Ruyliu Chang

Author: Ma Jianong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: In the historical evolution of the Liulichang area, several significant historical events became turning points. The emergence of kilns in the Yuan Dynasty here is a key point, the establishment of the Liulichang office in the Ming Dynasty is another, and the construction of the outer city walls of Beijing during the Jiajing era was another major event. After the Ming Dynasty overthrew the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongol rulers retreated to the northern grasslands. However, they still frequently advanced southward, raiding the Ming Dynasty's territories and even approaching Beijing, posing a certain threat to the Ming Dynasty. In fact, during the early Ming Dynasty, Beijing was constantly under the threat of Mongol cavalry. In the 14th year of the Zhengtong reign (1449), the Wala army launched a large-scale southward advance. The Ming Emperor Yingzong personally led the army to resist, but was captured in the Battle of Tumu Fortress in August. In October, the Wala army, with Emperor Yingzong, advanced to the gates of Beijing. Yuxian and others led the army to repeatedly defeat the Wala forces of Yesen at Deshengmen, Xizhimen, and Zhangyimen, finally saving Beijing from falling. This is the famous "Battle of Beijing" in Beijing's history. After the Jingtai era, Mongol cavalry still frequently advanced southward to attack. In August of the 28th year of the Jiajing reign (1549), Anqi Khan led the Mongol army to approach Beijing, reaching outside Dongzhimen. This is known as the "Gengxi Incident" in the Ming Dynasty. The continuous raids of the Mongol cavalry caused great headaches for the Ming rulers, especially the constant threats to the safety of Beijing, which made the Ming emperors restless. In the 32nd year of the Jiajing reign (1553), Emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty adopted the suggestions of his ministers and began to build the outer city walls of Beijing to strengthen its defense capabilities. The original plan was for the outer city walls to have a circumference of over 120 li, encircling the original Beijing city to turn it into the inner city. However, after the Ming Dynasty had experienced repeated hardships and difficulties in the early dynasties, it was unable to sustain the construction in terms of finances, materials, and labor. They could only complete the southern city walls before they ran out of resources. Unable to continue, they connected the ends of the newly built southern city walls to the original Beijing city walls and added seven new gates: Yongdingmen on the south, Xuan'anmen and You'anmen on the left and right, Guangqumen on the east, Dongbianmen in the northeast corner, Guangningmen (later renamed Guang'anmen in the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty to avoid the emperor's name) on the west, and Xibianmen in the northwest corner. The expansion of the outer city south of Beijing was completed in the 43rd year of the Jiajing reign (1564), incorporating a large area south of Beijing into the outer city. The Beijing city also changed from a square shape to the later "bulge" shape. Later, the people habitually referred to the outer city built during the Jiajing era as the "outer city walls." The construction of the Beijing outer city walls transformed the Liulichang area from the suburbs of the original Beijing city to within the city. However, people still referred to the original Beijing city as the inner city and the outer city walls as the outer city. Since the outer city of Beijing was added later, it did not have the strict planning of the original Beijing city, so its streets did not have the orderly north-south layout like those of the inner city. Especially near Liulichang, many streets like Tieguaili Xiejie, Wangguangfu Xiejie, Shangxiejie, and Xiaoxiejie were preserved, retaining the original layout of naturally formed streets and roads. The in the southern part of Beijing originated as early as the early years of the Yuan Dynasty. After the Jin Dynasty was destroyed, the palaces of the former Jin Zhongdu were completely destroyed, but some residential areas in the Jin Zhongdu city were still preserved. The Yuan Dynasty rebuilt the Yuan Dadu city in the northeast of Jin Zhongdu, with its southern city gates along what is now Chang'an Avenue. The residents of Jin Zhongdu who moved to Yuan Dadu often came out from the former eastern gates of Xuanyao and Yangchun, heading northeast to enter the southern gate of Liuzhengmen in Yuan Dadu. Additionally, the residential areas and streets in this area, without systematic planning, allowed people to freely choose the nearest routes.