Qianmen Street, no more than 2 km long, has been a prosperous area for
more than 600 years and has accumulated some long-standing stores.
Located at the center of Beijing near Tiananmen Square, Qianmen Street, no
more than 2 km long, has been a prosperous area for more than 600 years and has
accumulated some long-standing stores. Many well-known Chinese stores started
their operations there. The reconstruction project aims to preserve the Qianmen
Streets history in its entirety.
Qianshi hutong--the narrowest hutong in Beijing--is located there. At its
narrowest place the alley is only 40 cm wide. More than 100 years ago, it was
the biggest market for silver and coins in China. To prevent theft, the hutong
was built narrow so that escape routes could easily be blocked.
Among all the stores on the street the roast duck restaurant Quanjude
might be the most famous. Together with the Great Wall, it is one of the
must-see places listed in many tourist guides. Opened in 1864, the Qianmen
branch of the restaurant is the original. The price of a roast duck varies from
dozens of yuan to 200 yuan, according to the different roasting process and
materials used. Besides roast duck, Quanjude is also known for its all-duck
banquet and over 400 dishes with Quanjudes characteristic flavor.
Dashanlan is a business street with more than 580 years of history in the
Qianmen area. Regarded as the essence of Beijing, it depicts a vivid and
prosperous picture of old Beijing. After reconstruction, this 1.26-km area will
retain many buildings and their antique flavor
For older residents of Beijing there are areas of the city clearly known
for certain products. For cloth, one would go to Ruifuxiang Store; for shoes, to
Neiliansheng Store; for hats, to Majuyuan Store; for watches, to Hengdeli Store
(Hope Brothers & Co.); and for tea, to Zhangyiyuan Store. All these stores
are located in Dashanlan. Ruifuxiang has a history of over 110 years, and is
famous for its silk and satin. It provided material for the first national flag
of the Peoples Republic of China raised in Tiananmen Square. The founder of
Wal-Mart, Sam Walton, revealed that the idea of opening a chain store for small
profits and good sales came from Ruifuxiang.
Neiliansheng Store is famous for making cloth shoes and is now the biggest
producer of handmade cloth shoes in China. The average price of a pair of shoes
is around 100 yuan. The cloth shoes have become increasingly popular as people
around the world have become more interested in ecological issues.
The government of Chongwen District, in which the area is located, has
implemented a preferential policy for the old stores. It will allocate 10
million yuan ($1.37 million) every year to assist stores that have difficulty
moving back.
Beijings Qianmen Street, which is currently under redevelopment, will
restore its streetscape to that of the early twentieth century, through use of
historical photos, becoming the second pedestrian thoroughfare in the Chinese
capital, after Wangfujing Street, the downtown shopping district.
The new Qianmen Street will not be modeled after its state in the Ming and
Qing Dynasties (1368-1911), as its designers had anticipated, but into the form
of the old Qianmen Street in 1920s-1930s, a time period that left numerous
historical photos - by which architects can study in forming the new street.
With its latticework of horizontal alleys, the north-south Qianmen Street
prospered as a commercial strip as early as the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368). By the
time of Emperor Jiajing, the 12th Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) emperor, the street
was dotted with guild halls built by different localities, to provide housing to
citizens intending to take the imperial exams.
Qianmen Street became even more prosperous in the early years of the Qing
Dynasty (1644-1911) with the development of activities such as lantern fairs,
theaters and teahouses. Places like the Guanghe Theater -- today threatened with
demolition -- and the Quanjude roast duck restaurant are part of Beijings
history.