Dazhalan, better known as Dashilan’er West Street, represents one of the Beijing’s oldest commercial districts. It has recently re-opened after an intensive reconstruction that lasted for over one year that 93 million RMB to the city council. Dashilan’er is located in the Qianmen area, south of Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing. The “new” historic street has conserved the traditional appearance of ancient Chinese buildings. The main Market Street is concentrated with small vendors and traditional ancient shop fronts, giving visitors the opportunity to experience the antique history of the place, when the area served as the main core of commerce dated back over 600 years ago. The best way to visit this destination is to travel to Beijing thanks to China Flights.
Originally known as “Guanyinsi Street thanks the proximity of the Guanyin Temple on the east side, Dashilan’er attracts many famous political and literary figures especially during its glory days of the Qing Dinasty (1644-1911). The name itself, Dazhalan is pronounced “Dashalan’er” in the local dialect. It is said that the name originated from the fact that 600 years ago the emperor ordered fences to be built in order to prevent thieves from entering the area. Apart from a few famous department stores during that era, the area was also bustling with opium dens, brothels, theatres and teahouses. However, its legacy as a thriving centre for commerce and entertainment became a distant, foggy memory in recent decades and in 2005 a report published by the
Beijing Academy of Social Sciences even declared the area as “a typical slum”. Moreover, problems such as safety hazards, poor hygiene, lack of electricity and water have all been cited as contributors to the street’s deterioration. Therefore it is little wonder that with the world’s eyes focused on Beijing in the run up to the Olympics in 2008, government authorities decided to completely re-haul the face of this historic, albeit run-down old district.
Dashilan’er is not only intended to showcase China’s traditional culture and rich history to foreigners, but most of the visitors are actually Chinese people who see this re-development as an opportunity to reconnect with China’s rich historical past. Apart from adding a new attraction to Beijing’s tourist map, Dashilan’er’s new face lift is also closely linked with efforts to develop one of Beijing’s least visited districts, Xuanwu. It is hoped that the new street will bring new business to the area, hence spurring the area’s economy and contributing to its development.One of the main attractions of the street is its assortment of local snacks. 20 meters long queues outside the street’s snack shops is not an uncommon sight. Local restaurants include Goubuli where visitors can feast on its famous stuffed buns and have their photo taken beside a sculpture of Empress Dowager Cixi at the entrance. Traditional Chinese brands are also sold in the street, such as Mujuyuan hats, Ruifuxiang clothes and Neilansheng shoes.
Tours around the area are available thanks to the services offered by China travel and China Tours provided by Chinatrveldepot.com.
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