Live Your Best Lives
Have you ever tried this? In Beijing, with temperatures dozens of degrees below zero,
waking up early at dawn,
bracing the freezing wind, no snow,
shivering in the crowded crowd,
just to hear the March of the Volunteers,
watch the national flag rise slowly in Tiananmen Square...
Tiananmen Square Flag Raising Area (Restricted Area)
2. Qianmen – Tianjie
Broadly defined, Qianmen refers to the area stretching from Xianyukou in the east to Tieshuxie Street in the west, encompassing Qianmen Street, Dashilan, and Zhushikou.
From the Ming Dynasty to the early years of the People's Republic of China, it was a prosperous hub for merchants in old Beijing, and many renowned time-honored brands originated here. The Qianmen area was once a suburb of Zhongdu (Zhongdu) during the Liao and Jin dynasties. After the Yuan Dynasty established Beijing as Dadu (Great Capital), Qianmen Street served as a thoroughfare connecting the inner city to the suburbs. Running approximately 800 meters from the Zhengyangmen Arrow Tower in the north to the Tianqiao intersection in the south, it became the only route for Ming and Qing emperors to attend sacrifices at the Temple of Heaven and plowing at the Xiannongtan Temple. A three-meter-wide white stone imperial road, paved with bluestone on both sides, was constructed for the passage of princes and ministers. For this reason, Qianmen Street is also known as the "Heavenly Street." Emperor Qianlong wrote in a poem: "The beautiful sun and gentle breeze harmonize the jade rhythm, and the colorful banners and flowers dazzle the Heavenly Street." The original "Heavenly Street" was destroyed in war; the current one was restored in 2008 according to its original specifications.
Zhengyang Bridge Archway
After the expansion of the Outer City during the Ming Dynasty, Qianmen gradually became a place of great value.
The six major ministries of Li, Hu, Li, Bing, Xing, and Gong during the Ming and Qing dynasties were located on the east and west sides of Qianmen.
Outsiders entering Beijing for imperial examinations and official business had to pass through Qianmen.
During the imperial examinations, provincial examinations, and metropolitan examinations, the guild halls and restaurants at Qianmen were packed.
By the mid-Ming Dynasty, merchants had already gathered outside Qianmen, making it Beijing's most prosperous commercial hub. During the Republic of China (R.O.C.) era, commerce reached its peak. Trams and cars replaced horse-drawn carriages and sedan chairs. Photo studios, post offices, and bookstores gradually opened, and traditional Beijing trades like food, clothing, and daily necessities remained thriving. This fusion of fashion and tradition made it one of Beijingers' favorite destinations at the time. (Image: src="https://dimg04.c-ctrip.com/images/0105t120009a0rvg9B85F_W_1024_0_Q90.jpg?proc=autoorient" />
Xianyukou Street Intersection
3. Dashilar - Commercial Street
Da (da, 4th tone) Zha (shi, 2nd tone) Lan (lan, 4th tone),
Originally known as Langfang Sitiao, it was renamed Dashilar during the Qing Dynasty. During the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court built Langfang (rows of houses) outside Qianmen to accommodate shops, bringing prosperity to the once desolate area. These streets gradually became street names, numbered sequentially with the prefix "Langfang" from Langfang Toutiao to Langfang Si Tiao, forming the original street names. During the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, to strengthen public security in the outer city streets, a curfew was established, and each street was required to erect fences at its entrances, opening and closing at set times every morning and evening. Because Langfang Si Tiao was densely populated with shops, many of whom were wealthy, the residents collectively funded the construction of taller and more sturdy fences. Later, the name "Dashilan" gradually replaced "Langfang Si Tiao." In the "Complete Map of the Capital During the Qianlong Period of the Qing Dynasty," this area is now known as Dashilan.
Inside Dashilar Commercial Street
In the late Qing Dynasty, the construction of Zhengyangmen East and West Railway Stations on either side of Qianmen Arrow Tower further boosted the area's commercial development.
After Dashilar became a commercial center, it attracted many of Beijing's most prestigious businesses, and even established foreign brands chose Dashilar as their preferred destination when establishing a presence in Beijing.
Though Dashilan has been rebuilt today, it still retains the three vertical and nine horizontal layout of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.
If you take a tricycle,
the drivers will tell you the history of this street,
reciting those names, some familiar and some unfamiliar:
Wang Mazi kitchen knives,
Zhang Yiyuan tea,
Liu Bi Ju pickles,
Nei Liansheng shoe store,
Rui Fuxiang cloth shop,
Ma Juyuan hats...
These time-honored brands are still active on this street.
