” The project included a full upgrade of the sidewalks, renovation of shopfronts and signboards, organization of overhead cables, enhanced lighting, and beautification of the night scenery. In February 1999, following an inspection by the Central Propaganda Department, Beijing Road Pedestrian Street was reaffirmed as a national model site for spiritual civilization initiatives.

In early July 2002, during road resurfacing work on Beijing Road Pedestrian Street, a large number of sandstone strips and ancient city wall bricks were unearthed. After more than two months of rescue excavation, 11 layers of road surfaces from five dynasties since the Southern Han, including the foundation of the Song Dynasty Gongbei Tower, were discovered. After gathering public feedback, the Yuexiu District authorities decided to cover the findings with glass domes for public viewing. Two companies from Dongguan and Shantou were commissioned to construct the northern and southern glass enclosures. In late December 2002, experts from the Luoyang Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute in Henan conducted restoration work on the “Millennium Ancient Road” (including remnants of the Gongbei Tower foundation), applying anti-humidity and anti-grass growth treatments. In January of the following year, the renovated “Millennium Ancient Road Ruins” were officially opened to the public. In December 2008, the Guangzhou Municipal Government designated the site as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit.

Address: 100m south of the intersection of Zhongshan 4th Road and Beijing Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou

Type: Historic Features Street

Recommended Visiting Time: 2–3 hours

Opening Hours:

Open all day

Ticket Information:

No admission fee.

Beijing Subdistrict: 2013 Administrative Division Adjustment: New Beijing Subdistrict

Guangwei Subdistrict + Beijing Subdistrict

Office Address: No. 7 Yuehua Road (former site of Guangwei Subdistrict Office)

Historically part of Guangzhou’s oldest city walls — the Renxiao City, Panyu City, and Zhao Tuo City — the Beijing Subdistrict area has been a scenic destination for centuries. The current Xihu Road was once an ancient lake called “West Lake,” which featured the “Nine Star Stones,” remnants of nine peculiar rocks from the Five Dynasties’ “West Lake Yaozhou” during the Southern Han period. Additionally, the site of the former Guangzhou Culture Bureau at Zhongshan 4th Road now houses the “Qin…  More details on Beijing Subdistrict++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relic Protection Units