Da Shi Lanr

-- the Last Reservation of Old Beijing

by Wu Runmei

Modernization is the watchword of every developing city, and Beijing is no exception. Newly erected shopping centers cover up old commercial areas. Standing in front of the massive peach facade of Sun Dong'an Market, even native Beijingers find themselves wondering what Wangfujing Street was like years before. The authentic air of Old Beijing is fading, minute by minute.

However, one street still offers a last, full look into past commercial areas of Old Beijing. Da Shi Lanr (meaning in Chinese, big fence) is its name. The strange name is a clue to the long history of the street.

Back in the Ming Dynasty (about 1488), fences were erected at both ends of every street for safety's sake. When Da Shi Lanr flourished into the busiest commercial area in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the fences at both ends of the street became the biggest ones in Beijing.

The name carries on this history. The wooden fences were burnt toward the end of the Qing Dynasty. In 1903, an iron fence was erected, a replica of which can be seen today at the street's entrance.

As you walk through the fence and onto the street, you will find yourself drifting back to the early part of this century. Buildings abound in traditional Chinese style architecture, as well as some in the Rococo style, and some mixed structures as well. Such architectural juxtapositions were fashionable at the beginning of this century in Beijing.

The 275-meter-long street hides some real "antiques." Among its 36 stores, six are more than 100 years old: Ma Juyuan (hats), Nei Liansheng (shoes), Rui Fuxiang (silk and clothes), Tong Rentang (Chinese medicine), Liu Biju (pickled vegetables) and Zhang Yiyuan (tea).

Liu Biju is the oldest store in this street. The pickled vegetables it sells still win favor with many people.

Another quite attractive store is Nei Liansheng. The store is famous for its hand-made "shoes with thousand-folded soles (qian ceng di)." The fabrics used are pure natural products such as cotton, wool and silk. The store used to make shoes for high officials in the Qing Dynasty. Since liberation, its customers have ranged from state leaders such as Chairman Mao to average people.

Customers can have their shoes made according to their special wishes. They can choose fabrics, color and the design of the embroidery. In one corner on the first floor, the whole process of shoemaking is demonstrated every day. On the same floor people can also see an exhibition of replicas of shoes worn by famous people.

A year-round exhibition on the history of shoes is presented on the second floor. Although the shopping assistants speak little English, they do their best to satisfy all their customers' needs.

Like the rest of Beijing, Da Shi Lanr is undergoing big changes. Fortunately, the changes don't include any modernizing, just some basic repairs. The street will become Beijing's first pedestrian mall for tourism and commerce. No one will have to worry about cars or bicycles as they stroll this lovely corner of Old Beijing.