A new street in Beijing: Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691 Called Qianmen Da Jie (Qianmen Street), this new development forms part of the traditional North-South axis of old Beijing. What is old about it, however, is debatable. It was not restored to its Yuan or Ming-dynasty origins because, as in the case of Prince Gong's Palace, historical photographs were employed, a medium which pushes Qianmen Street's history back only into the 1920s and 30s. The architectural styles are therefore of considerable diversity, with hybrid facades blending Eastern and Western designs dominating. Without any glaring shop windows and merchandise on display yet, this street is a very charming recreation of a time gone by fast and hard. Note that bold advertisement boards, so ubiquitous all over China, are absent from this streetscape. The one-track trolley is cute in a tourist sense, but really only a tiny remnant of the original circular system running alongside the old city walls of the Republican period. <br/><br/>Intended to open for the Beijing Olympics in August 2008, the 845 m long street is now slated to be fully furnished and functional as a pedestrian shopping area by May 2009. Not only the delay of about one year is costly, but, as Michael Meyer attests in his book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Days-Old-Beijing-Backstreets/dp/0802716520/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_i" target="_blank">The Last Days of Old Beijing - Life in the Vanishing Backstreets of a City Transformed</a>", its construction was a highly controversial enterprise, involving the demolition of almost entire (ancient) neighborhoods and the (oftentimes forced) relocation of thousands of long-time <a href="http://www.dazhalan-project.org/" target="_blank">Dazhalan</a> area residents. <br/><br/>Visited on a very cold January afternoon. When the lights came on, the street was totally transformed. Technically speaking, this project is extremely well executed. <br/><br/>Thomas H. Hahn, Ithaca, NY en-us (C) Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Mon, 02 Feb 2009 02:58:49 GMT Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:21:05 GMT Street Scenes City Scenes http://hahn.zenfolio.com/img/s11/v3/p537251786-10.jpg A new street in Beijing: Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691 90 120 Qianmen (Arrow Tower Gate) stands beyond the northern end of the street http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e3517076D

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Qianmen (Arrow Tower Gate) stands beyond the northern end of the street http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e3517076D Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:09:57 GMT A new Ceremonial Gateway was erected at the street's northern end http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e3D84EF55

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) A new Ceremonial Gateway was erected at the street's northern end http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e3D84EF55 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:17:43 GMT View towards the south; shops are said to be open by May 2009 http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e36F5E481

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) View towards the south; shops are said to be open by May 2009 http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e36F5E481 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:08:35 GMT Recreation of a facade from the 1920s I http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e29103E70

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Recreation of a facade from the 1920s I http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e29103E70 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:09:25 GMT Recreation of a facade from the 1920s II http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e329A4D74

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Recreation of a facade from the 1920s II http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e329A4D74 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:13:43 GMT Recreation of a facade from the 1920s III http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e3473207E

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Recreation of a facade from the 1920s III http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e3473207E Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:16:37 GMT A facade from a much more contemporary period http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e21424DC3

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) A facade from a much more contemporary period http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e21424DC3 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:10:58 GMT Trees planted in stone barrels; a very modern facade in the back http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e2005CFCA

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Trees planted in stone barrels; a very modern facade in the back http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e2005CFCA Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:21:05 GMT Enormous bronce vessels planted with flowers line the street http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e2DF20A5A

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Enormous bronce vessels planted with flowers line the street http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e2DF20A5A Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:12:08 GMT Street lighting, always bordering on the extravagant in China, takes the form of dual bird cages here http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e2C77B99E

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Street lighting, always bordering on the extravagant in China, takes the form of dual bird cages here http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e2C77B99E Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:20:06 GMT Flagship front of the Quanjude Beijing Duck restaurant (founded here in 1868) http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e3080B397

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Flagship front of the Quanjude Beijing Duck restaurant (founded here in 1868) http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e3080B397 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:15:25 GMT The street at dusk. Someone threw the switch, and the street was totally transformed http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e242C4542

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) The street at dusk. Someone threw the switch, and the street was totally transformed http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e242C4542 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:19:14 GMT The bird cage street lamp, alighting the empty street below http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e25CF83A9

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) The bird cage street lamp, alighting the empty street below http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e25CF83A9 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:22:26 GMT Technically, this development leaves little to be desired http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e3E453F70

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Technically, this development leaves little to be desired http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e3E453F70 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:20:36 GMT Highly effective lighting, applied to a new hybrid East-West type facade http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e31781C83

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Highly effective lighting, applied to a new hybrid East-West type facade http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e31781C83 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:23:13 GMT A restaurant, one of the few places open for business, at the north-west corner of the street http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e35DCF755

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]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) A restaurant, one of the few places open for business, at the north-west corner of the street http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p389125691/e35DCF755 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:04:51 GMT