Beijing by Damian Harper

Author:Damian Harper [Planet, Lonely]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-74220-403-1
Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications
Published: 2010-08-28T16:00:00+00:00

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DASHILAR

Shops were barred from the city centre in imperial Běijīng, so the hútòng (alleyways) south of Qiánmén served as early versions of modern-day malls. Dashilar (Dàzhàlan; Map), a hútòng running west from the top end of Qianmen Dajie, was a particularly popular shopping spot and many of Běijīng’s oldest shops, including Ruifuxiang (Click here) and Tóngréntáng (Click here), can be found along or near this crowded street. It’s a heady jumble of silk shops, tea shops, department stores, theatres, herbal medicine stores, food and clothing specialists and some unusual architecture.

Dashilar sees a lot of tourists, both domestic and foreign, but there’s still an echo of the days when bustling markets plying specialised products thronged the surrounding hútòng – lace in one, lanterns in the other, jade in the next. Dashilar was Silk St, but its official name referred to a wicket gate that was closed at night to keep prowlers out. The hútòng south of Dashilar retain some of the area’s old, medieval flavour and are good for a wander.

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