Qianmen Street and Dashilar 前门大街·大栅栏Qiánmén Dàjiē · Dàshílànr

Why go to Qianmen Street and Dashilar

Just south of Tiananmen Square, the gate tower of Zhengyangmen, better known as Qianmen ('Front Gate'), and its archery tower stand at the head of Qianmen Street, a pedestrian avenue on Beijing's old central axis that was redeveloped in the 2000s. A few hundred metres down, turn west into Dashilar, a short lane of long-established 'time-honoured' shops such as the Tongrentang pharmacy, the Ruifuxiang silk store and the Neiliansheng shoemaker, then carry on into the hutongs, the old lanes of courtyard houses, beyond.

The story

Dashilar, literally 'big fence', is named after the wooden fences that Ming-dynasty residents put up at both ends of the lane for safety; the fences are long gone, but the name stuck. An old Beijing saying held that a well-dressed man wore a Majuyuan hat, Neiliansheng shoes and Ruifuxiang silk, three shops of Dashilar.

What to see at Qianmen Street and Dashilar

• Zhengyangmen and the Arrow Tower 正阳门: The grand gate tower and its separate archery tower stand at the north end of Qianmen Street, once part of a fortified barbican on Beijing's central axis. The gate tower, 42 metres high, is the tallest of Beijing's old gates.
• Qianmen Street 前门大街: A pedestrian avenue running south from the gate along the old central axis, lined with long-established shops and snack stalls.
• Dashilar 大栅栏: A 275-metre lane of old shops and entertainment houses, with five great theatres in its heyday.
• Time-honoured shops 老字号: Tongrentang, Ruifuxiang, Neiliansheng, Liubiju and Zhang Yiyuan are among the century-old names within a short walk, each with its own trade: medicine, silk, shoes, pickles and tea.

How to visit Qianmen Street and Dashilar

Start at Zhengyangmen, walk south along Qianmen Street, then turn west into Dashilar and keep going into the hutongs beyond. Allow two to three hours for a leisurely stroll with a snack or two. Weekday mornings are quieter; the street is crowded at weekends and on public holidays.

How to get to Qianmen Street and Dashilar

Take Metro Line 2 or Line 8 to Qianmen for the north end of the street, or Line 7 or Line 8 to Zhushikou for the south end; it is a short walk south from Tiananmen Square.

Where to stay

Qianmen and the hutongs of Dongcheng and Xicheng are within walking distance of Tiananmen Square, and the metro serves the area well.

What to eat

• Peking roast duck (Běijīng kǎoyā) 北京烤鸭: The Quanjude duck restaurant was founded here in 1864; thin-skinned roast duck is rolled in pancakes with scallion and sweet bean sauce.
• Shaomai dumplings (shāomai) 烧卖: Open-topped steamed dumplings; a long-established Qianmen shop has built its name on them.
• Liubiju pickles (Liùbìjū jiàngcài) 六必居酱菜: Soy-sauce pickled vegetables from a shop of nearly six hundred years, whose pickling craft is a national intangible cultural heritage.

Tips for visiting Qianmen Street and Dashilar

• Zhengyangmen's gate tower, part of the Beijing Central Axis World Heritage Site, can be climbed with a ticket booked in advance through the Beijing Central Axis Heritage Protection Center's WeChat account; it is closed on Mondays except national holidays.
• Keep going west from Dashilar along Dashilar West Street to explore the surrounding hutongs on foot.
• Tiananmen Square is just to the north, but it needs its own advance reservation, so book it separately if you want to combine the two.

Nearby

• Tiananmen Square 天安门广场 under 10 km
  A vast ceremonial square below Tian'anmen gate, where the national flag is raised at dawn
• National Museum of China 中国国家博物馆 under 10 km
  Ancient bronzes, jades and porcelain in a vast museum beside Tian'anmen Square
• Temple of Heaven 天坛 under 10 km
  Where emperors prayed for harvests, and where Beijing now dances, sings and plays cards
• Forbidden City 故宫 under 10 km
  Six centuries of imperial power behind vermilion walls in the heart of Beijing
• Beihai Park 北海公园 under 10 km
  A former imperial lake garden crowned by a white Tibetan-style stupa on its island
• Prince Gong's Mansion 恭王府 under 10 km
  A Qing courtyard mansion and rock garden, home first to a corrupt minister, then a prince

Also within 30 km: Xijiaominxiang Historic Bank Buildings 西交民巷近代银行建筑群 (under 10 km), Peking Legation Quarter (Dongjiaominxiang) 东交民巷 (under 10 km), Anhui Guild Hall 安徽会馆 (under 10 km), Huguang Guild Hall 湖广会馆 (under 10 km), Imperial Historical Archives (Huangshicheng) 皇史宬 (under 10 km), Imperial Ancestral Temple 太庙 (under 10 km).

On the map

Open Qianmen Street and Dashilar on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)