QianMen was the Front Gate of the Imperial City, located just North of Dashilan Street on the Central City Axis which also delineates the border between Chongwen- and Xuanwu-Districts. The Poor districts of the City had no access to the Imperial water supply but had to make do with the
brackish water of nearby streams and ponds, or draw from the City Moat. Nevertheless
the districts flourished. As a home of the common people, many poor and
migrant, the Streets and Alleys of the Xuanwu District were
alive and vibrant with culture and music. Find the architectural
treasure, the Ox Street Mosque with its unique Moon Gazing
Tower as a reminder of the earliest migrants to the City. Along
with the traders on the Silk Road
came many migrant and foreign Faith,
among which initially the Islamic Faith.
Xuanwu District
Monuments and Hotspots
This page was last updated on: June 17, 2008
Niu Jie' Mosque
Temple of the Source of the Law
- Fayuansi
Located due North of Niu Jie Mosque and FaYuan Si - Source of The Law Temple, Bao Guo Temple Fair is a nice detour. Enjoy browsing the Temples Flea-Market, then stroll through the surrounding Hutong. All just a Few Hundred Meters away from Busy Beijing's Inner City traffic. Bao Guo Temple is neither an astounding Architectural Feat, nor a very large Market offering 1000's of goods and items. It is however a charming getaway and close enough to other Landmarks of Interest.
Hidden away in the Hutong streets of the Xuanwu district, just east of and very near Ox Street (Niu Jie) we find the romantic Fayuansi or Temple of the Source of the Law. Fayuansi is a very tranquil but active Buddhist temple, home to the China Buddhist College. A fine example of Chinese Temple layout and an interesting & soothing place to spend your time. Dotted with buddhist art and many a deity , this modest but colorful Temple
Liu Lichangs Street is an Ancient shopping street now restored to its old Ming Dynastic Style splendor for commercial and esthetic reasons.
Home to many a interesting store and shop , the Main part of Liu Lichang Culture Street as it is officially known , is taken up by many a line-up of different stores dealing in every truely chinese treasure to find. Colorfully and skillfully painted and crafted the store exteriors are a pleasure to the Eye, the shops themselves are fine places to dwell, browse , wonder and dream. Don't forget Lui Lichang Market at the End of the Street ! Interesting treasures can be found among these small family stalls.
At Ox Street (Niu Jie) a wide but not very conspicuous main street cutting North-South through the Xuanwu district , we find Ox Street Mosque, the main Temple of the Hui'. The hui are China's most ancient Islamic Minority and have a status as such. Browse around the interesting Mosque , the main prayer hall is reserved for Muslims only. Get the ethnic feeling of the Hui district by walking the hutong streets.
Don't forget the Hui Islamic Headquarters of China located just around the Corner to the South ! Combined with a visit to the Fayuansi , just East of Ox street hidden in the Hutong , a visit to Niu Jie can be a joyfull change from the usual Chinese crowds and neighborhoods.
Li Yuan Peking Opera Theatre at the Jianghuo Hotel. A Grand Spectacle of Peking Opera in a large Theatre with english and other langage translations and subtitling, all for the pleasure of visiting Tourists. But don't let this bother you as the show is excellent and costumes are as ever a joy to watch move.
