The centuries-old Dashilan Street reopened this summer after three years of renovations. Happily, it remains the best place to buy traditional and typical Beijing goods – and an opportunity to shop like they did in days gone by
Cloaked in a shroud of scaffolding for as long as we can remember, the new Qianmen Street running south from the Zhengyangmen Tower has finally been revealed. Stretching as far as the eye can see and crowded with tourists and locals, it’s a polished yet faithful reworking of the original, minus the overcrowded hutong ‘slums’ that an Academy of Beijing Social Sciences report condemned before its renovation began.
Now birdcage lanterns run its length, flower pots brighten its central pathway and even the litter bins are disguised as proud stone stele. But its shops still lie empty – row upon row of blank glass store fronts ready to be occupied by designer boutiques and classy restaurants. The Management Office suggests it won’t be long before we see the likes of Apple, Nike and Rolex upping the ante on the street.
But Dashilan, one of the area’s most famous streets, has also undergone a renovation, and is now more atmospheric and bustling than ever. Established in 1420, Dashilan was Beijing’s old commercial and entertainment street and its name in English means ‘Great Bamboo Fence’. The reason? Each evening, a curfew meant merchants in the area would erect a fence at either end of the street to deter thieves
Crammed with shops, restaurants, mini markets, theatres and tea houses, it was well-known for selling everything from fruit, vegetables, meat and fish to children’s kites, and, from the late 19th century, Western goods such as tobacco, kerosene lamps and matches. Its tea shops allowed rehearsing actors to practice during the afternoons to draw more business, and the popularity of these performances eventually spawned Peking Opera and a number of theatres.
According to historian Michael Aldrich, before the fall of the Qing dynasty, carved wooden posts towered outside the doorways of some of the shops on the street to identify those stores patronized by the imperial court. Today, the carved posts are missing, but engravings and colourful hand painted signs still boast of each shop’s prestigious history. Here’s our guide to the ones to look out for:
No. 5 Ruifuxiang
Founded in 1893 by the Meng family, Ruifuxiang has a prestigious past and was entrusted with making the first flag of the People’s Republic. Its mission statement is to ‘cut the clouds to make garments from heaven’ and it’s crammed wall to wall with silk in a variety of styles.
Great for: getting a tailor made traditional qipao. The store offers everything from ordinary custom tailoring to high-end pieces embroidered by hand using a technique the shop has honoured since its inception.
No. 7 Xiangyihao Silk Store
This store front is by far the most spectacular on Dashilan. Erected during the reign of Emperor Guangxu, its intricate green wrought iron façade was often mistaken for that of a church.
Great for: Nothing. Unfortunately these days the Silk Store is, not to put too fine a point on it, full of crap.
No. 9 Ten Fu’s Tea
China’s most famous tea exporter has an outlet on Dashilan, and it’s big. Staff speak English and are happy to help you pick and taste tea before you buy. Their Jasmine leaves are legendary, but they sell everything from flower tea to oolong and pu’er. Expect to pay around 150RMB for 100g of flower tea.
Great for: buying a quality, long lasting tea for drinking at home.
No. 14 Zhangyiyuan Tea Shop
This shop has been around since the early 1900s; the ‘yiyuan’ part of its name deriving from a Chinese saying that ‘at the beginning of a new year, everything is fresh again’. Back then most of Zhangyiyuan’s tea was grown in Fujian province and adapted to local Northern tastes for its customers on Dashilan. Now it sells characteristically strong tea from all over China, and thankfully has kept its beautiful traditional packaging.
Great for: Buying a gift
No.15 Toy shop
This traditional but tiny folk toy shop sells an array of goods – some of them better quality than others. Bearded Peking Opera masks, paper cuts, kites and spinning diablo are all sold here, as well as hairy monkeys – an incredibly delicate Qing dynasty toy made from shed cicada skins and usually depicting the miniature primates going about various daily chores in traditional Chinese clothing.
Great for: Reminding the kids of life’s more simple pleasures
No. 24 Tongrentang
The most famous traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy in China opened its first store on the site at which it now stands in 1702 – 73 years after senior royal physician Yue Xianyang set it up. Tongrentang’s motto may concern some: ‘that no outsider witnesses the manufacturing process and our sincerity and trustworthiness are left to God’s judgement’, but it has a long history of expertise. Today it sells all manner of herbs, ‘healing’ creatures and drinkable cures, but be sure to have a consultation with a TCM practitioner before you start buying.
Great for: a quirky – and perhaps more effective – alternative to paracetamol.
No 25. Made in Paradise
This is no time honoured brand – just a modern chain that finds itself in an appropriate setting. Elegant women in traditional Tibetan clothing mill around the small space while shoppers try on beautiful silver rings, leather cuffs, pashminas and bejeweled bracelets. Incense hangs above the Buddhist shrine in one corner and almost everything is reasonably priced.
Great for: Disappearing into a mini oasis of calm for five minutes, and Tibetan jewellery.
No 31. Gao Bu Li restaurant
The famous baozi (steamed bun) restaurant from Tianjin has one of its busiest outposts on Dashilan, constantly packed with hungry shoppers looking for a quality, time honoured snack. We suggest you do too – they’re delicious.
Great for: a tasty lunch or dinner in a traditional setting
No.34 Neiliansheng shoes
We love Neiliansheng for its vast array of traditional Chinese slippers and hard-wearing shoes, all made using traditional techniques employed by the store since 1853. And you can watch the cobblers at work in the store’s window too. Expect to pay around 200RMB for the classic black numbers, and a little extra for more modern styles.
Great for: Visitors who want traditional Beijing slippers or locals who want to see a revival of shoes that were actually comfy.
No.36 Beijing Daguanlou Cinema
Before you reach the end of the road, look out for the large stone monument to the birthplace of Chinese film. When Ren Qingtai, who ran the nearby Fengtai Photo Studio, procured a copy of the first Chinese film Ding Jun Shan, this is where it debuted. Now it’s a regular (if very small) cinema, and a mini museum (entry costs 35RMB).
Great for: a historical pitstop or a modern movie screening.