The 3,000-Year-Old Document That Planned Beijing

The Guardian Cities details how the Kaogong Ji brought an ancient order to the sprawling city of Beijing.

2 minute read

March 25, 2016, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Beijing Plan Model

IvanWalsh.com / flickr

Oliver Wainwright explains the millennia spanning significance of the Kaogong Ji, "one of the oldest examples of urban planning guidance in the world," and the document that shaped the beginnings of Beijing as it exists today.

In establishing the fundamental layout of the new capital, the Ming [dynasty] reached for a suitably weighty touchstone, drawing on the teachings of the Kaogong Ji (roughly translated as “regulations of construction”), a text dating from the fifth century BC; part of the Rites of Zhou, an ancient Confucian manual of bureaucracy and organisational theory.

Wainwright explains how the Kaogong Ji influenced the plan for the city:

As one of the oldest examples of urban planning guidance in the world, the Kaogong Ji covers everything from how to determine north-south orientation when planning a new city (stick a pole in the ground and watch its shadow), to dictating the specific dimensions for local, regional and national capitals.

And as one more example of the philosophy and influence of the Kaogong Ji:

The effect is no accident: Beijing was conceived as a diagram of an organised, harmonious society, designed to bind the citizens together in bricks and mortar under the supreme rule of the emperor. It was to be an expression of absolute power like no other city in the world.

Wainwright provides a thorough and detailed examination, which is recommended reading for anyone interested in the history of planning and planning outside the traditional European sphere of influence.

Thursday, March 17, 2016 in The Guardian Cities

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

4 hours ago - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

5 hours ago - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

6 hours ago - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

7 hours ago - CNU Public Square