Covering some 17 Square kilometers in the south-west of Beijing's Old City, the Xuanwu District is
one of the Older Parts of the City of Beijing. Reflecting this long
history, Xuanwu District, among things, is home to the oldest street
Chongwen and other parts of Beijing derive their name from the mongolian
language. The word "hottong" referring to "well" or perhaps the space between
two tents. There are several other possible translations. Xuanwu District, with it's
humble origins is the location of both the narrowest Hutong in Beijing, and the
shortest Hutong Lane in Beijing. Respectively, Qianshi (banking) hutong in the now endangered Dashilan Hutong area with only 40 centimeters width and Yichie Dajie, south of the eastern entrance to Liu Lichang Street, with the length of only a dozen or so meters. Although from meager origins the Xuanwu District soon developed from home of the underprivileged into something more. With the less well to do of the city having to ply a trade to get by in
Life, the southern districts soon became the business, trade and
arts & crafts districts of the City. During the construction of the
Capital of China was moved to Beijing, the Area of Liu Lichang
Street became the center of attention of the ceramics and tile
industry (Liu Lichang, meaning Tile Factory), with Liu Lichang
Street being the Place where the Kilns to fire and prepare the
imperial yellow Tiles of the Palaces were located (Clay was excavated
from the extreme south-east corner of Chongwen District. Now Beijing Amusement
Park). Other Trade Guilds, Arts & Crafts works, artisans,
exlusive tailors and the like similarly enjoyed a huge economic
Zheng YiCi Peking Opera Theatre
Dashilan Shopping Street
Located directly South of TiananMen Square on the extreme eastern edge of Xuanwu District Dazhalan Shopping Street is not only easy to locate , it is also conveniently close to most important Hotels. This historic street , with shops that date back to the eunuchs of the Imperial House and other Ancient rich and powerful families is a joy to the eye
and very handy and fun for
the wanting tourist shopper.
Get your tips and introduction here !
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Untill 1949 the Xuanwu District was also home to Beijing's City execution grounds, located just south of what is now Dashilan Street.
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Tower at Guang'Anmen Nei'Dajie'
-The Face of New Beijing. Modern Architecture, before reserved to area's outside the 2nd ring road, has already taken over large parts of Xuanwu District.
Liu Lichang Culture Street
The Ox Street Area and Xuanwu District regularly celebrate the rich (islamic) minority backgrounds of its Citizens. These Posters announce a coming festival.
boom and soon the Southern City Districts were the place
of business of many workshops and industries
directly or indirectly catering to the Imperial Palace
and the extensive Imperial Court. Through the
succeeding ages, Emperors and Dynasties, the
Area between Liu Lichang Street would become famous for the highest quality jades, silks, woodworks, ceramics, antiques and the like, continuing this legacy at
have the stores of some of the wealthiest commercial families in the City, and had multiple outlets owned by (former) Imperial Eunuchs who built their fortune robbing the Chinese State and their workplace the Imperial Palace. Dashilan's glamour could only be rivaled by Wanfujing Street, the high class commercial street inside the Imperial Cities' eastern DongCheng District, thus located even nearer the Palace and in steady supply of quality goods.
Once surrounded by its own Defensive Walls the Southern Half of the City composed
of Chongwen- and Xuanwu Districts had access to the Imperial City through 5 City Gates (Hsi PienMen, Chun Chie Men=XuanwuMen, HepingMen, QianMen, and ChongwenMen),the Most important of which
As the third largest district of the old city, the Xuanwu District is
undergoing its fair share of changes in advance of the Beijing City 2008
Olympics. There are really too many to mention. As described above
modernity is encroaching and hutong are disappearing since the year 2002. In the past, streets were narrow, public health a shambles and the general community street environment was filthy and polluted. The situation was already bad and the recent influx of city migrants due to the economic boom of the 1990's only served to enhance problems. People lived in crowded and shabby houses in Ox Street and the surrounding charming but outdated hutong area's. Something had to be done to alleviate the citizens complaints and combat hutong health hazards. Thus, since 2002, the Beijing
In their path followed the Priest and Scientist that functioned at the Yuan and later, Ming Court and Observatory, establishing as their headquarters, the Ox Street Mosque, named after its location on the same street as the Oxen Market was located. The Islamists, would eventually be outdone by
arriving Jesuit Christians, but the Mosque remains until today the center of worship and community for the many Islamic minorities living in and around the Area. Another spin-off of the diverse migrant nature of the southern districts were the many small theatres, enjoyed not only by the common people, but -according to legend- regularly by Emperors incognito. The most historic of all Theaters are the Zheng Yici Peking Opera
Among the Arts - Literature was equally well represented. Throughout the Ages the Xuanwu District's cultural wealth attracted many a writer, most often poor and downtrotten, but
Not less than the oldest wooden theatre in China, the Zheng Yici Temple cannot be missed by any Peking Opera Fan or enthousiast. The purest experience possible inside the oldest wooden theatre located in a small corner of the Beijing Hutong, the Zheng Yici Theatre has it all. Go see for yourself and experience the Theatre that once played Peking Opera Master Mister Mei Lanfang himself !
