Bin Xu

Bin Xu is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Palace Museum, focusing on historical urban planning in ancient China and contemporary urbanization processes. She was previously a Li Foundation Visiting Fellow at the Needham Research Institute (2016–2017) and an urban planner at Tsinghua Urban Planning and Design Institute (2008–2010). Her doctoral research at Tsinghua University (2015) examined the cosmological principles in the planning of Qin and Western Han capitals.

Her research at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) investigates the tradition of 'Making Mount South the Front Gate' in Chinese city planning, utilizing the Chinese Local Gazetteers Database to analyze spatial and chronological patterns. She is actively involved in practical projects such as archaeological site protection, historical city conservation, and strategic spatial planning, bridging traditional planning methodologies with modern applications.

Bin Xu has published in refereed journals including Science Bulletin, City Planning Review, and Palace Museum Journal, contributing to interdisciplinary dialogues between historical scholarship and urban design.

• Scientific Awards: Li Foundation Visiting Fellowship (2016–2017)