On a recent trip to China, I visited a “tulou” in Fujian province. As I stood in the centre courtyard of the centuries-old circular building, I was awestruck by the architectural edifice.

First created in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the Beijing Central Axis, or Zhongzhouxian, stretches 7.8 kilometers between the Yongding Gate in the south of the city and the Drum Tower and Bell ...