Photo Trip for Old Beijing Walking Tour
Photo Tour Details:
To begin, take a taxi or subway to Hepingmen Station.
Hepingmen Subway Station
Walk straight south from the Hepingmen subway station down Nanxinhua Jie lying from north to south.
Nanxinhuajie Street
When you walk down Nanxinhua Jie, on your left side, you find the over 100-year-old Beijing Hepingmen Quanjude Peking Roast Duck Resturant. At Quanjude, ducks are immesed in condiments unique to the restaurant and are roasted directly over flames stoked by fruittree wood. The best roasted duck is date-red, shining with oil, but with a crisp skin and tender meat. Eating Peking Duck is also one of the two things you are absolutely supposed to do while in Beijing. The other one is climbing the Great Wall.
Beijing Quanjude Peking Roast Duck Resturant, the largest duck restaurant in the world!
On your right side ( across Beijing Quanjude Peking Roast Duck Resturant) is Rich Hotel, a nice 3-star hotel.
Rich Hotel
On the back side or south of of Quanqude Peking Duck Restaurant, there is a hutong ( narrow lane ) named Qianmenxiheyan Jie on your left side. Just walk along the lane about 150 meters, you will discover the oldest existent opera house in Beijing. It is an ancient wooden structure theatre with more than 300 years' history. The Chinese Encyclopaedia marks Zheng-yi Temple Theatre as a" complete theatre architecture". It was built earlier than many famous operas in western countries, such as the French Comedy Theatre in Paris and Kar-vine Park Opera in Britain. Zheng-yi Temple Theatre, the only well reserved, wooden-structure theatre in Beijing, regarded as a mile stone in Chinese theatre developing history and credited by some scholars as "living fossil in Chinese theatrical cultural history". There used to be excellent daily performance of Chinese operas, such as Beijing Opera, Kun Qu opera and Hebei Bangzi opera. But now it is closed. You can pay RMB 50 to enter the opera house just to have a close look.
Zheng-yi Temple Theatre
After finishing the visit to Zheng-yi Temple, turn back, again enter Nanxinhuajie down south. A few steps down, you will find the famous school - High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University. It was founded in 1901, the earliest public school in Beijing.
High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University
Go ahead, still on your right side is China Bookstore, the largest old book store in Beijing. It is is established in 1952. It has several branches, which are century-old bookstores. They are Han Wen Zhai, Sui Ya Vegetarian, Yi Ya-tang to Kaoru Court, Song Ge. These different book stores have their responsibilities, some specialized in repair old fragmentary, mounting paintings, some are focused on the historical data collection, books magazines, also a franchise Four Treasures of Study, and arts and arts. In a word, entering the China Bookstore which carries a hodgepodge of classical Chinese books and piles of foreign-language books on Chinese culture, you will find yourself "get lost" in the stacks.
China Bookstore
Walk a little further, you see a east-west street named Liulichang Street. On both side of the street there are plenty of storefronts and vendor's stalls selling collectibles and art supplies, including the renowned Rongbaozhai, the most prominent shop on the west section of Liulichang. It sells woodblock prints, copies of famous calligraphy, historic paintings (reproductions), and art supplies. It is one of Beijing's top art shops and well worth browsing. Actually Rongbaozhai is located on the west section of Liulichang Street. To get to Liulichang Xijie ( the west section of Liulichang Street) on your right side, you have to across the main street.
Liulichang Xijie
Rongbaozhai
Turn back and then walk to the east section of Liulichang Street or Liulichang Dongjie. This stree is also full of various stores selling huge number of Chinese paintings, calligraphy, rare books, and arts and crafts.
Liulichang Dongjie
Finishing visiting Liulichang and still walk down south of Nanxinhuajie. Soon you find a big street sign in suspension pointing to Far East Hotel eastward on your left side. Entering the appointed narrow lane called Tieshouxiejie, you start to have the long hutong trip linking Nanxihuajie to Dashilan street.
Eastward Walking direction from Nanxinhuajie ( Liulichang ) to Dashilan Street
The first interesting place you 'll come across is a 100 year old hotel--Far East Hotel. Just opposit the hotel, you ll see an international youth hostel - Far East International Hostel. You can buy IYHF party card at the front desk, by the card you can reserve any room in one of the International Youth Hostels all of the world. Now begin your long march eastward to Dashilan Street.
