The street is located in Xuanwu District, 1 kilometer from Tiananmen Square. It runs to 800 meters from south and north Liuxiang in the west to Yanshousi Street in the east. It was named Haiwang Village in the Liao and Jin dynasties. In the Yuan and Ming dynasties an official kiln was located here which produced glazed tiles for building imperial palaces. During Emperor Kangxi’s and Qianlong’s reign in the Qing Dynasty it became a well-know cultural street for selling antiques. Though the kiln was closed up in the Emperor Qianlong’s reign, it has continued to be called Liulichang, or glazed tiles factory. It is a spot of historical and cultural interest that shows traditional Chinese culture, especially in terms of painting and calligraphy.
In the Qing Dynasty, most officials of the Han nationality in the capital lived outside Xuanwu Gate on the west of Liulichang. Also close to it were hostels for imperial examination candidates. As these people needed many books, Liulichang became the biggest book market in Beijing. When Emperor Qianlong ordered an imperial encyclopedia to be compiled, it became the place for booksellers from all over the country to set up book stalls and shops. That contributed a great deal to the growth of Liulichang as a cultural street. By 1876, or the 2ndyear of Emperor Guangxu’s reign, the number of bookstores here had reached over 270. In the early Republican Period, with nearly 200 stores and workshops producing and selling culture-related products, Liulichang became known at home and abroad as a cultural street.
Between 1980 and 1984, the state government had the old 6-li(3-kilometer) street of Liulichang renovated and expanded in an extensive way. 59 shops with simple, elegant, and distinctively Chinese designs were built, which cover a total floor space of 34,000 square meters. As a result, the street became a high-taste commercial center dealing in books, jade, porcelain, sculpture, copperware, paintings, calligraphic works, and stationery as well as a place of interest reflecting the appearance of the ancient capital.
Many age-old shops on the street have made important contributions to preserving Chinese culture. Laixun Pavilion, which was set up in Emperor Xianfeng’s reign in the Qing Dynasty, has always been dealing in good editions of ancient books. It has donated a valuable copy ofWater Margin(a classic Chinese novel written in the Ming Dynasty; the type of this copy was set in the Ming Dynasty, and it was printed in the Qing Dynasty) to Beijing Library. And it was at this store that the earliest copy ever discovered of West Chamber (a play), now kept in the library of Beijing University, was discovered and bought.
China Bookstore is the first state-run store specializing in collecting ancient books and distributing and publishing new editions of them. It collects ancient and used books in various ways–receiving sellers that come to the store, visiting their houses, or scouring urban and rural areas all over the country. 5,000 rare copies and valuable copies it discovered have gone to the National Library for permanent keeping.
Rongbaozhai is a painting shop that was founded over 300 years ago, in 1672, or the 11thyear of Emperor Kangxi’s reign. It is well known for making genuine-looking copies with its ‘wood carving watermark’ technique. Qi Baishi, a renowned master of painting, had found it difficult to tell his works from their copies made with the technique by Rongbaozhai. Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai had presented paintings made by the shop as gifts to foreign leaders.
Liulichang has also won high reputation among writers and artists for the four treasures of study sold here–writing brush, ink stick, paper and ink slab. The famous Yidege, which opened in 1865 (the 4thyear of Emperor Tongzhi’s reign in the Qing Dynasty), was the first manufacturer of Chinese ink. Daiyuexuan, created in 1916 and named after its creator, makes high-quality writing brushes, which were Qi Baishi’s favorite.
The cross-section between Liulichang Street and Xinhua Street is called Changdian. The greatest Spring Festival temple fair in Beijing has been held here for 200 years. As described by Ma Jiongzhang, who lived in the Qing Dynasty, during the Spring Festival, Changdian would be packed with men and women, some in carriages and some on foot, from all over the city. Records say that in the Spring Festival of 1963, tourists that came to Changdian numbered 4 million. The temple fair was halted after the Cultural Revolution began, and was not resumed until 2002. Since then, a temple fair of folk customs and culture has been held from the 1stto the 6thday of the Spring Festival each year. It shows the culture of Beijing and south Xuanwu Disrtict, blending tradition with the spirit of the times. The cultural street serves for sightseeing, leisure, shopping, and refreshment, featuring open markets, flower shows, float processions, handicrafts, restaurants, amusements, etc. It is the most exciting place to go during the Spring Festival.
Address:South Xinhua Street, Xuanwu District, Beijing
liulichang3