Past and Present

By Li Qing

No.108 Dongsi South Street in Beijing consists of three clothing stores. However， they were once connected and belonged to an old brand.

When renovations on Dongsi Street， located in Dongcheng District started in July 2020， experts from the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design removed its marble facade and uncovered a traditional building， the eaves and oil decorations and paintings of which have remained intact.

“It is an exciting discovery as those old components are well preserved，”Zhang Hanyu， head of the project， told Beijing Review. After browsing historical files such as old photos， they found their answer—it was the site of one of the earliest bakeries in Beijing hundreds of years ago， namely Hefanglou.

The dessert store， established in the Yuan Dynasty （1279-1368） and fading into history in the late Qing Dynasty（1644-1911）， was widely famed for its diverse and appetizing flavors.

The team then came up with a plan to protect and renovate the building.

Using traditional techniques and materials， they reinforced its pillars and strengthened the beams， as well as fixed or replaced the eaves and stone carvings.

Including No.108， a total of 16 ancient buildings were revamped. Their significance not only lies in the preservation of traditional style， but also in telling the historical tales of Dongsi Street， he said.

Dongsi Street， made up of southern and northern parts， rolls out for nearly 2.8 km. Since the Yuan Dynasty， it has been a commercial district. Today， nearly 70 percent of architecture lined up along the street is still used for commercial purposes.

“Dramatic changes have taken place on this street due to buzzing business activities in the past centuries. Some with detrimental effects on the living conditions and overall style of the street，”Zhang added.

At the same time， the program of modifying the living environment in Beijings hutongs， the citys traditional alleyways that was initiated four years ago， has made remarkable progress. Their transformation culminated in the upgrading of the areas where those alleys finally converge. Wrapping up in early 2021， the Dongsi Street project is a leading example of one such renovation.

Stories in history

Today， walking down Dongsi area， people may feel like passing through the rushes from an old movie of decades ago. Historical flavors aside， this block has successfully realized the combination of traditional life in a commercial and cultural setting.