Qianmen Street Photos

This 845m long street  used to be a shopping and market area in the Ming and Qing dynasty ( 1368 - 1644 )  which has been totally renovated years before and is now a tourist haunting.

On the main street you find some time-honoured shops and restaurants. You may stroll along the smaller streets off the main street, the east side in particular.

There are plenty of small popular restaurants and stores.  Here you can shop souvenirs, have a nice Peking Duck lunch, drink good quality tea at the tea shops.  You can  also encounter the Starbucks, KFC and McDonald's  along the main street.  It's a very nice place to feel and see the traditional life of local people.

Qianmen Street offers good photography opportunities. You can snap some good pictures with Chinese architecture in backdrop as well as Western elements. There are many more Chinese visitors than westerners along Qianmen Street which makes it feel more local and authentic.

Below are some of the photos of Qianmen Street I took during my recent trip.

Zhengyangmen ( or Zhengyang Gate - Arrow Tower) is colloquially called "Qianmen" ( Front Gate ), after which Qianmen Street is named.

Qianmen Street is 845m long.  The picture below was taken at the south entrance of Qianmen Street where I looked at the northern end of the street.

The old street car or tram is now in service to entertain tourists bringing them back to the old days, running from north to south and vice versa.

The street lamps in the shape of old Beijing bird cages reminds you of the old Beijing.

The gourd shaped street lights are quite nostalgic of the old Beijing

The street statues reflecting the old Beijing life, a good photo spot.

Qianmen Street is also an interesting area where the East and the West stay peacefully and harmoniously.

Dazhalan, the most commercial area running from the main street of Qianmen from the west.  The overall length of Dashilan is 275m from east to west teemed with various stores  and shops.

You also find a Starbucks at the north end of Qianmen Street.

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for Beijing guided tours:

Further Readings