Wangfujing () is a shopping street 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 ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, located in
Dongcheng District. The majority of the main area is pedestrianised. Since the middle of the
Ming Dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
there have been commercial activities in the area. In the
Qing Dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
, ten aristocratic estates and princess residence were built here, soon after when a well full of sweet water was discovered, thereby giving the street its name "Wang Fu" (princely residence), "Jing" (well). Many exotic foods are served on Wangfujing snack street.
[Latimer D. (2014) ''The Improbable Beijing Guidebook'', Sinomaps, Beijing, , p. 52]
Location
The street starts from Wangfujing Nankou ("south entrance"), where the Oriental Plaza,
Beijing Hotel
The Beijing Hotel () is a five-star state-owned hotel complex in the Dongcheng District of Beijing, China. It is located at the southern end of Wangfujing Street, at the corner with East Chang'an Avenue, 1.5 km from Beijing railway station ...
, and
Wangfujing Subway Station
Wangfujing () is a shopping street in Beijing, China, located in Dongcheng District. The majority of the main area is pedestrianised. Since the middle of the Ming Dynasty there have been commercial activities in the area. In the Qing Dynast ...
are located. The street then heads north, passing the Wangfujing Xinhua Bookstore, the
Beijing Department Store
The Beijing Department Store (Chinese: 北京市百货大楼; Pinyin: Běijīng Shì Bǎihuò Dàlóu) is a major department store on Wangfujing street, Beijing, China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country i ...
as well as the Beijing Foreign Languages Bookstore before ending at the
Sun Dong An Plaza and
St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
History
The street was also previously known as Morrison Street in English, after the Australian journalist
George Ernest Morrison
George Ernest Morrison (4 February 1862 – 30 May 1920) was an Australian journalist, political adviser to and representative of the government of the Republic of China during the First World War and owner of the then largest Asiatic library ...
. Wangfujing is also one of the traditional downtown areas of Beijing, along with
Liulichang
Liulichang () is a district in downtown Beijing that is known for a series of traditional Chinese stone dwellings selling various craftwork, artistry, and antiques. It is one of Beijing's traditional old quarters.
History
The name ''Liulichang ...
.
Until the late 1990s, the street was open to traffic. Modifications in 1999 and 2000 made much of Wangfujing Street pedestrian only (aside from the tour
trolley). Now through traffic detours to the east of the street.
The
2011 Chinese pro-democracy protests
The 2011 Chinese pro-democracy protests, also known as the Greater Chinese Democratic Colour revolution, Jasmine Revolution, refer to public assemblies in over a dozen cities in China starting on 20 February 2011, inspired by and named after th ...
were planned to take place in Wangfujing. Some violence occurred there between police and foreign journalists.
Stores
Wangfujing is now home to around 280 shops. Wangfujing malls include the
Beijing Department Store
The Beijing Department Store (Chinese: 北京市百货大楼; Pinyin: Běijīng Shì Bǎihuò Dàlóu) is a major department store on Wangfujing street, Beijing, China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country i ...
,
Beijing apm
Beijing apm, also known as Xindong'an Plaza (), is a shopping mall and office building at Wangfujing, Beijing, China. It is a commercial property developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties. It has a total area of .
The building was built on the site of ...
,
Beijing Mall
The Beijing Mall () is a shopping mall at Wangfujing in Beijing, China, using the Phase II building of Beijing Hotel at 301 Wangfujing Street. It is developed by the New Yansha Group, a subsidiary of Beijing Tourism Group, and opened in July 2004 ...
and
The Malls at Oriental Plaza
The Malls at Oriental Plaza is a shopping mall on Wangfujing 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. ...
.
Food and snacks
Wangfujing snack street, located in hutongs just west of the main street, contains many restaurants and street food stalls. The food stalls serve a variety of common and exotic
street food
Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...
, including
chuanr
Chuan (, dng, Чўан, Pinyin: chuàn, "''kebab''"; , кавап, "''kawap''"), especially in the north-east of China referred to as chuan'r (), are small pieces of meat roasted on skewers. Chuan originated in the Xinjiang region of China. ...
(meat kebabs, commonly made of lamb) and desserts, such as
tanghulu
Tanghulu () or ''Tang hulu'' (), also called ''bingtang hulu'' (), is a traditional Northern Chinese snack consisting of several rock sugar-coated fruits of Chinese hawthorn (''Crataegus pinnatifida'') on a bamboo skewer. It is named for its ca ...
or candied fruits on a stick.
Transport
The
Wangfujing Station of
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 ...
Line 1 Line 1 or 1 line may refer to:
Public transport Africa
* Line 1 (Algiers Metro), Algeria
* Cairo Metro Line 1, Egypt
Asia China
* Line 1 (Beijing Subway)
* Line 1 (Changchun Rail Transit)
* Line 1 (Changsha Metro)
* Line 1 (Changzhou Metro)
* L ...
is located at the intersection of Wangfujing Street and
Chang'an Avenue
250px, Chang'an Avenue hosts military parades. Here are 1999 National Day parade.">50th anniversary of the People's Republic of China">1999 National Day parade.
Chang'an Avenue (), literally "Eternal Peace Street", is a major thoroughfare in ...
.
See also
*
Beijing central business district
The Beijing central business district, or Beijing CBD (), is a central business district and the primary area for finance, media, and business services in Beijing, China.
Beijing CBD occupies 3.99 km2 of the Chaoyang District on th ...
*
List of leading shopping streets and districts by city
A shopping street or shopping district is a designated road or quarter of a city/town that is composed of individual Retail, retail establishments (such as Retail store, stores, Boutique, boutiques, Restaurant, restaurants, and Shopping center, ...
References
External links
Old brands of Beijing
Wangfujing Website
{{Dongcheng District, Beijing
Dongcheng District, Beijing
Neighbourhoods of Beijing
Pedestrian malls in China
Shopping districts and streets in China
Streets in Beijing
Tourist attractions in Beijing