Along the southern side of the western end of Wenjin Jie, the red and gray walls of Zhongnanhai enclose the seat of the Central Government. The tree-lined streets around here are filled with flowers in the spring, and shaded in summer.

North Cathedral

Opposite the walls of Zhongnanhai, a little way up Xishiku Dajie, is North Cathedral, counterpart of East Cathedral at Chongwenmen, South Cathedral at Xuanwumen and West Cathedral at Xizhimen. The original North Cathedral was built in 1703, on a piece of land granted by Emperor Kangxi, on the west bank of Zhongnanhai. Kangxi also had a tablet placed there with an inscription that read “the real source of all creatures.” In 1827, Emperor Daoguang had the church demolished and confiscated the land, but in 1860, Emperor Xianfg returned the land and a new church was built six years later. In 1887, the church was moved to Xishiku, its present location, to make way for an enlargement of the Forbidden City. The church, known locally as Xishiku Church, is the largest in Beijing.

Wenjin Street is named for the Beijing Library, formerly the royal library and the largest in China. Today, it is famous for its collection of ancient books and is part of the National Library of China at Zizhuyuan, on Baiyi Lu.

Two hundred meters east of the library is a bridge named Jin Ao Yu Chong Qiao, or Golden Tortoise and Jade Worm Bridge, that divides the big lake, once known as Tai Yi Chi, into Nan Hai and Zhong Hai in the south and Bei Hai in the north. It is said that the Mongolian founders of the Yuan Dynasty had never seen the sea. They named these lakes “seas” on their mar south, when they were conquering China nearly eight centuries ago. Today, the lake is considerably smaller, but still a key landmark in Beijing.

Beijing Library

Beihai Park has a history of over 1,000 years and has been a royal park for several centuries, during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing and local residents all year round. In winter, the iced over lake is over-run with skaters.

From the bridge, the northwest corner tower of the Forbidden City looms to the southeast. The area around the moat surrounding the palace walls is now a haven for lovers, due both to its picturesque beauty and the relative solitude it offers. Looking south along the moat, one can make out the corner of the Great Hall of the People on Tian’anmen Square.The small square at the back gate of the Forbidden City is always crowded with tourists. Directly across the street is Jing Shan Park  The 23-hectare park was a royal park and zoo during the Yuan Dynasty. In the early Ming Dynasty, when the Forbidden City was constructed, the area was used for the storage of building materials and coal, thus came to be known Mei Shan Coal Hill.

The earth excavated from the moats surrounding the Forbidden City was piled here, turning it into a real hill. The last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Chongzhen, hanged himself on this hill on March 19, 1644, when peasant rebellion forces entered the capital. The Qing Dynasty used the park as an ancestral temple, hanging portraits of previous emperors there for the descendants to offer sacrifices to.

Longfu Temple

Though not especially high, Jing Shan offers a spectacular view of the golden roofs of the Forbidden City.

Further eastward are more historical sites, related to somewhat more contemporary events. Past the northeast corner tower of the Forbidden City is Sha Tan, or Sand Beach. How it came to be so-named is now something of a mystery, but Sha Tan is famous as the site of a demonstration held on May 4, 1919. Led by the students from Beijing University, the protesters strongly opposed the agreement reached at the Versailles Treaty after World War I, which continued the special and unequal interests occupied by the Japanese and German empires. The protest led to the overthrow of the cabinet of the Republic of China, and this section ofently became known as May 4 Road.

On the north side of the street stands a fifty meter wide red building, called Hong Lou. The building was once the library of Beijing University. In the September of 1918, Mao Zedong, then a young student, found a job as a library assistant here. Mao said later that it was while working in this library that he learnt about Marxism and the Soviet Revolution from Li Dazhao, the then director of the library. Li was later executed by the government of Bei Yang Jun Fa (North Sea Warlords), the Beijing-based government of the Republic of China.

But today, only the red flag flying at the top of the building gives a clue as to the significance of the library during those revolutionary times.

Running north-south past the east wall of the red building is a street park several hundred meters long. This park, which starts from near Chang’an Avenue and ends at Ping’an Avenue, is called Imperial City Wall Park and is an important green belt in downtown Beijing.

Further east is the China National Museum of Fine Arts. Recently re-opened after a major renovation, the 40-year-old museum has a large collection of Chinese paintings and folk arts.

On the east side across the street along the east wall of the museum is the 500-year-old Longfu Temple. This temple, a branch of the Tibetan Buddhist Lama Temple, was built during the Ming Dynasty for the exclusive use of members of the royal family. Since the beginning of the last century, worshippers’ candles and joss sticks have become fewer and the temple has gradually become an open bazaar. Older Beijingers enjoy shopping at the bazaar, partly for the low prices of the goods sold, and partly fr the memories it evokes. Youngsters like it because they can find affordable clothes and traditional Beijing dishes here. The three cinemas along the narrow, 600-meter-long street also contribute to its appeal.

Last but not least, two hundred mett-style office building built during the 1950s. This was the first headquarters of the People’s Republic of China’s department of foreign affairs. In fact, nearby block used to be the diplomatic ministry of the Qing Dynasty and thus is named Diplomatic Street.

Close

Today's Top News		Top Lifestyle News
+Wu Yi: Nation attracts overseas capital ( 2003-11-06) +US trip lays groundwork for 6-party talks ( 2003-11-06) +Cold grips North China; flowers blossom in South ( 2003-11-06) +New law cuts through gov't red tape ( 2003-11-07) +Shanghai makes it easier to have a second child ( 2003-11-07)		+The most splendid streets in Beijing ( 2003-11-07) +Curtain falls on musical showcase ( 2003-11-07) +Is violence in our genes? ( 2003-11-07) +A Shanghai burger battle ( 2003-11-07) +Beijing faces tough situation against AIDS ( 2003-11-06)