2nd Ring Road on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The 2nd Ring Road () is the innermost
The 2nd Ring Road runs close to where Beijing's city walls once stood; numerous junctions bear the old city gate's name. A small number of these city gates themselves still stand: Southeast corner tower,
Electronic message signs (or screens) are placed throughout the 2nd Ring Road, displaying information about current traffic. The information is only given in
The 2nd Ring Road () is the innermost ring road
A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop, bypass or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city, or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist i ...
highway which encircles the city center
A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...
of Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...
, People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
. (The first ring road had been a circular tram route.)
The ring road can be divided into two parts: the original ring road (the southern section of which is now excluded from the current ring road), and the newly extended ring road. This article only covers the current (new) 2nd Ring Road.
History and geography
The 2nd Ring Road runs close to where Beijing's city walls once stood; numerous junctions bear the old city gate's name. A small number of these city gates themselves still stand: Southeast corner tower, Deshengmen
Deshengmen (; lit. "Gate of Virtuous Triumph") is a city gate that was once part of Beijing's northern city wall. It is one of Beijing's few preserved city gates and now stands as a landmark on the northern 2nd Ring Road. Latimer D. (2014) ''The ...
and Yongdingmen (which has been rebuilt). Most of the old city walls were pulled down shortly after the People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
was established in 1949.
Although it was suggested that the 2nd Ring Road was built over the old city walls, by comparing current city maps with old maps of Beijing, it has been found this is not exactly true. The road instead mostly follows the former moat that surrounded the city wall; in places, the moat survives as a canal. The 2nd ring road was completed in the 1980s.
All traffic lights were removed in the 1990s, and several new overpasses were built.
In 2001, the 2nd Ring Road was overhauled. It was fully re-surfaced, and greenery substantially increased.
Much of Line 2 of 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 ...
runs underneath the Second Ring Road. Many stations have exits on both sides of the road, with the exception of Andingmen
Andingmen (; lit. "Gate of Stability") was a gate in Beijing's Ming-era city wall. The gate was torn down along with the city wall in the 1960s. Andingmen is now a place name. Where the gate once stood is now Andingmen Bridge, a roundabout ove ...
.
The Old 2nd Ring Road
The former "old 2nd Ring Road" has an elliptical shape. Its northwest corner is atXizhimen
Xizhimen () was a gate in the Beijing city wall and is now a transportation node in Beijing. The gate was the entrance of drinking water for the Emperor, coming from the Jade Spring Hills to the west of Beijing. The gate was demolished in 196 ...
, the northeast corner is at Dongzhimen
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 ...
, and southern corners are at Dongbianmen and Xibianmen. The southern side is the so-called "Metro Road" which goes through Qianmen
Qianmen () is the colloquial name for Zhengyangmen (; Manchu:; Möllendorff:tob šun-i duka, literally meaning "Gate of the Zenith Sun"), a gate in Beijing's historic city wall. The gate is situated to the south of Tiananmen Square and once guar ...
, at the southern end of Tian'anmen Square
Tiananmen Square or Tian'anmen Square (; 天安门广场; Pinyin: ''Tiān'ānmén Guǎngchǎng''; Wade–Giles: ''Tʻien1-an1-mên2 Kuang3-chʻang3'') is a city square in the city center of Beijing, China, named after the eponymous Tiananmen ...
.
The New 2nd Ring Road
The new road is simply an extension of the western and eastern parts of the original 2nd Ring Road. It extends beyond Dongbianmen and Xibianmen, thus reaching Zuo'anmen to the southeast and the Caihuying overpass complex in the southwest. The extensions were known for a while as the ''external 2nd Ring Road'', though this term is becoming more and more unpopular.Gates and the 2nd Ring Road
The 2nd Ring Road passes the sites of many of the old city gates around Beijing. These include: *Deshengmen
Deshengmen (; lit. "Gate of Virtuous Triumph") is a city gate that was once part of Beijing's northern city wall. It is one of Beijing's few preserved city gates and now stands as a landmark on the northern 2nd Ring Road. Latimer D. (2014) ''The ...
* Andingmen
Andingmen (; lit. "Gate of Stability") was a gate in Beijing's Ming-era city wall. The gate was torn down along with the city wall in the 1960s. Andingmen is now a place name. Where the gate once stood is now Andingmen Bridge, a roundabout ove ...
* Dongzhimen
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 ...
