Xicheng () is a district of the city of

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

. Its cover the western half of the old city (largely inside 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 ri ...

; the eastern half is Dongcheng District), and has 1,106,214 inhabitants (2020 Census). Its

postal code A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or numerical digit, digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, inclu ...

is 100032. Xicheng is subdivided into 15 subdistricts of the city proper of Beijing. The former Xuanwu District was merged into Xicheng in July 2010. The

Xidan Xidan (Chinese character, Chinese: wikt:西, 西wikt:单, 单; Pinyin: Xīdān) is a major traditional commercial area in Beijing, China. It is located in the Xicheng District. The Xidan commercial district incorporates the Xidan Culture Square ...

commercial district,

Beijing Financial Street Beijing Financial Street (BFS) () is where Chinese regulatory agencies are located. It is located inside Beijing's innermost 2nd Ring Road. The central bank's headquarters as well as three key financial bodies are located here. They are th ...

Beihai Park Beihai Park is a public park and former imperial garden immediately northwest of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. First built in the 12th century, Beihai is among the largest of all surviving Chinese gardens and contains numerous histo ...

Jingshan Park Jingshan Park is an imperial park covering immediately north of the Forbidden City in the Imperial City area of Beijing, China. The focal point is the artificial hill Jingshan (, ). Formerly a private imperial garden attached to the grounds of ...

Shichahai Shichahai () is a historic scenic area consisting of three lakes in the north of central Beijing. They are located directly northwest of the Forbidden City and north of the Beihai Lake. Shichahai consists of the following three lakes: Qianhai () ...

, and

Zhongnanhai Zhongnanhai () is a compound that houses the offices of and serves as a residence for the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the State Council of the People's Republic of China, State Council. It was a former imperial gard ...

are all within its jurisdiction. The popular

Houhai Houhai () is a lake and its surrounding neighborhood in Xicheng District of central Beijing, China. Houhai is the largest of the three lakes, along with Qianhai 'Front Lake' and Xihai 'Western Lake', that comprise Shichahai, the collective ...

bar area is also in Xicheng Precinct. Before the

1911 Revolution The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC). The revolution was the culmination of a decade ...

, most royalty and aristocrats resided in the precinct. The oldest Catholic church in Beijing, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is located in Xicheng.

Administrative divisions

There are 15

subdistricts A subdistrict or sub-district is an administrative division that is generally smaller than a district. Equivalents * Administrative posts of East Timor, formerly Portuguese-language * Kelurahan, in Indonesia * Mukim, a township in Brunei, Indon ...

in the district:

Economy

COSCO China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) was a former shipping corporation from 1961 to 2016, owned by the State Council of the People's Republic of China, State Council of China. The company merged with China Shipping Group, China Shipping Grou ...

has its headquarters in the Ocean Plaza building in Xicheng. The

Xinhua News Agency Xinhua News Agency (English pronunciation: ),J. C. Wells: Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, 3rd ed., for both British and American English or New China News Agency, is the official state news agency of the People's Republic of China. It is a ...

has its headquarters in the Dacheng Plaza (大成大厦 ''Dàchéng Dàshà'') in Xicheng. In addition

Bank of China The Bank of China (BOC; ; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Banco da China'') is a state-owned Chinese Multinational corporation, multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered in Beijing, Beijing, China. It is one of ...

China Construction Bank The China Construction Bank Corporation (CCB) is a Chinese partially state-owned Multinational corporation, multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered in Beijing, Beijing, China. It is one of the "Big four banks, big ...

, the

State Grid Corporation of China The State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), commonly known as the State Grid, is a Chinese state-owned electric utility corporation. It is the largest utility company in the world. , State Grid is the world's third largest company overall by re ...

China National Nuclear Corporation The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC; ) is a state-owned enterprise founded in 1955 in Beijing. CNNC's president and vice-president are appointed by the Premier of the People's Republic of China. CNNC oversees all aspects of China's civ ...

, and

Taikang Life Insurance Taikang Life Insurance Company Limited is a Beijing-based, China-incorporated life insurance company, the fourth largest life insurer by premium income in China, offers services ranging from life insurance to asset management. It was founded i ...

also have their headquarters in Xicheng.

Government

The

Chinese Ministry of Education The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China is a constituent department of the State Council, responsible for basic education, vocational education, higher education, and other educational affairs throughout the country. Th ...

is headquartered in

, Xicheng District. The

Chinese Academy of Sciences The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS; ) is the national academy for natural sciences and the highest consultancy for science and technology of the People's Republic of China. It is the world's largest research organization, with 106 research i ...

is headquartered in Xicheng District. The

China Food and Drug Administration The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA; ) is a national bureau responsible for drug supervision under the State Council of China and is managed by the State Administration for Market Regulation. History The agency had multiple fo ...

is headquartered in Xicheng District. The

Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office The Hong Kong and Macao Work Office, concurrently known as the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council (HMO), is an administrative office of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party responsible for promoting cooper ...

headquarters is in Xicheng District. The Office of the

Government of the HKSAR The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government) is the Executive (government), executive authorities of Hong Kong. It was established on 1 July 1997, following the ...

in Beijing is in Xicheng District.

