Beijing Travel: East of the Forbidden City, Searching for Intangible Cultural Heritage

Number of days: 2 days
Time: August
Average cost: 2000 yuan
With whom: and friends

Visit Baigongfang in Dongcheng District and experience making "Rabbit God"

Visit "Yongyuan", China's first intangible cultural heritage themed cultural and creative park

Experience afternoon tea at the Dongyuan Theater at the foot of the Imperial City

In the evening, cycle along Wangfujing Street from Donghuamen

Experience the charm east of the Forbidden City and discover the most authentic Beijing flavor

src="/travelogue/China/Beijing/3964044/53.webp">Baigongfang: Craftsmanship passed down for a century is an intangible cultural heritage, and Beijingers respectfully call it "Rabbit God"

After living in Beijing for so many years, every year during traditional holidays like Spring Festival or when traveling to Beijing, I often see a small rabbit-shaped ornament. After asking my Beijing friends, I learned that this rabbit-like ornament, which looks more serious than the cute rabbit, is called a "rabbit god."

Beijing has a deep "ye'er" culture since ancient times. Calling the rabbit "ye'er" is also a respectful name for it. In ancient times, there was a story about Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit. It is said that the Jade Rabbit once came down to earth to eliminate disasters and diseases and protect humans. Therefore, the rabbit has been "deified" since then. To make the literary and artistic rabbit look more tall and mighty, people dressed it in armor and a battle robe, and also put two colorful flags behind it, showing that the Rabbit God is both civil and military.

Besides being found in Beijing's homes, you can also see Rabbit Gods at many tourist attractions. Their traditional appearance has evolved into a variety of modern designs. While the traditional Rabbit God was stern and unsmiling, today you can see many cute, smiling Rabbit Gods, making them seem even more endearing and approachable.

In addition to the traditional image of the rabbit, there are also shapes of the twelve zodiac animals, also made from traditional handcrafted clay. This shape is more acceptable to modern people and is loved by tourists from all over the world. To pass on this intangible cultural heritage, many shops in Beijing specialize in making rabbit dolls.

There is a rabbit doll workshop at Baigongfang where you can experience the process of making a rabbit doll. The clay used to make the rabbit dolls is taken from kaolin, which is said to be hundreds of millions of years old. After the impurities sink, the middle part is collected. This collected clay is then washed and dried, and some rice soup, cotton and other ingredients are added to make the clay more solid and durable.

Prepare the mold for the rabbit figurine in advance, then place the clay into the mold. The process of pressing and shaping the figurine requires repetition and patience. Finally, trimming the figurine also requires special care. Once completed, turn the figurine over to create the figurine. After it has dried naturally, it is ready for the next step of painting.

The painting process requires the artist to have some basic painting skills. It requires dexterity, meticulousness, and even some imagination and the ability to coordinate colors. Applying paint layer by layer, a unique work is created, presenting everyone with a warm and exquisite work of art.

Near Guangqumen in Dongcheng District, Beijing, there's a lane called Yongsheng Alley. Inside, you'll find a cultural and creative park called "Yongyuan," China's first intangible cultural heritage-themed park. In the 1980s and 1990s, this was home to the renowned Beijing Sanlu Factory, where Dabao SOD honey was produced. Now, Dabao's factory has relocated to Yizhuang. The renovated building, adapted to local conditions, earned the name "Yongyuan" for its pond and Yongsheng Alley. It's become a popular online destination, showcasing cultural and creative products, intangible cultural heritage, homestays, and delicious food. Let's take a look at this first intangible cultural heritage-themed park.

Intangible cultural heritage masters have settled in Yongyuan. Following the principle of preserving the original, the former factory building has not been extensively altered. The century-old building, with its long corridors clad in gray bricks, now houses 16 studios for intangible cultural heritage masters. Several studios, including China Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage, Design Space, Lacquer + Space, Jinggong Yuzuo, and Enamel Art Museum, have already successfully settled in.

Jiuru Tower and Muqing Tower, both buildings dating back to the late Republican era, are renowned for their use of traditional craftsmanship in roughening the exterior walls with sand-cement cladding. Spanish mission-style wooden sunshades enhance the original earth-gray exterior.

Future dining will be added. Currently, the entire park offers 160 shared workstations. The 1,200 square meters of space has been transformed into 20 office spaces, making working simpler and more flexible. The first floor has been transformed into an immersive exhibition hall covering 1,000 square meters, displaying over 300 exhibits in various categories, including embroidery, ceramics, enamel, kites, and medicinal incense.

Damochang Street: Famous for its stoneware polishers, it is a symbol of Qianmen East District.

There is an old Beijing alley near Qianmen Street. It used to be one of the longest alleys in Qianmen and was built in the Ming Dynasty. It is famous for gathering stone-polishing craftsmen and shops. It used to be one of the four major business districts in Qianmen area. Historically, there were many shops here. In addition to stone-polishing shops, there were also post offices, restaurants, hotels, pharmacies and other shops. The old alley has been renovated and looks brand new. Follow the editor to walk into Qianmen, the iconic alley in the East District business district, and appreciate its new look.

Damochang Hutong is divided into East and West parts. It is located between Qianmen and Chongwenmen. It used to be the longest hutong in Beijing's outer city. Walking into West Damochang Hutong Street, you will find that there are still old residents living in the hutong. The renovated hutong is more spacious than before. There are no dilapidated old houses. The hutong is more peaceful in the early morning. New buildings have replaced the old ones.

You can walk along Xidamo Hutong all the way to Qianmen Street, where you can enjoy the bustling crowds. Take a tram to experience the historical charm of this city.

src="/travelogue/China/Beijing/3964044/53.webp">Qianmen Street

With over 500 years of history, Dashilar was once a bustling commercial district. Located in the heart of ancient Beijing, Dashilar formed a key component of the South Central Axis, stretching 275 meters from its east to west entrance. Opposite Xianyukou, the area is home to renowned Beijing restaurants, retail shops, theaters, bathhouses, teahouses, and craft workshops. Many local Beijing specialties can be found here.

Dongyuan Theater: A popular theater next to the Forbidden City in Beijing. Stop by for afternoon tea.

There is a popular theater located in Changpu River Park in Dongcheng District, Beijing. Exit the Tiananmen subway station on Metro Line 1, enter Nanchizi Street, and turn into a small alley. In the quiet old hutong, there is a different world, a celebrity check-in spot called "Dongyuan Theater". Zhang Ruoyun's "Yueyou" was filmed here. It has high walls and black tiles, long corridors and rockery, deep courtyards, and an ancient traditional-style stage. On this afternoon in August, invite your sisters to come here for afternoon tea and watch a tea art performance.