* Chaoyangmen
Chaoyangmen (; Manchu:; Möllendorff:šun be aliha duka) was a gate in the former city wall of Beijing. It is now a transportation node and a district border in Beijing. It is located in the Dongcheng District of northeastern central Beijing. R ...
* Guangqumen
The Beijing city fortifications were 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 2 of the Beij ...
* Zuo'anmen
* Yongdingmen
* You'anmen
* Guang'anmen
__NOTOC__
Guang'anmen, also known as the , Guangningmen and Zhangyimen, was a city gate of old Beijing, constructed during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor (1521–1567) of the Ming Dynasty. This gate was part of Beijing's city wall, situated s ...
* Fuchengmen
Fuchengmen (; Manchu:;Möllendorf:elgiyen i mutehe duka) was a gate on the western side of Beijing's city wall. The gate was torn down in the 1960s, and has been replaced by the Fuchengmen overpass on the 2nd Ring Road. Fuchengmen Station is a ...
* Xizhimen
Xizhimen () was a gate in the Beijing city wall and is now a transportation node in Beijing. The gate was the entrance of drinking water for the Emperor, coming from the Jade Spring Hills to the west of Beijing. The gate was demolished in 196 ...
Only Deshengmen and Yongdingmen (rebuilt 2005) still stand; the others were demolished in the 1950s and 1960s.
Gates through which the former Inner 2nd Ring Road ("Metro Road") passes are:
* Chongwenmen
Chongwenmen (; Manchu: ; Möllendorff: šu be wesihulere duka) was a gate that was part of Beijing's city wall in what is now Dongcheng District. The gate stood in the southeastern part of Beijing's inner city, immediately south of the old Beiji ...
* Zhengyangmen
* Xuanwumen
Only Zhengyangmen is still standing today.
Road conditions
Surface conditions
After completion in the 1980s, the design of the 2nd Ring Road was sufficient for its traffic load. However, as utilization increased in the late 20th century, the road surface rapidly deteriorated. Prior to 2001, the road gave motorists an uncomfortable bumpy ride. Since the total resurfacing, driving on the road has been much more pleasant. Partial resurfacing work is ongoing.Central location
Located in the heart of the city, the 2nd Ring Road is also a transportationbottleneck
Bottleneck literally refers to the narrowed portion (neck) of a bottle near its opening, which limit the rate of outflow, and may describe any object of a similar shape. The literal neck of a bottle was originally used to play what is now known as ...
. Traffic jams are common, and it is hard to find immediate alternative routes as the 2nd Ring has few direct links to expressways. For cars and larger vehicles, there is no way to cross the 2nd Ring Road except at full junctions, or by making a U-turn under an overpass; pedestrians, cycles and motorcycles can make use of pedestrian overpasses. The speed limit is 80 km/ h except for sharply turning sections such as between Xiaojie Bridge and Dongzhimen. Speed checks are very frequent and cameras are often operating, some of the locations of these are known, while some are hidden beneath bridges or behind screens.
Traffic jams
Traffic jams on the 2nd Ring Road have become a part of daily life. Nevertheless, their intensity varies. The northern stretch between ''Andingmen
Andingmen (; lit. "Gate of Stability") was a gate in Beijing's Ming-era city wall. The gate was torn down along with the city wall in the 1960s. Andingmen is now a place name. Where the gate once stood is now Andingmen Bridge, a roundabout ove ...
'' and ''Xiaojie Bridge'' is often jammed, particularly in the lead to the turn-off for the Airport Expressway. The same goes for part of the road around ''Deshengmen
Deshengmen (; lit. "Gate of Virtuous Triumph") is a city gate that was once part of Beijing's northern city wall. It is one of Beijing's few preserved city gates and now stands as a landmark on the northern 2nd Ring Road. Latimer D. (2014) ''The ...
'' and all of the western side. The entire eastern side is frequently jammed due to its proximity to the Beijing CBD.
Less frequently jammed traffic can be found on the southern stretch of the 2nd Ring Road from ''Caihuying
Caihuying () is an overpass complex in southwestern urban Beijing.
The main feature is Caihuying Bridge (). It links the 2nd Ring Road, which does a turn from south to east, with a connection road to the Jingkai Expressway and another route to th ...
'' through '' Zuo'anmen''.
While the 2nd Ring Road is often congested, unlike the 3rd Ring Road, it is never gridlocked. The 3rd Ring Road uses diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road.
Design
The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
s, which includes traffic lights. These interchanges back up traffic and causes gridlock. The 2nd Ring Road instead employs mostly cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passes over or under the ...
s, which allows traffic to flow freely and without traffic lights, therefore eliminating traffic back up.
