Cultural tours organized along capital's Central Axis

The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism hosted three cultural experiences along the Central Axis for Beijing residents and visitors between Aug 3-5.

More than 100 people took part in the events organized to draw attention to the historical and cultural value of the axis, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 27.

Two routes were developed to offer excellent views and vivid explanations of the major historical sites that form the axis.

Having worked in the cultural and tourism sector for many years, cultural lecturer Dou Junjie said he felt that tourists visiting Beijing are developing an increasingly three-dimensional understanding of the capital's culture.

"I hope that more people will take part in such activities to learn about and publicize the Central Axis," Dou said.

The axis covers an area of 589 hectares and has a buffer zone of 4,542 hectares, and is China's 59th World Heritage Site, and Beijing's eighth.

Beijing authorities have adopted long-term, mid-term, and short-term measures to improve tourist services.

A Central Axis tourism service management plan will be formulated by the end of this year. During the third and fourth quarters, axis-related tourism products will be expanded. In the short term, cultural exploration activities along the Central Axis will be organized to improve routes, update and standardize the explanations given by tour guides, to better serve summer vacationers.