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Lantern Market Street
Lantern Market Street (Dengshikoudajie) is an ordinary
little thoroughfare leading east off the southern section of
Wangfujing Street. Apart from the All–China Women’ s Federation and
the Chinese Child Welfare Committee, the majority of the buildings in
the street are residential buildings serving various organizations or
private homes. Though there are now few shops, this was the most
fashionable place in Beijing from as early as the Ming Dynasty to buy
lanterns. By day, the market offered goods ranging from
precious furs and antiques to clothing and articles for everyday use.
Also on display were exotic flowers, rare plans, miniature trees and
rockery. In the evening, the surrounding buildings and street were
festooned with colored lanterns. The ice lanterns, which were once
sold here, made by sprinkling water in particular patterns, now are
displayed on some festivals in winter. The earliest
lantern markets were held in Lantern Market Street, and later moved to
the Langfang (Corridor House) outside Zhengyangmen Gate. For a short
time, markets were also held in Ministry of Works Road (Gongbujie) in
front of Tian’anmen. Although extremely popular 100 years ago, the
tradition began dying out after the invasion of the Eight–Power Allied
Force in 1900 and little survives today. |
