'Living fossil' buildings

Beijing's central axis includes 32 ancient buildings that are well-preserved and remain intact, the Beijing Times reported.

Guo Chao, deputy director of the Institute for the History of Science and Technology, said that more than a decade's research has revealed 32 extant buildings of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. These buildings are the "living fossils" of urban planning for the ancient capital, representing architecture of the highest standards in those eras, Guo added.

The entire city of Beijing was laid out along a north-south axis, from Yongdingmen in the south to the Drum and Bell towers in the north.