![]() | Chang''an Avenue and the Modernization of Chinese Architecture Subjects: Chang’an Jie (Beijing China); Symbolism in architecture -- China -- Beijing; City planning -- China -- Beijing; Architecture and state -- China -- Beijing; Beijing (China) -- Buildings structures etc.; In this interdisciplinary narrative, the never-ending "completion" of China's most important street offers a broad view of the relationship between art and ideology in modern China. Chang'an Avenue, named after China's ancient capital (whose name means "Eternal Peace"), is supremely symbolic. Running east-west through the centuries-old heart of Beijing, it intersects the powerful north-south axis that links the traditional centers of political and spiritual legitimacy (the imperial Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven). Among its best-known features are Tiananmen Square and the Great Hall of the People, as well as numerous other monuments and prominent political, cultural, financial, and travel-related institutions. Drawing on Chang'an Avenue's historic ties and modern transformations, this study explores the deep structure of the Chinese modernization project, providing both a big picture of Beijing's urban texture alteration and details in the design process of individual buildings. Shuishan Yu is associate professor of art history at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. |
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