THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Beijing - page 119

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Qianmen Dajie
前门大街 , qiánmén dàjiē • Qianmen subway (line 2) • Trams 9am-6pm; ￥ 25
Stretching immediately south of Qianmen , Qianmen Dajie was once the Imperial Way. The
newly pedestrianized street was gentrified to within an inch of its life in preparation for the
2008 Olympics, though wasn't completed until well over a year after the games had finished.
Formed of a pleasing pastiche of dynastic styles, it's now one of the trendiest parts of Beijing.
Many choose to travel its length in a restored tram ; the two grinding up and down the street
are relics from the days when the city had a full network, but it's a lot to pay for an 800m-
long trip, and it's faster to walk.