Dongzhimen (; lit. "East Straight Gate") was a gate in the old

Beijing city fortifications The Beijing city fortifications were Defensive wall, walls with series of towers and gates constructed in the city of Beijing, China in the early 1400s until they were partially demolished in 1965 for the construction of the 2nd Ring Road and Line ...

. It is now a commercial center and transportation node in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. Latimer D. (2014) ''The Improbable Beijing Guidebook'', Sinomaps, Beijing, , p.69

History

The

Marquis of Extended Grace The Marquis of Extended Grace was a title held by a descendant of the imperial family of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) during the subsequent Qing dynasty (1644–1912). Holders of this title were also called the Marquis of Zhu from the surname ...

lived near Dongzhimen.

Transport

The

2nd Ring Road The 2nd Ring Road () is the innermost ring road highway which encircles the city center of Beijing, People's Republic of China. (The first ring road had been a circular tram route.) The ring road can be divided into two parts: the original ring ...

currently links with two roads which eventually become the Airport Expressway and

China National Highway 101 China National Highway 101 is a major trunk route connecting Beijing to Shenyang, Liaoning. In Beijing it is known as Jingshun Road () or Jingmi Road () for connecting central Beijing to Shunyi District and Miyun District, although the actual roa ...

. A new flyover, and a new express road connects directly with the Airport Expressway. The

Beijing subway The Beijing Subway is the rapid transit system of Beijing Municipality that consists of 25 lines including 20 rapid transit lines, two airport rail links, one maglev line and 2 light rail lines, and 463 stations. The rail network extends acro ...

network has a

interchange station An interchange station or a transfer station is a train station for more than one railway route in a public transport system that allows passengers to change from one route to another, often without having to leave a station or pay an additional ...

at Dongzhimen, where Lines 2, 13 and

Capital Airport Express The Capital Airport Express of the Beijing Subway (), also known by the initials ABC, Airport Beijing City, is an airport rail link from Beixingqiao station to the Beijing Capital International Airport. The line became operational on July 19, ...

connect. Line 13 has its eastern terminus at Dongzhimen. Dongzhimen also has an extensive

public bus Public transport bus services are generally based on regular operation of transit buses along a route calling at agreed bus stops according to a published public transport timetable. History of buses Origins While there are indications ...

hub just outside the Dongzhimen station. Buses numbered greater than 800 start from a long-distance bus station area, which serves a wide range of locations inside and outside of Beijing. This includes special buses to the

Great Wall The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand Li (unit), ''li'' wall") is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against Eurasian noma ...

and long-distance buses to the mountains and caves north of Beijing and smaller suburban districts such as

Pinggu Pinggu District (), formerly Pinggu County (), lies in the far east of Beijing Municipality. It has an area of and a population of 396,701 (2000 Census). The district is subdivided into 2 subdistricts, 14 towns, and 2 townships. It borders the Be ...

Ghost Street

West of Dongzhimen is Guijie (簋街), or "Food vessel street" (Dongzhimen Inner Street). The character for Gui (簋) refers to a round-mouthed bamboo basket for food. The name is frequently mistaken for a similar-sounding word, meaning "ghost", so some refer to the street as "Ghost street". The street stretches for over one kilometer, and 90% of the commercial shops in the street house more than 150 eateries.

Nearby areas

Connecting to the east of Dongzhimen is

Dongzhimen Outer Street Dongzhimen (; lit. "East Straight Gate") was a gate in the old Beijing city fortifications. It is now a commercial center and transportation node in Beijing. Latimer D. (2014) ''The Improbable Beijing Guidebook'', Sinomaps, Beijing, , p.69 Histor ...

, which connects with the Northern Diplomatic Area and ultimately to the 3rd Ring Road as well as the National Agricultural Exhibition Hall. 1.5 km from Dongzhimen lies the nearby

Sanlitun Sanlitun () is an area of the Chaoyang District, Beijing containing many bars, restaurants, and stores. It is a popular destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment. The area has been under almost constant regeneration since the la ...

(三里屯) bar street, commonly frequented by the expat community located in the heart of Beijing's North Diplomatic Area.

References

{{coord, 39.9411, 116.4336, display=title Road transport in Beijing Gates of Beijing Dongcheng District, Beijing Neighbourhoods of Beijing