Beijing Laoqian Bridge

Author: Wang Lixing, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1996-09-01
Features: The Old Tianqiao in Beijing is renowned both at home and abroad. Within the Tianqiao Market, entertainment, snacks, commerce, and healthcare were all present, encompassing all trades and professions. It combined eating, drinking, playing, and shopping in one place, serving as a hub for the activities and livelihoods of the common people and having a significant impact on the lives of Beijingers. Tianqiao was also the cradle of folk culture and arts in Beijing. Some forms of quyi (Chinese folk opera) and performances, such as crosstalk, xianghuang (two-person skit), kuai ban (fast-paced storytelling), and car skills, developed here. It nurtured a large number of folk artists with extraordinary skills and famous performers.
Tianqiao is located on the southern part of Beijing's central axis, in the middle section between Qianmen and Yongdingmen, at the current intersection of North Tianqiao Avenue. During the Yuan Dynasty, this area was the southern suburbs of the Yuan capital. In the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, when the outer city was expanded, it became the center of the outer city. At that time, there was an east-west river outside the northern walls of the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Agriculture, which was the route the emperor took from the palace to the two temples for sacrifices. The Ming Dynasty built a magnificent white marble single-arch bridge here to connect the "imperial road." The emperor was also known as the "Son of Heaven," and the bridge he walked on was called "Tianqiao" (Heaven Bridge).
On ordinary days, the bridge was enclosed by wooden fences, and only officials and commoners could pass on the wooden walkways on both sides. In 1906, during the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, a road was constructed, converting it into a low-arch stone bridge. In 1927, it was again converted into a flat bridge due to the laying of tram tracks. In 1934, when the road was widened, the bridge railings were removed, and by then, there was no trace of the bridge left, only the name "Tianqiao" remained. Tourists have a playful saying about this: "Tianqiao has the name Tian but no bridge." The river below the bridge gradually became the famous Longxu Ditch.
Between the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the area around Tianqiao was a waterlogged region with rivers and canals crisscrossing. Willows lined the banks of the rivers and ponds, connected by water, resembling the scenery of the Jiangnan water towns. Additionally, guild halls, inns, and commercial establishments were mostly located outside the Sanqianmen area, making this scenic spot more accessible. As the number of visitors increased, tea houses, restaurants, and other food stalls appeared to serve them, along with entertainment venues like martial arts performances, street performers, storytelling, and singing. This formed the prototype of the Tianqiao Market.
In 1910, during the 2nd year of the Xuantong reign of the Qing Dynasty, the newly enthroned emperor Puyi ordered the demolition of the stalls and shanties south of Tianqiao to make way for his visit to the Temple of Heaven. They were forced to relocate to the northern bank of Dong Longxu Ditch near the Golden Fish Pool. However, this area was remote, with few visitors and declining business. In 1912, after the establishment of the Republic, the merchants' representatives negotiated with the government and moved back to the sides of the main road south of Tianqiao. Later, due to the construction of a road outside Hepingmen, the Spring Festival temple fair (Changdian) was temporarily moved to the Xiangchang area near Tianqiao, merging with the Tianqiao Market and boosting the area's prosperity.
In 1917, the "New World" entertainment venue was built and opened at the western end of Xiangchang Road. Inside the four-story building, modeled after Shanghai's "Da World," it featured drama, quyi, acrobatics, taverns, tea houses, and snack stalls. In the 1920s and 1930s, Tianqiao suffered multiple fires, with the two most severe ones nearly destroying the entire east and west markets. By the late 1940s, only the Triangle Market, West Market, Fair Market, and East Market on the east side remained.
In the early 1950s, the government cleaned up the Longxu Ditch and constructed roads. By the mid-1950s, after a series of adjustments to entertainment venues, the Tianle Theater performed Peking Opera, Wanshengxuan performed Ping Opera, Dangui Theater performed Hebei, the former site of the Jixing Theater hosted performances by the Beijing Acrobatic Troupe, and the China and Tianqiao cinemas were established. The original activity venues gradually became residential areas. After regulation, the commercial and food industries in Tianqiao were managed by industry-specific authorities and continued to operate. The former site of the South City Entertainment Garden was turned into the Friendship Hospital. The former vegetable and grain markets were converted into the Beijing Natural History Museum. To the southwest of Tianqiao, the Tianqiao Grand Theater was built, capable of hosting modern dance and music performances. By then, the appearance of the old Tianqiao had undergone significant changes.