Located near the Eastern edge of Xuanwu just of the Central Axis TianQiao NanDajie', Wansheng Theatre continues with a new name but an long and impressive history. For long the leading acrobatics theatre of the City of Beijing and North China, the theatre now enjoys some competition from more modernly housed theatres. The Wansheng Theatre however remains at the Top of Chinese Acrobatics. Don't Miss Out ! Amazing !
city landscape with rows of modern and adequate but completely unexciting, ,-if not boring-, city appartement flats. The results of this all this are visible to the North and South of the Entrance to Liu Lichang Street, for example. Other sites are around the Beijing Drum tower, directly west of which now runs a wide boulevard where earlier were charming Hutong (see Drum Tower Report). North of Tiantan Park (in the Chongwen District) now runs a 6 lane New Boulevard along which an entire block of identical appartment towers, neatly stacked. On the other side of this new Boulevard, the remnants of the recently destroyed QianMen
reflecting the darker side of life in Xuanwu and the lowly economic and social prospects of the majority of the districts inhabitants. One such place was south of Luxury Dashilan Street, where in a still open area also used for horse-riding maneuvers, the city banditry and other unwanted elements were executed. Public beheadings, but also death-by-cuttings and surgical torture were the practice of the day. Nothing reminds in the area of this gruesome history, anywhere, but screams of torture mixed with shouts of spectators must have been audible in a large swath of the Area. Quite a depressing thought. Dashilan, interestingly, translates as Big Railings Street, not because of big copper railings signifying the streets status, but named after the Big Fences that closed off the street after curfew time, serving as anti-theft doors. All in all
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away in the heart of Eastern Xuanwu, between Zixin Lu and
Niu Jie (=Ox Street). Although modernity is ever encroaching on
Beijing and this district, the Temple
grounds, home to the China Buddhist
College still offer a calm and soothing
retreat from bustling city life. The First
Source of the Law Temple was built on
this Site in the 7Th Century AD, making it
entwined with its surroundings. From
here hutong alleys lead east and west,
leaving plenty opportunity for discovery.
Another interesting local attraction is the nearby Bao Guo Temple Market. Just across main artery
Curiosa market giving further opportunity to browse, stroll and enjoy. This is still the real Hutong Life, with the buying of snacks prepared on the street outside the main gate, green lanes and the temple a tranquil haven somewhat away from all
the noise and car emissions. Except for when its buying and selling time of course.
Not very well known so far The Temple of Heavenly Tranquillity with its unique 13 story stone pagoda is the oldest structure in the City of Beijing ! Visit this national buddhist relic with bases dating back to the 4th Century Northern Wei Dynasty. TianNing Pagoda itself was constructed in 1119 AD under Liao Emperor Tian Ching, and is preserved very much in its original style and form. The Pagoda has stood the test of time remarkably and has now been renovated.
TianNing Buddhist Temple
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the Xuanwu District was not the best place to live or dwell. Perhaps due to all of these difficulties and hardships in life, the Xuanwu Districts is also dotted with religious shrines of varying Nature. The majority are Muslim or Buddhist. Find the very worthwhile Source of the Law Temple hidden
fills the visitor with athmospheres from Imperial Days and Buddhist Monks. Please enjoy our multipage photographic digital Tour.
Traditional Candied fruits cooling down atop their sales cart outside a house in the Hutong between Dashilan & Liu Lichang Streets.
