Jicheng Memorial Column

　　   A commemorative landmark marking the founding of Beijing. Located in Binhe Park on the west bank of the moat north of Guang’anmen (on the central axis of the palace city during the Liao and Jin dynasties). It covers an area of 200 square meters. In 1995, the Xuanwu District Committee and District People’s Government decided to erect the Jicheng Memorial Column to commemorate the 3,040th anniversary of Beijing’s founding. The column was completed in December of the same year. Designed by Wang Shirén, a researcher at the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics and an expert in ancient architecture, the column is built entirely of granite, standing 8.5 meters tall with a 1.5-meter base, situated on a square platform. The column shaft is rounded rectangular in shape, drawing inspiration from the style of the oldest surviving Han Dynasty tomb tablet in Beijing—its solemn and classic form symbolizing the long history of Beijing and the Xuanwu area. The inscription on the front upper part of the column reads: “Here lies the origin of Beijing’s urban area.

　　   It was the time of the Zhou dynasty.

　　   Its name was Jicheng.” In front of the column stands a stone stele; the front bears the essay “Record of the Founding of Beijing” written by historian and historical geographer Hou Renzhi; the back features the “Xuanwu District People’s Government Stele Inscription.”

　　   Full text of “Record of the Founding of Beijing”: The beginning of Beijing as a city is marked by its name, Jicheng. The Book of Rites · Record of Music states that Confucius taught his disciples: “When King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty, before even alighting from his chariot, he enfeoffed the descendants of the Yellow Emperor in Jicheng.” The Records of the Grand Historian · House of Yan and Shao Gong records: “After King Wu of Zhou destroyed King Zhou of Shang, he enfeoffed Shao Gong in Northern Yan.” Yan was located about a hundred li southwest of Jicheng. During the Spring and Autumn period, Yan conquered Jicheng and moved its capital there. The core area of Jicheng is in what is now Xuanwu District, close to the northern edge of the North China Plain, serving as a hub connecting the Central Plains with regions beyond the frontier.

　　   The name “Ji” (Jicheng) originated from Jiqiu (Mound of Thistles). The Northern Wei Dynasty’s Li Daoyuan wrote in Commentary on the Water Classic: “In the northwest corner of the current city lies Jiqiu; the city is named after this mound, just as Qufu is named after a mound in Lu and Yingqiu in Qi.” Supporting evidence can be found in the same book’s description of the river and lake system of Jicheng, which places its central location right where today’s Guang’anmen area, both inside and outside, in Xuanwu District, now stands.

　　   The boundaries of Jicheng were first recorded in the Commandery and Kingdom Records, cited in the Comprehensive Records of the Taiping Era. This source, dating no later than the Tang Dynasty, describes Jicheng as being “nine li from south to north and seven li from east to west,” forming a rectangle. Verifiable details include that the southwestern parts of the city walls were adjacent to the former course of today’s Lotus River, and within the eastern wall stood the Tang Dynasty’s Temple of Compassionate Loyalty, known today as Fayuan Temple.

　　   From the Tang through the Liao dynasties, when the five capitals were first established, Jicheng served as the southern capital (Nanjing), effectively a secondary capital. Today’s Tianning Temple Pagoda was one of the major structures in the city at that time. The Jin Dynasty rose next, expanding the city to the east, west, and south, renaming it Zhongdu (Central Capital)—marking the official beginning of Beijing as a capital city. Unfortunately, its palaces and gardens have long since vanished, with only the Fish Weir Pond remaining today, now known as Youth Lake in Xuanwu District.

　　   During the transition from the Jin to the Yuan dynasty, a new capital, Dadu, was built northeast of Zhongdu. In the early Ming Dynasty, the northern part of Dadu was reduced and renamed Beiping; later, the southern wall was expanded and the city began to be called Beijing; by the mid-Ming period, the outer city was added, incorporating the eastern part of ancient Jicheng into the urban area. Through the Ming and Qing dynasties, this layout continued to the present day, laying the foundation for the planning and construction of our nation’s capital.

　　   In summary, today’s Beijing originated from Jicheng, with the center of Jicheng located in Xuanwu District. This place connects the past with the future, embodying a long and continuous legacy. A stone is erected here in remembrance, so that it may never be forgotten. This is recorded in the 3,040th year since the founding of Beijing.