Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Qing Dynasty Shopping Mall
The entrance to Dashilar, officially known as Dazhalan Jie (
大栅栏街
), is via a tiny
alley off the restored Qianmen Dajie. The frenzied atmosphere of commerce is just
the same as it was during the Qing dynasty, when this was Beijing's premier shop-
ping area and each of the lanes off Dashilar was known for selling a specific product.
Pills & Potions
Make sure to stop in at
Tongrentang
(
同仁堂
; 24 Dazhalan Jie
大栅栏街
24
号
;
8am-7.30pm; Qianmen)
, which has been peddling pills and potions since 1669. It was
a royal dispensary in the Qing dynasty and its herbal medicines are based on secret
remedies. If you're feeling rough, there are doctors on site for consultations. They'll
cure you of anything from fright to encephalitis, or so the shop claims.
Daguanlou Cinema
大观楼影城
大观楼影城
Dashilar evolved as a commercial area because shops were banned from the imperial
city itself, along with theatres and brothels. That's why Dashilar was also the site of
the first cinema in Beijing. Opened in 1903 and still showing films daily,
Daguanlou
Cinema
(36 Dazhalan Jie
大栅栏街
36
号
)
is now the longest-running movie house in
the world.
Stinky Tofu
Cross Meishi Jie and enter the western side of Dazhalan Jie (
大栅栏西街
) and you
will be assailed by the unique and pungent smell of stinky tofu. The food stalls that
line the top of this
hutong
are a great place to sample Beijing street food. Try the
pancake-like
jianbing, roubing,
bread filled with meat, or hold your nose and get an
order of stinky tofu.