Road condition monitors
Electronic message signs (or screens) are placed throughout the 2nd Ring Road, displaying information about current traffic. The information is only given in simplified Chinese characters
Simplified Chinese characters are standardized Chinese characters used in mainland China, Malaysia and Singapore, as prescribed by the '' Table of General Standard Chinese Characters''. Along with traditional Chinese characters, they are o ...
at present.
The western part of the 2nd Ring Road has "smart" electronic screens, automatically updated every five minutes. Traffic conditions are continuously monitored. Maps are also shown on them to notify drivers of road conditions at various parts of the road, including Jishuitan, Xizhimen
Xizhimen () was a gate in the Beijing city wall and is now a transportation node in Beijing. The gate was the entrance of drinking water for the Emperor, coming from the Jade Spring Hills to the west of Beijing. The gate was demolished in 196 ...
, and Fuxingmen
Fuxingmen () is the name of a gate that used to be a part of Beijing's old city wall. It is also the name of a road situated in central Beijing and on the northwestern stretch of the 2nd Ring Road.
Origin
Fuxingmen means "Gate of Revival". An o ...
on the 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 ...
.
Although only Chinese characters are used, the characters themselves are coloured red, yellow or green according to the type of message. This and the map displays make it somewhat easier for non-Chinese speakers to understand.
Links to expressways
TheBadaling Expressway
The Badaling Expressway (Simplified Chinese: 八达岭高速公路, Traditional Chinese: 八達嶺高速公路, Hanyu Pinyin: Bādálíng Gāosù Gōnglù) is an expressway in China which links urban Beijing to the Badaling stretch of the Great ...
is linked to (from the side road) at Deshengmen
Deshengmen (; lit. "Gate of Virtuous Triumph") is a city gate that was once part of Beijing's northern city wall. It is one of Beijing's few preserved city gates and now stands as a landmark on the northern 2nd Ring Road. Latimer D. (2014) ''The ...
. A direct ramp connection from both directions to the Airport Expressway was finished in 2006. The Jingkai Expressway is easily accessible by proceeding south to the complex-and-impressive Caihuying
Caihuying () is an overpass complex in southwestern urban Beijing.
The main feature is Caihuying Bridge (). It links the 2nd Ring Road, which does a turn from south to east, with a connection road to the Jingkai Expressway and another route to th ...
overpass. There are no direct connections from the 2nd Ring Road to the Jingshen Expressway, Jingjintang Expressway
Jingjintang Expressway (), also known as the Jingtang Expressway, links Beijing via central Tianjin to the Tanggu District in eastern Tianjin. 143 kilometres in length, it crosses the jurisdictions of Beijing and Tianjin municipalities and Hebei ...
, or Jingcheng Expressway.
It is possible to get to the Jingshi Expressway by heading southwest at Guang'anmen
__NOTOC__
Guang'anmen, also known as the , Guangningmen and Zhangyimen, was a city gate of old Beijing, constructed during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor (1521–1567) of the Ming Dynasty. This gate was part of Beijing's city wall, situated s ...
. Jianguomen links via Jianguomen Outer Street
Jianguomen Outer Street, also transliterated as Jianguomen Wai Avenue () is a major street in urban Beijing. It forms part of the extended Chang'an Avenue.
It runs from Jianguomen Bridge in the west through to Guomao on the east.
It runs thro ...
to the Jingtong Expressway and ultimately the Jingha Expressway.
List of exits
eading in a clockwise direction as of the Northern 2nd Ring Road Notes: * Exits present only in a clockwise direction are indicated by the symbol ↩; anticlockwise only, ↪; not yet open, ✕ * Exit sign symbols: ↗ = exit (✕ = unopened)North 2nd Ring Road
* ↗ Beitaipingzhuang, Xinjiekou (Jishuitan Bridge) * ↗ Madian ''-- connects to direct road toBadaling Expressway
The Badaling Expressway (Simplified Chinese: 八达岭高速公路, Traditional Chinese: 八達嶺高速公路, Hanyu Pinyin: Bādálíng Gāosù Gōnglù) is an expressway in China which links urban Beijing to the Badaling stretch of the Great ...
'' (Deshengmen
Deshengmen (; lit. "Gate of Virtuous Triumph") is a city gate that was once part of Beijing's northern city wall. It is one of Beijing's few preserved city gates and now stands as a landmark on the northern 2nd Ring Road. Latimer D. (2014) ''The ...
