What's worth visiting on Qianmen Street?

There's just so much to do around Qianmen Street.

From the classic pedestrian street Qianmen Street, to the new literary landmark Beijing Square, from the lesser-known West Polishing Factory Hutong and Sanlihe Park, to the historic Dongjiaominxiang, it's hard to know where to start.

Here, I'll focus on the Dongjiaominxiang Alley and compare its history with that of the past and present.

Dongjiaominxiang is a historically famous embassy district and the longest hutong in Beijing.

A quick history: During the Yuan Dynasty, Dongjiaominxiang Alley and Xijiaominxiang Alley were connected as a single hutong, and were named Jiangmi Alley because they were located in a choke point for the transportation of grain from the south to the north.

In the Ming Dynasty, the construction of the chessboard boundary, the original Jiangmi Lane truncated into the East Jiangmi Lane and West Jiangmi Lane.

In the Ming and Qing dynasties, Dongjiaominxiang was the seat of the "five dynasties and six ministries" of the imperial court, with the ministries of mandarins, households, rituals, soldiers and workers.

After 1900, Dongjiaominxiang was designated as an embassy district, with embassies of France, Japan, the United States, Germany, Russia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria and other countries. Subsequently appeared the British HSBC Bank, Russian Russian Hua Daosheng Bank, Japan's Shojin Bank, Germany's Dewa Bank, the French Oriental Exchange Bank and other foreign banks, but also opened a French hospital, German hospitals, U.S. hospitals, the French post office, six countries, such as facilities, well as the emergence of a large number of different styles of Western-style buildings.

In 1949, Beiping was peacefully liberated, and the Chinese People's Liberation Army passed through Dongjiaominxiang Alley with their heads held high and armed, washing away the shame of 50 years of Chinese armed men not being allowed to enter Dongjiaominxiang Alley.

Starting in 1959, embassies were moved to the eastern suburb of Jianguomenmen, and the history of embassies in Dongjiaominxiang Alley came to an end.

During the Cultural Revolution, the street was again attacked, its name was changed to "Anti-Imperialist Road", and many Western-style buildings were destroyed.

Since the 1980s, with the development of Beijing's urban construction, the architecture of Dongjiaominxiang Alley has also been impacted. The former sites of HSBC, Jardine Matheson, and the Russian Pavilion were demolished due to the widening of the road, the Dewar's Bank was demolished in 1992, the former site of the Japanese Embassy was changed to the Beijing Municipal Government, and many high-rise buildings and modern buildings were built on the street, and the whole street's appearance was greatly damaged.

Since 2001, the Dongjiaominxiang Embassy Complex has been announced by the State Council as the fifth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

The picture shows the ancient and modern comparison of the embassy gate and street scene in Dongjiaominxiang Alley. The past is still fresh in our minds.

Honzhengjin Bank, Chinese Court Museum

French Post Office, unused

French Embassy, unknown

Russian Embassy, Supreme Court

British Embassy, Ministry of Public Security

Japanese Embassy, post-Beijing Municipal Government, unknown at the present time

U.S. Embassy, unknown

French Embassy front gate Road, St. Michael's Church and the Belgian Embassy building can be seen in the distance; the intersection of Taiji Factory Street and Dongjiaominxiang Alley can be seen in the distance from the east to the west

Additionally, there are also

Belgian Embassy, Café Gulbao

Spanish Embassy, the place of signing the Treaty of Simchou and the Dongjiaominxiang Alley Hotel

Today, the Dongjiaominxiang Alley has long since been revitalized and become one of the most famous hutongs in Beijing.

Today, Dongjiaominxiang Alley has been revitalized and become one of the most famous hutongs in Beijing.

What to do in Dongjiaominxiang Alley today? Pick up the same old photos

As a famous embassy complex in China, Dongjiaominxiang Alley has a lot of old photos to be found, especially the gates of embassies

A citywalk

To make a citywalk

If you want to make a citywalk, you have to make a citywalk.

Citywalk Citywalk is a great way to hit all the old buildings in one go

Want to learn more about the history of the city Citywalk is a great way to get to know new people Citywalk is a great way to get to know old buildings in one go. Xinghua Road No. 3, which are easy to miss on your own, have special stories and fun

Museums

There are so many beautiful old buildings, and redeveloping them into museums is a good choice

The former site of Japan's Shojin Bank is now the China Courts Museum

The former site of the American Citibank is now the Beijing Police Museum

The former site of the Flower and Garden Bank is now the Beijing Police Museum

The Flower and Garden Museum is the Beijing Police Museum

The Flower and Garden Museum is the Beijing Police Museum. Police Museum

Spend most of the day wandering around the world of museums, I believe you will have your own special harvest

I have introduced the specific ways to play in the two museums, interested friends can go to find it

Eat, drink and play can not be missing

Xinqiao Sanbaole Bakery

Chongwenmen subway station, east of Xinqiao Hotel

Sunqiao Sanbaole Bakery

Aohua Restaurant

Located on the west side of St. Michael's Catholic Church, it's another affordable and authentic restaurant

The food is Tianjin-based, and it's often overcrowded and waiting for a table is a common occurrence at mealtime

Earnest Carp, Warm Mixed Scallops, and Shrimp Stickers are some of its signatures

1901 Purple Medal and AlmostCoffee1910

The owner is very easy-going, and will recommend his specialty dishes and ways to eat them. AlmostCoffee1910

Both restaurants are located in the former Belgian Embassy

Brunch and afternoon tea are served, and reservations are required; prices aren't cheap, but the environment is great for casual photo ops

Aohua Restaurant

Located on the west side of St. Michael's Catholic Church, this restaurant is another authentic, affordable, and popular restaurant

The food is mainly Tianjin-style, and is often overcrowded at mealtimes. It's often crowded at mealtimes, and waiting for a table is commonplace

Earned carp, warm scallops, and shrimp potstickers are among the signature dishes

1901 Purple Medallion and Almost Coffee 1910

Both are located at the former site of the Belgian Embassy

They serve brunch and afternoon tea, and reservations are required. It's not cheap, but it's a great place for a casual photo shoot

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