- Click Image to Enlarge -
The southern city traditionally also had many bars populated with "sing-song" girls, brothels, gambling holes and other scenic spots to contend with. Places
not always so. Among them the famous writer Lu Xun himself, who initially lived quite luxuriously at ShaoXing Guild Hall at Nanban Jie (South Half Street), outside of XuanwuMen and inside the Xuanwu District. He was able to live there from 1912 AD until November 1919 AD when, as a revolutionary writer Lu Xun had made himself that unpopular with the local corrupt Government that he had to go into hiding. This however, would only be the beginning of his career as a writer, thinker and frontline revolutionary, making him China's most honored revolutionary writer today.
The nearby home of Lin Baishui (at No.1 MianHua Toutiao = First Cotton Lane which is North of Guozhi Xiang- Fruit Lane), founder of the revolutionary newspaper SheHui RiBao (Social Daily), has unfortunately been torn down. Lin Baishui (1874 AD - 1926 AD) was a socially interested journalist and later ardent revolutionary also known as Lin Xie or Wan Lin, both aliases developed to throw off secret agents searching for his person. Thus, of the many former residences of stars and celebrities, the Xuanwu District has its fair share. Another one of these is Kang Youwei's Former Home. The leader of the Ching Dynasty reform movement (under Emperor Guangxu, mortal enemy of Empress-Dowager
days of reform movement was crushed and Kang Youwei (1858 AD - 1927 AD) narrowly
escaped abroad with his Life (Sept. 21, 1898). Find the house, a government protected relic
now in use as Public Housing at 43 Rice Market Lane (Mishi Hutong). The list of remaining
famous Homes further includes Gu Yanwu's Former Residence inside the west-wing of
Bao Guo Temple just North of Guang'AnMen XiDajie', the Former Home of Ji XiaoLan
(1724 AD -1805 AD), a high scholar during the late Ching Dynasty, and the Home of the
Caligrapher Shen JiaBen (1840 AD - 1913 AD), at No.1 Golden Well Lane (Jinjing
Hutong). Shen JiaBen was Vice-President of China's Congress in 1910 AD and presided
over the editing of the First Criminal (Law) Code in China. He is thus honored at his former
Home in the Xuanwu District. The list is completed with Yang Jiaoshan Temple, or the former residence of Yang Jiaoshan (1516 AD - 1555 AD) at No.12 Dazhi Bridge Hutong. Yang
Google Search inside www.drben.net for your information.
With modernity car traffic in Beijing has seen a Terrific Boom, which in turn has made the Cities'
small streets redundant, leading the city planners to decide to raise Hutong and other architectural and historical relics, widen lanes, create new boulevards, and last but not least - recreate the
Area Hutong. The Area of Dashilan Street is under the Hammer and a lot of constructions are going on north of Jingshan towards QianHai. More Hutong will be destroyed and other drastic changes will be made altering the historic face of the Imperial City, virtually
unchanged for ages and last remodeled in the 1950's, forever. Find out more about the Planning of the Future City of Beijing, to be completed in fases in
chaotic, but a pleasure to dwell in during daytime and in evenings. Bars were long-gone, and brothels not seen since the clean-up that the new Communist inspired Governement launched after its establishment in 1949 AD. Social and Public Health were greatly improved due to great efforts, and venereal disease eradicated. Untill the turn of the millenium beggars were virtually unseen on streets. What endured throughout the communist period were the Theatres, Temples, tea-houses and the seemingly endless blocks of Hutong in between of which Temples, Mosques, fruit stalls and markets and the odd more modern structure. Above it all, in the far west, the Unique and Impressive Tower of TianNing Pagoda, the stone Pagoda dated to the 12Th Century Liao Dynasty, Beijing cities' oldest standing structure. Last but not least of our landmarks, due to its history, as well as its amazing architecture resembling a wooden-pagoda-cast-in-stone, TianNing Temple's small site is one of the most worthwhile of the entire
District. Closed for decennia (except for 1 visit by www.chinareport.comin 2002)