A 100 year old hotel--Far East Hotel
The "Long March" from Nanxinhuajie to Dashilan is as frustrating, yet as fascinating, to walk. The frustration comes first from the fact that much of the narrow ( Tieshouxiejie in west part and Dashilanxijie in easr part ) is not meant for strolls and many of its long blocks are monotonous, shabby, and uninteresting. Yet there are fascinating walks, utterly unlike any found in the West. Some of these walks, however, are embedded with their own frustrations. Street signs are difficult to spot and interpret, addresses are omitted from buildings, and the sidewalks are not only crowded with other pedestrians, but with bicycle parking lots, construction sites, vendors and their carts, card players, laundry strung between doors and trees, and even a brazenly parked car or two. More than once you may find yourself walking in the streets and gutters just to get around these obstacles, yet it is just such obstacles that make a stroll through Beijing so fascinating.
Tieshouxiejie
Public Toilets
Walking in the narrow street
Coalballs! Once it was the main material for the local residents here to cook, one necessity. Now, it,s rare to see this kind of coalballs in Beijing. The gas replaces it for a long time.
Life in the street
Walking towards Dashilan Street
Well, after the eastward walking until you come to a gate, the start of a pedestrian-only cobbled street - Dazhalan pedestrian shopping street (Dazhalan Jie, also called Dashilan Jie). It is a bit more modern than Liulichang, but quite interesting. Relax and enjoy the window shopping.
Dashilan Street
Dashilan Street
Daguanlou Cinema, opened in 1903, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest operating movie theatre.
Neiliansheng Shoe Store (No. 34), established in 1853, and still the place to buy footwear.
Ruifuxiang Silk and Cotton Store, established in 1893. It's on the north side. Within its gaudy marble entrance is a vast selection of silks and clothing. Once the prime outlet for Qing Dynasty royalty and rich merchants, it's open daily from 8:30am to 9:30pm.
Goubuli, a type of steamed pork-filled bun produced by the company - Century-old Chinese snack producer, which has been popular with Chinese consumers during the past 147 years.
Tongrentang, Beijing Tongrentang Pharmacy. Beijing Tongrentang Pharmacy is a world famous Chinese pharmacy. Tongrentang was first set up in 1669. It was the designated brand of TCM for Qing court ( 1644 - 1911). Now it has a history of over 300 years. The pharmacy has been continuing to expand till today.
Zhangyiyuan Tea Shop, the earliest was established in the 34th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1910) at Guanyinshi, outside Qianmen by Zhang Wenqing.
A branch of Xinhua Bookstore, the largest bookstore chain in China
Buyingzhai Shoe Shop, the century-old shoe shop,founded by an official surnamed as Li in the 8th year of Xianfeng Period of Qing Dynasty (1858).
One the south of the east tip of the street, you will see is Liubiju Pickle Shop, still going quite strong after 400 years.
Liubiju Pickle Shop
One the north of the east tip of the street, you will see is the side street known as Zhubaoshi Jie, which means "Jewelry Street." This street is the gateway to a major brothel and the theater district up until Liberation (1949). Today it is a major outdoor bazaar of stands and carts selling inexpensive clothing, collectibles, and edibles.
Zhubaoshi Jie
By the way, go out of Dazhilan Street, follow your nose across the main street ( now under construction ), you will find the city's most famous Qianmen Quanjude Roast Duck restaurant ( Quanjude Kaoyadian ), open daily from 10:30am to 1:30pm for lunch and 4:30 to 8:30pm for dinner, the perfect ending to a day on foot in old Beijing.
North of the Zhubaoshi bazaar is the traffic arc ( now under construction ) that leads to the south end of Tiananmen Square. To the northeast you'll see the old Front Gate (Qianmen, officially known as Zhengyangmen), a towering remnant of the city wall, through which the emperors passed on their annual procession from the Forbidden City to the Temple of Heaven. You can ascend the tower at two points for excellent views of Tiananmen Square to the north and the Dazhalan District you've just strolled to the southwest.
Front Gate ( Qianmen, officially known as Zhengyangmen )
Tiananmen - the Gate of Heavenly Peace
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