Although they are not as glorious as they used to be,
they have an added layer of cultural heritage significance.
Sunlight shines into the hutongs
4. The Eight Great Hutongs – Beijing's Romantic Scene
Once you've arrived at Dazhalan, you can't help but mention the legendary Eight Great Hutongs.
Broadly speaking, the Eight Great Hutongs refer to the area around Dazhalan outside Qianmen.
More narrowly, they encompass the eight alleys north of Zhushikou Street and south of Tieshuxie Street, with Shaanxi Alley being the most famous.
Since its inception, the name "Eight Great Hutongs" has been closely associated with brothels and, in later generations, gradually became synonymous with red-light districts and willow alleys.
According to statistics, by the late 1930s, there were 117 registered and licensed brothels in the Eight Great Hutongs, employing over 700 women. All were beautiful, well-educated, and artistically inclined. They were skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and were skilled in composing poetry and couplets. They danced to the sound of music and brewed tea in their elegant rooms. Over a century of turmoil, the Eight Great Hutongs, once awash in glamour, fell into decay with the invasion of drugs. Yet, amidst the desolation of this chaotic world, two remarkable women emerged, women who have inspired both admiration and regret in later generations. Yet, most of us remember them only by their names: Sai Jinhua and Xiao Fengxian.
Dashilan Street Intersection
5. Sai Jinhua – Sai Erye
In the Suzhou album, when discussing Hongjun’s former residence on Pingjiang Road, we also mention Sai Jinhua, a highlight of her life.
Although she married the top scholar as a concubine,
she traveled to Europe as the wife of an ambassador, making friends with powerful figures.
This also laid the foundation for her later single-handedly saving the people of Beijing while living in Shaanxi Alley. In 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing and vigorously suppressed the Boxer Rebellion, plunging the city into a bloodbath. Although Sai Jinhua was now just a prostitute, she still took on the responsibilities of a diplomat. Using the German language she learned during her diplomatic mission to Europe and the diplomatic skills she had learned from watching and hearing from Hong Jun, she negotiated with the Eight-Nation Alliance and eventually achieved peace, saving the people from massacre. She was then honored as Mr. Sai. Although this statement is not clearly recorded in official history, it is widely circulated, and I am willing to believe it.
Shanglinxian Pavilion, where Sai Jinhua and Xiao Fengxian once operated.
6. Xiao Fengxian – Cai E
When Xiao Fengxian is mentioned, she immediately brings to mind General Cai E.
When the two first met, Xiao Fengxian operated in Shaanxi Lane.
At the time, Cai E was trapped in Beijing.
Xiao Fengxian helped him escape to Tianjin, evading Yuan Shikai's presence.
He then sailed east to Japan and returned to Yunnan.
He then organized the National Protection Army to fight against Yuan. Yuan Shikai's dream of becoming emperor was shattered, and Cai E fell ill from overwork. Xiao Fengxian never imagined that when she saw the general off, it would be their last. Never believing that beauty is destined for a tragic fate, chivalrous women have emerged from the mortal world. Such a rare talent is like a pearl gleaming in the dew of a fairy. This is the Xiao Fengxian portrayed by Cai E, and surely she was also the heroine in the general's heart. With such an appreciation, the noble cause and risk taken at the time seemed worthwhile.
The interior of Shanglin Xianguan
Dashilan Commercial Street remains bustling, its time-honored shops lingering.
The Eight Great Hutongs remain, their homes warm and peaceful.
Flowers by the windowsills, old bicycles by the doorways.
The winter sun shines on the ground, and on the hearts of passersby.
The chaos and turmoil of the past seem as if they never happened.
Only Shanglin Xianguan in Shaanxi Lane still retains some memories of the past, recounting to visitors the tragic yet moving lives of two female heroes.
Sunset in the Dazhalan Hutongs
7. Liulichang – Cultural Street
After walking through the eight hutongs, head north across Yingtao Street to reach Liulichang.
This exquisitely named name comes from glazed tiles.
During the Yuan Dynasty, a glazed kiln factory was established here.
After Ming Chengzu Zhu Di established Beijing as the capital, he expanded the kiln factory to supply the city's construction needs. After the kiln factory relocated to Liuliqu, Mentougou, the story of glass here became less than its name, and its journey as a cultural street began. During the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, the capital implemented separate residences for Manchus and Han Chinese. Most Han officials at the time lived west of Liulichang, and guild halls were subsequently built across the country. Booksellers from all over the country soon set up stalls and offices here. Officials and candidates preparing for imperial examinations often gathered here to browse the book market. Book markets such as Qianmen, Dengshikou, and Chenghuangmiao were relocated here, and Liulichang gradually developed into the largest book market in Beijing.
