South Luogu Lane is one of the oldest blocks in Beijing which is listed among 25 old cities protection areas as planned. South Luogu Lane, running from north to south and starting from Gulou East Avenue in the north and ending at Di’anmen East Avenue in the south, is 786 meters long and 8 meters wide. It was built up in 1267 as the same time as the establishment of Yuan Dadu (the Great Capital of Yuan Dynasty). Now South Luogu Lane is the only totally preserved traditional residential district with chessboard type of yard-texture in Hutong of Yuan Dynasty which is the biggest, the highest rank as well as the most abundant in resources.

Historical and Cultural Background

A piece of jasper preserved intact

South Luogu Lane is a part of rear market (Houshi) in the city pattern of temple on the left, alter on the right, the imperial court in the front and market on the back in Yuan Dadu. It divided the whole as the center line into two parts with the east side belonged to the Zhaohui Fang and the west side to Jinggong Fang. In the Ming Dynasty, it belonged to Zhaohuijinggong Fang while turned to be Xianghuangqi (Bordered Yellow Banner) in the reign of Emperor Qianlong and then scheduled into third district in the inner city from the end of Guangxu to Xuantong of the Qing Dynasty and fifth district in the inner city in the Republic of China. There are 8 hutongs in orderly rows each side, assuming the sharp of fish bone as well as a centipede. In that case, South Luogu Lane is also called Centipede Lane. From south to north, there are 8 hutongs in the west side including Fuxiang Hutong, Suoyi Hutong, Yu’er Hutong, Mao’er Hutong, Jingyang Hutong, Shajing Hutong, Heizhima Hutong, Qiangulouyan Hutong while there are Chaodou Hutong, Banchang Hutong, East mianhua Hutong, North bingmasi Hutong, Qinlao Hutong, Qianyuan’ensi Hutong, Houyuan’ensi Hutong, Ju’er Hutong in the east side. These hutongs had no names in the Yuan Dynasty and got names developed from the Ming Dynasty. Such as Ju’er (Chrysanthemum) Hutong called Ju’er (Bureau) Hutong originally in Ming Dynasty then changed into Ju’er (Orange) Hutong and down to nowadays from the Xuangtong of Qing Dynasty renamed Ju’er (Chrysanthemum) Hutong (Chrysanthemum, bureau and orange are homophones in Chinese Pinyin all read as Ju). Tali Fang is the basic unit of residential district organization and urban planning and construction at Chinese ancient times. Early in the Qing Dynasty, it was called Li, lǘ or lǘli and Fang turned up from the Northern Wei Dynasty. Chang’an was the largest city in the world which had 108 Fangs in the Tang Dynasty. There continued to use the Li Fang system when doing plan and design to divide the whole city into 50 parts in Yuan Dadu and there are broadly straight streets and lanes between Fang and Fang as a chessboard.

Beijing was divided into 28 Fangs and combined the east and west side to be one Fang named Zhaohuijinggong Fang. In the Qing Dynasty, It belonged to Xianghuang Qi. South Luogu Lane was once called Luoguo Lane and was renamed South Luogu Lane in “Whole City Map” drew in the 15th year during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1750).

Now, to the north of South Luogu Lane District is Gulou East Avenue and Di’anmen East Avenue in the south with Di’anmenwai Avenue and Jiaodaokou South Avenue. The rectangular land enclosed by these 4 avenues is exactly the two Fangs of Yuan Dadu. South Luogu Lane is a demarcation lane with Zhaohui Fang in the east and Jinggong Fang in the west.

There had not a vestige of Li Fang of Chang’an in Tang Dynasty and its structure had changed beyond recognition during the historical change of over 800 years. However, South Luogu Land District entirely preserved the historical sites of Li Fang in Yuan Dadu. The pattern of hutongs is so complete that there established all kinds of architectures with various mansions and houses. It can be called a preserved piece of jasper intact in the scene of ancient capital of Beijing.

I came to visit South Luogu Lane again in a rarely cool afternoon with a drizzle during a hot summer of Beijing. It has been observed by trend-setters and foreign visitors because of the appearance of bars in this ancient street from the new century without noticing. Now, it has become the third bar street after Sanlitun, Shichahai.

Certain people say that Sanlitun Bar Street is colorful and Shichahai Bar Street is dark red while South Luogu Lane Bar Street is emerald green. Such comment does not only refer to the color of nature, but also their different cultural connotations. Each Hutong here is in a deep cultural accumulation and every house tells about old stories.