Stroll through Chongyong and enjoy the charm of the old city
2024-08-25
한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina
After years of renovation, Chongyong Street has now taken on a new look. Photo by Deng Wei, a reporter from Beijing Daily Client
The autumn weather is crisp and the old city is full of charm. Walking out of Lama Temple subway station and heading south along the street, the streetscape along the way is worth savoring again and again - the building facades are "unmasked" to reveal the historical style; the "multi-pole integration" transformation streamlines the municipal poles and lines to enhance the slow-moving experience. Block renewal leads to business upgrades, old brands have become "trendy", coffee shops have become "popular", and more and more "Internet celebrity" stores have attracted citizens and tourists to stop.
Recently, the "Central Axis of Beijing" was successfully listed as a World Heritage Site. As an important secondary axis of the city accompanying the Central Axis, Chongyong Street, which connects the Temple of Heaven in the south and the Temple of Earth in the north, has also received widespread attention. After years of renovation, Chongyong Street has now taken on a new look.
Architecture "removes makeup" and reveals the true face of time-honored brands
No. 108, Dongsi South Street, is a five-bay storefront. Pedestrians come and go in a hurry, and many people are deeply impressed by its elegant appearance and exquisite carvings. Little do they know that it is the site of the old Beijing pastry shop "Hefanglou" in the Qing Dynasty, which was once more famous than the well-known "Daoxiangcun".
"It used to have several large billboards, and during the demolition process, the wooden structure was slowly exposed." Sun Shutong, an architect of the Chongyong Street project of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, still remembers the renovation scene many years ago. As the outsourced attachments were stripped off, a typical traditional building with a pavement was presented to everyone. After investigation, the project team confirmed that this was the old site of Hefang Building, and it was estimated that it was built in the late 19th century.
What is commendable is that after more than a hundred years, Hefang Tower still basically retains its original style from the late Qing Dynasty. After more than a dozen restoration processes, Hefang Tower finally regained its glory, and the pattern of "Phoenix Wearing Peony" on the eaves is clearly visible.
The renovation of Hefang Building is a microcosm of the renovation of Chongyong Street. Sun Shutong introduced that the renovation of the street insisted on using the old craft of "real brick paving", which only "removed makeup" but not "pasted the skin", breaking away from the inertial thinking of "putting on makeup". During the renovation, 1.41 million old bricks, 312,000 old tiles and a large number of wooden components were used throughout the street, and the overall recycling rate of old materials reached 65%.
"We are not simply restoring the past or going back to a certain historical era. Instead, we are presenting a panoramic cultural context from tradition to modern times based on a review of the historical and cultural values and characteristics of different sections of the street." Qian Chuan, deputy chief planner of the Famous Cities Branch of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, introduced that there are more than a dozen similar old buildings and time-honored brands on Chongyong Street. Old signboards such as "Yongming Paint Shop" and "Dongsi South Grain Shop" have also been properly preserved, showing the charm of time.
Street "tooth extraction" poles become history
Improving the neighborhood environment is not limited to the renovation of buildings. "In the past, people could not feel the history and culture of the streets, first of all because the streets were difficult to walk on and the facilities were messy, which made people not in the mood to relax and appreciate them." In Sun Shutong's view, only by slowing down the streets can the culture be revealed.
"After the renovation, the changes are particularly great. Walking on the street now, such a wide road, my heart feels bright." Sister Ding lives in Dongsi and has been a resident for more than 20 years. In her memory, the street used to be shabby and messy, which really fits the "old" character of the old city. "After the renovation, it is neat and bright, and I am very excited." Sister Ding's eyes were wet as she spoke.
The old residents feel deeply the changes that have taken place in the street over time.
In order to make the road easier to walk, the design team "pulled teeth" from the street, integrating 893 poles into 345, and the scene of poles standing in the street became history. In addition, various boxes such as electrical boxes were reduced from 707 to 24, and all electrical boxes were removed from the sidewalk, truly realizing concealment, miniaturization, and landscape.
The building steps and illegal buildings occupying the sidewalks were demolished and renovated, the sidewalks on the street were expanded, more than 20 pedestrian bottlenecks were cleared, the width of the sidewalks along the entire road section was increased from 1.5 meters to more than 2.5 meters, and the street corner space was also optimized.
"Basically, I will stroll to the river and Ditan Park once in the morning and once in the evening every day. Before going home, I will buy some vegetable dumplings, which are delicious!" said Sister Ding with a smile.
Business format upgrades and old streets welcome young people
After the street renovation was completed, residents and merchants who have lived here for a long time, as well as passers-by and tourists, all felt that this place has more feeling and flavor. More and more young people came to City Walk.
Walking along the main street, cultural and consumer places have already produced a clustering effect. Old brands such as Risheng Grain Store, Silian Hair Salon, Tongrentang, and Kaorouwan have been reborn, and young people are flocking to try the "Erba Sauce"; bakeries such as Daoxiangcun Store No. 0 and Red Star Qianjin Bread and Milk Company have become well-known "Internet celebrities"; new cultural spaces such as the "Highlight Snow Lotus" Cultural and Creative Park and Nanyang Sharing Space have added to the fun of the neighborhood. Dongsi North Street is ridiculed by netizens as the most "curious" coffee street, which has boosted the attraction of the entire area to young people.
At No. 165 Lama Temple Street, the "Chongyong Living Room", which officially opened in early 2022, has now become a distinctive space on the street. Co-built by the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design and Beixinqiao Subdistrict, it is not only a base for the protection and renewal of the old city, a salon space for design creativity, but also a community living room for residents.
"Welcome to come often!" After the living room was completed, Guo Lei, the responsible planner of the Chongyong Living Room project of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, "moved" his office here and warmly welcomed every visitor. Guo Lei introduced that the team cooperated with Caoyuan Community to carry out a series of activities such as the most "Beijing-style" intangible cultural heritage into the community and coffee culture into the community, and many young people visited. "We are happy to see that the street is becoming more and more popular."
The literary style is like the Beijing rhythm, and the market is full of silver.
Qian Chuan believes that under the guidance of planning and positioning, the overall appearance of the street has been improved in an orderly manner, the cultural characteristics have been fully demonstrated, the changes are obvious to all, and the results are shared by residents. "We are very happy to see that young people have returned to the old neighborhood and the neighborhood is full of vitality!"