Liulichang Street Intersection
In addition to bookstores, brushes, inkstones, calligraphy and paintings, and other cultural-related businesses also developed.
Nearly all cultural figures who lived in Beijing during the Republican era had visited Liulichang.
Over the centuries, numerous cultural relics have been unearthed from this area,
until the government enacted the Cultural Relics Protection Law in 1950.
In the late Qing Dynasty, the Normal School was built on the site of Liulichang—the predecessor of the current Normal University Affiliated High School.
In 1927, the factory bridge was demolished, and the area was divided into East and West Liulichang. In 1980, Liulichang was renovated, and a white marble bridge connected the East and West Streets. The Guanfu Museum, founded by Ma Weidu, was originally located in Liulichang. Today, Liulichang still sells the four treasures of the study, antiques, calligraphy, and paintings, but it's less bustling than it once was, appearing quiet amidst the bustling city. Liulichang boasts a decades-old Beijing-style restaurant, Lao Hu Ji Noodle House. While it's called a noodle house, it's also a restaurant, offering both noodles and side dishes. It's less than a kilometer from Ji Xiaolan's former residence. If it's still early, visit. If it's late, head to Nanluoguxiang to enjoy the night scene. Enjoying a bowl of hot pot hot pot is the warmest part of winter.
China Bookstore in Liulichang
8. Nanluoguxiang – Chessboard Dwellings
The construction of Nanluoguxiang began during the Yuan Dynasty. Because its terrain is high in the middle and low in the north and south, resembling a hunchback, it was named Luogouxiang.
It was once the city center of Yuan Dadu (the capital of the Yuan Dynasty).
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, this area was home to dignitaries and royal palaces.
After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, it fell into decline.
The "Complete Map of the Capital" compiled by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty renamed it Nanluoguxiang. In the Yuan Dynasty capital's urban layout, with the ancestral temple on the left and the community temple on the right, facing the rear market, Nanluoguxiang formed part of the rear market. With Nanluoguxiang as its axis, Zhaohuifang lies to the east, and Jinggongfang to the west. Eight hutongs, each stretching neatly east and west, form a fishbone pattern, also resembling a centipede, hence the name Centipede Alley. Hutongs flanking Nanluoguxiang: Li and Fang were the basic units of residential organization and urban planning in ancient China. They were called li, lu, or luli in the pre-Qin period, and Fang began to appear during the Northern Wei Dynasty. Tang Chang'an, the largest city in the world at the time, boasted 108 wards. The planning and design of Yuan Dadu continued the Lifang system, dividing the city into 50 wards, separated by wide, straight streets and alleys, resembling a chessboard. Tang Chang'an's Lifangs have long since vanished, and Yuan Dadu, after 800 years of transformation, has also undergone a transformation. Only Nanluoguxiang remains, steadfastly guarding the historical remnants of the Lifangs. It is the only intactly preserved Yuan Dynasty hutong courtyard complex in my country, boasting the largest, highest-quality, and most resource-rich chessboard-style traditional residential area. It is also the street and alleyway that embodies the true charm of old Beijing.
Nanluoguxiang Folk Houses
9. Other Related Tips
1. After watching the flag-raising ceremony, if you're not interested in museums, you can go to the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall.
2. In Dazhalan, there are many time-honored restaurants and shops to choose from, such as Menkuang Hutong Luzhu, Xiaochang Chen, Baodu Feng, Donglaishun, and Siji Minfu...
3. The stone carvings at the entrance of Shanglinxianguan in Shaanxi Lane are still there. The names of the restaurants have changed a lot, but they are all hotels, inns, and youth hostels. I stayed there many years ago, so the overall structure is relatively well preserved.
4. Beimen Shabu-shabu in Nanluoguxiang is one of the best restaurants in the area. You'll have to wait for a table at mealtime, but the quality of the meat, the sauce, and the snacks are all highly praised.
5. Nanluoguxiang is very close to the old Zhajiangmian restaurant at No. 69 Fangzhuanchang. If you have the patience, you can go and wait in line. If you don't, try the new shop at the corner of the street. It's not amazing, but it tastes like the traditional Beijing Zhajiangmian. It's also available in major restaurants.
Beimen Hotpot
There are no strangers in the world
It's just that we haven't met yet
Thank you to every lovely person for taking the time to read.
One wine, one world, one person, one world.
If I happen to meet you, unfortunately, it means I'm waiting for you.
Pictures/Xiuli, Osmanthus, Yu Shu Text/Yu Shu
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