Important areas in Xicheng District

* Imperial City *

* Drum Tower and Bell Tower * Prince Gong's Residence (Gongwang Fu) * Xinjiekou *

Xisi Xisi () literally, the "Western Four" or the "Western Quadrangle", is the name of an intersection and surrounding neighborhood in Xicheng District, Beijing. Xisi, at the intersection of what is now Xisi Avenue and Fuchengmen Inner Avenue, dates t ...

Qianmen Qianmen () is the colloquial name for Zhengyangmen (; Manchu: ; Möllendorff:tob šun-i duka, ), a gate in Beijing's historic city wall. The gate is situated to the south of Tiananmen Square and once guarded the southern entry into the Inner Cit ...

* Dashilar *

Liulichang Liulichang () is a street in Xicheng, Beijing, Xicheng District, 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. Histo ...

(an ancient antiques market since Qing Dynasty) *

Beijing Zoo Beijing Zoo is a zoological park in Xizhimen, Xicheng District, Beijing. Founded in 1906 during the late Qing dynasty, it is the oldest zoo in China and oldest public park in northern China. The zoo is also a center of zoological research that ...

Fayuan Temple The Fayuan Temple (), situated in the southwest quarter of central Beijing, is one of the city's oldest and most renowned Buddhist temples. History The Fayuan Temple, originally named the Minzhong Temple, was first built in 645 during the ...

Huguang Guild Hall The Huguang Guild Hall () in Beijing is one of Beijing's most renowned Peking opera theaters. History Built in 1807, and at the height of its glory, the Huguang Guild Hall, along with the Zhengyici Peking Opera Theater was known as one of the ...

Miaoying Temple The Miaoying Temple (), also known as the "White Stupa Temple" (), is a Chinese Buddhist temple on the north side of Fuchengmennei Street in the Xicheng District of Beijing. The temple was a monastery of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism and ...

Niujie Mosque The Niujie Mosque ( "Oxen Street House of Worship" or "Oxen Street Mosque") is the oldest mosque in Beijing, China. It was first built in 996 during the Liao dynasty and was reconstructed as well as enlarged under the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661� ...

Transport

Metro

Xicheng is served by seven metro lines of the

Beijing Subway The Beijing Subway is the rapid transit system of Beijing Direct-controlled municipality, Municipality that consists of 29 lines including 24 rapid transit lines, two airport rail links, one maglev line and two light rail, light rail tram line ...

: * -

Muxidi Muxidi Station () is a station on Line 1 of the Beijing Subway. The Line 16 station opened on December 31, 2022, and currently serves as an out-of-system interchange (OSI) with Line 1. It will connect with Line 18 in the future. Station lay ...

, Nanlishilu, ,

, Tian'anmen West * - Guloudajie , Jishuitan, Xizhimen , Chegongzhuang ,

Fuchengmen Fuchengmen (; Manchu:; Möllendorf:elgiyen i mutehe duka), formerly known as Pingze Gate, 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 Ri ...

, , Changchunjie, ,

Hepingmen Hepingmen (), literally meaning the Gate of Peace, was a gate in Beijing's former city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple ...

* - Xizhimen , , Ping'anli ,

, Lingjing Hutong,

, , Caishikou , Taoranting * - Chegongzhuang West, Chegongzhuang , Ping'anli , Beihai North * - Wanzi, Daguanying, Guang'anmennei, Caishikou , Hufangqiao * - , Guloudajie , , , * - Xizhimen

Suburban Railway

Xicheng is served by one commuter line operated by

Beijing Suburban Railway BCR (''Beijing City Rail'') also known as Beijing Suburban Railway is a commuter rail service that connects urban Beijing with outlying districts beyond the reach of the city's Beijing Subway network. The suburban rail services run on existi ...

(BCR). * - Beijing North railway station

Education

Primary and secondary schools

The High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University The High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University () is a public secondary school affiliated with Beijing Normal University, located in Xicheng, Beijing, Xicheng, Beijing, China. Alumni *Zhao Shiyan *Ma Dayou *Qian Xuesen *Ma Dayou *Li Landi ...

is in Xicheng; it was located in Xuanwu District before Xicheng absorbed Xuanwu. Beijing No.4 High School is also in Xicheng District. One school in Niujie, the Beijing Xuanwu Huimin Elementary School (S: 北京市宣武回民小学, P: ''Běijīng Shì Xuānwǔ Huímín Xiǎoxué''), serves the

Hui people The Hui people are an East Asian ethnoreligious group predominantly composed of Islam in China, Chinese-speaking adherents of Islam. They are distributed throughout China, mainly in the Northwest China, northwestern provinces and in the Zhongy ...

living in the area. It used to be in Xuanwu District. The Beijing Municipal Commission of Education (), the local education authority, used to be headquartered in Xicheng District.

Post-secondary schools

* People's Public Security University of China *

Central Conservatory of Music The Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM; ) is the national music academy of China, located in Beijing. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education. The academy is part of Project 211 and the Double First-Class Construction. Overview Fo ...

is based in Xicheng, near

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 ...

and Changchunjie stations.

References

External links

Official website of Xicheng District Government
* Includes 20 high quality photographs * Includes 20 high quality photographs {{authority control Districts of Beijing National Civilized City