Beijing Tianqiao (Heavenly Bridge) used to be an area where people worked, did their shopping and went for entertainment. Before 1949, Beijing Tianqiao (Heavenly Bridge) exerted tremendous influence on the daily life of the people.

People say that old Beijing Tianqiao (Heavenly Bridge) was a cradle of Beijing folk arts including cross talk, two men comic shows, clapper talk and trick cycling. A large number of folk artists grew up in this area and later became world-famous masters.

In modern Chinese history, Beijing Tianqiao (Heavenly Bridge) was also linked with many great names. Li Dazhao(1889-1927) and Chen Duxiu (1880-1942) , founders of the Chinese Communist Party, once distributed leaflets here in June 1919 to advocate the revolution against the warlords.

With a history of more than 600 years, Beijing Tianqiao (Heavenly Bridge) has left indelible impressions on Beijing citizens. Since the founding of New China in 1949,Beijing Tianqiao (Heavenly Bridge) has witnessed a dramatic change. A lot of new buildings such as Tianqiao Theatre, Tianqiao Bazaar, the Beijing Natural Museum, the Friendship Hospital and Beijing Rainbow Hotel have been constructed. The former local brothels and secret societies have all been cleared away, and most of these places have been turned into residential areas.

In oreder to inherit and develop the folk arts, a foundation has been set up to help reconstruct the Beijing Tianqiao (Heavenly Bridge) area.