Dazhalan is one of the most famous commercial streets in Beijing. There are many famous century-old shops on the street such as Tongrentang. The commercial area outside Qianmen was formed in the Qing Dynasty when it was stipulated that people from other places must not stay in the city (within the present Qiansanmen Street) and the city gate of Beijing must be closed in the evening for the safety of the Forbidden City. People from other places had to live outside Qianmen. Thus, the Qianmen Commercial Area was formed.
The name itself, Dazhalan (literally means "big fence") and is pronounced "Dashilan'er" in the Chinese local dialect. In thee Ming Dynasty, fences were built at both ends of the alley to prevent thieves from entering this commercial area at night. Though as time passed, the fences disappeared, the name still remained.
When entering onto the street from the eastern end, visitors will find the time-honored Ruifuxiang Satin, Silk and Fur Shop, one of the eight famous silk and satin shops in Beijing. The first national flag of China raised in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949 was made of silk provided by Ruifuxiang. It has been open since 1893 and is famous for its high-quality colored cloth fabrics, Suzhou silk, exquisite satins and fine tailoring services.
Founded in 1853, Neiliansheng Shoe Store has an auspicious name which literally means "successive promotions in official ranks." The founder used this name in the hope that officials who wore his shoes would be promoted, and thus the store won great popularity among imperial officials. Today at the store craftsmen can be seen making traditional shoes – stitching the cloth soles in public view.
Another reason for the street's popularity is that some theaters and cinemas are located here. Built in 1905, Daguanlou Cinema is the city's oldest cinema, and well worth a visit. When the first movie produced by China, Dingjun Mountain, was shown there, it was a grand occasion. Opposite the cinema is Guangdelou Theater, which was built in the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1875-1908) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Walking along the street, you will also find a number of old shops, including Zhangyiyuan Tea Shop, Zhangxiaoquan Scissors Shop, Majuyuan Hat Shop and Tongrentang Pharmacy, which all enjoy over 100 years of history. As those time-honored brands are integral to Beijing culture, this street with business traditions not found elsewhere has become a symbol of old Beijing.
There is an old saying in Beijing: Heading Majuyuan (hat shop) Wearing Badaxiang (silk shop) Stepping Neiliansheng (shoes shop) Placing Sidaheng around the waist (native bank) Thanks to its convenient location, Qianmenwai area has always been a place where there are many people from other places as well as large and small hotels and restaurants. The common characteristic of these famous old shops is that they pay attention to their reputation. For example, the founder of Tongrentang said, although the processing of drugs is complicated, we dare not use less labor; although improving the quality is expensive, we dare not use less material.
Customer reviews:
This side street to the big pedestrial Qianmen Street is a great place to go for walk. With a very long hisotry, the old buildings provides a hostorical flair to the street and the shops are good for souvenir shopping even if they maybe don't primary gears towards the tourists. The street continues over several larger streets towards the west and ends in the end up in the Arts- and handicrafts street. Lots of food joints on the side streets to this side street. worth a visit!
How to get there
By subway: Take subway Line 2 to Qianmen Station
By bus: Take bus 2/20/48/59/66/69/71/120/626/729 to Dashilan'er Station
What to buy
The three-story Dashilan'er branch of Tongrentang Pharmacy is its best-known Beijing outlet, selling traditional medicines of all sorts, patented pills for an assortment of ailments, and offers herb mixing services.
Hours: 8 a.m.-7.30 p.m.
Address: No.24 Dashilan'er Street
