Lifestyle

Dashilan'er Street is located south of Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing. Lined with old shop fronts, it brings visitors back to a time when this area served as the main commercial hub over 600 years ago.

If the Forbidden City symbolizes the country's royal culture since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), then Dashilan'er Street, the city's first and oldest commercial street, demonstrates its grassroots culture. Over the years, the street has become a prime business location for some of China's most enduring shops, including the silk brand Ruifuxiang, the shoe brand Neiliansheng and the pharmaceutical brand Tongrentang.

The name itself, Dazhalan (literally means "big fence") is pronounced "Dashilan'er" in the local dialect. In the Ming Dynasty, fences were built at both ends of the alley to prevent thieves from entering this commercial area at night. Though as time passed, the fences disappeared, the name still remained.

Entering the street from the eastern end, visitors will find the time-honored Ruifuxiang Satin, Silk and Fur Shop, one of the eight famous silk and satin shops in Beijing. The first national flag of China raised in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949 was made of silk provided by Ruifuxiang. It has been open since 1893 and is famous for its high-quality colored cloth fabrics, Suzhou silk, exquisite satins and fine tailoring services.

Founded in 1853, Neiliansheng Shoe Store has an auspicious name which literally means "successive promotions in official ranks." The founder used this name in the hope that officials who wore his shoes would be promoted, and thus the store won great popularity among imperial officials. Today at the store craftsmen can be seen making traditional shoes – stitching the cloth soles in public view.

Another reason for the street's popularity is that some theaters and cinemas are located here. Built in 1905, Daguanlou Cinema is the city's oldest cinema, and well worth a visit. When the first movie produced by China, Dingjun Mountain, was shown there, it was a grand occasion. Opposite the cinema is Guangdelou Theater, which was built in the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1875-1908) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Walking along the street, you will also find a number of old shops, including Zhangyiyuan Tea Shop, Zhangxiaoquan Scissors Shop, Majuyuan Hat Shop and Tongrentang Pharmacy, which all enjoy over 100 years of history. As those time-honored brands are integral to Beijing culture, this street with business traditions not found elsewhere has become a symbol of old Beijing.

Hutong Tips

How to get there

> By subway: Take subway Line 2 to Qianmen Station

> By bus: Take bus 2/20/48/59/66/69/71/120/626/729 to Dashilan'er Station

What to buy

> The three-story Dashilan'er branch of Tongrentang Pharmacy is its best-known Beijing outlet, selling traditional medicines of all sorts, patented pills for an assortment of ailments, and offers herb mixing services.

Hours: 8 a.m.-7.30 p.m.

Address: No.24 Dashilan'er Street

Website: www.tongrentang.com

> A visit to Neiliansheng Shoe Store should not miss the store's exhibition, which showcases the development of shoes in China and features photos of shoes worn by officials of the imperial court.

Address: No.34 Dashilan'er Street

Website: www.nls1853.com