Bridge)
* ↗ Anhua Bridge ( Gulou Bridge, Zhonglou North Bridge)
* ↗ Jiangzhaikou (Andingmen
Andingmen (; lit. "Gate of Stability") was a gate in Beijing's Ming-era city wall. The gate was torn down along with the city wall in the 1960s. Andingmen is now a place name. Where the gate once stood is now Andingmen Bridge, a roundabout ove ...
Bridge)
* ↗ Yonghegong
The Yonghe Temple (, "Palace of Peace and Harmony"), also known as the Yonghe Lamasery, or popularly as the Lama Temple, is a temple and monastery of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism located on 12 Yonghegong Street, Dongcheng District, Be ...
, Beixinqiao (Yonghegong
The Yonghe Temple (, "Palace of Peace and Harmony"), also known as the Yonghe Lamasery, or popularly as the Lama Temple, is a temple and monastery of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism located on 12 Yonghegong Street, Dongcheng District, Be ...
Bridge)
* ↗ Hepingli (Xiaojie Bridge)
* ↗ Airport Expressway
East 2nd Ring Road
* ↗ Nongzhan Bridge, Beixinqiao (Dongzhimen
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 ...
Bridge)
* ↗ Changhong Bridge, Kuanjie ( Dongsishitiao Bridge)
* ↗ Dongdaqiao (Chaoyangmen
Chaoyangmen (; Manchu:; Möllendorff:šun be aliha duka) was a gate in the former city wall of Beijing. It is now a transportation node and a district border in Beijing. It is located in the Dongcheng District of northeastern central Beijing. R ...
Bridge)
* ↗ Dongdan, Guomao Bridge (Jianguomen Bridge)
* ↗ ( Dongbianmen Bridge)
* ↗ (Guangqumen
The Beijing city fortifications were 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 2 of the Beij ...
Bridge)
* ↗ Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven () is a complex of imperial religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for a ...
( Guangming Bridge)
South 2nd Ring Road
* ↗ ( Zuo'anmen Bridge) * ↗Chongwenmen
Chongwenmen (; Manchu: ; Möllendorff: šu be wesihulere duka) was a gate that was part of Beijing's city wall in what is now Dongcheng District. The gate stood in the southeastern part of Beijing's inner city, immediately south of the old Beiji ...
( Puhuangyu/ Yuting Bridge)
* ↗ ( Jingtai Bridge)
* ↗ ( Yongdingmen Bridge)
* ↗ ( Taoran Bridge)
* ↗ ( Kaiyang Bridge)
* ↗ ( You'anmen Bridge)
* ↗ Jingkai Expressway, Lize Bridge (Caihuying
Caihuying () is an overpass complex in southwestern urban Beijing.
The main feature is Caihuying Bridge (). It links the 2nd Ring Road, which does a turn from south to east, with a connection road to the Jingkai Expressway and another route to th ...
Bridge)
West 2nd Ring Road
* ↗ ( Baizhifang Bridge) * ↗ (Guang'anmen
__NOTOC__
Guang'anmen, also known as the , Guangningmen and Zhangyimen, was a city gate of old Beijing, constructed during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor (1521–1567) of the Ming Dynasty. This gate was part of Beijing's city wall, situated s ...
Bridge)
* ↗ ( Tianningsi Bridge, Xibianmen Bridge)
* ↗ (Fuxingmen
Fuxingmen () is the name of a gate that used to be a part of Beijing's old city wall. It is also the name of a road situated in central Beijing and on the northwestern stretch of the 2nd Ring Road.
Origin
Fuxingmen means "Gate of Revival". An o ...
Bridge)
* ↗ ( Yuetan South Bridge, Yuetan North Bridge)
* ↗ (Fuchengmen
Fuchengmen (; Manchu:;Möllendorf:elgiyen i mutehe duka) was a gate on the western side of Beijing's city wall. The gate was torn down in the 1960s, and has been replaced by the Fuchengmen overpass on the 2nd Ring Road. Fuchengmen Station is a ...
Bridge)
* ↗ ( Guanyuan Bridge)
* ↗ (Xizhimen
Xizhimen () was a gate in the Beijing city wall and is now a transportation node in Beijing. The gate was the entrance of drinking water for the Emperor, coming from the Jade Spring Hills to the west of Beijing. The gate was demolished in 196 ...
Bridge)
References
{{coord, 39, 53, 53, N, 116, 23, 12, E, region:CN-11_type:landmark, display=title Road transport in Beijing Ring roads in China