Present Liulichang street

Some original shops have been restored and the Liulichang today has been expanded to be a pedestrian street. Renovations have transformed this street into an antique and book market just resembles a Chinese village. Here are a great variety of Chinese folk arts and cultural products, tri-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), carpets, vases, scrolls, chopsticks, silks, ancient shoes, Chinese kites, swords, walking sticks, door knockers, Buddhist statuaries, classical paintings, calligraphy, books, brushes, inks, etc.

In Qing Dynasty (1636-1911), Manchu (the rulers) and Han people lived separately in the capital, and most of Han officials were lived in the west part of the city, the area around the Liulichang; soon, guilds of provinces also built nearby and candidates from all parts of the country for the final imperial exam also stayed here. Consequently, all prosperous and famous book shops of Beijing were gradually moved in; new bookstores and stationery shops also opened one after another; treasures and trinkets, quintessence of all the markets were sold too. It was the time that the street of Liulichang has developed to be the largest book fair in Beijing as well as the favorite haunt for scholars, painters and calligraphers. By Qianlong period (1736-1796), the street was even more prosperous as a cultural center for research in textual criticism when the emperor decided to revise the Complete Library of the Four Branches of Literature (四库全书). During the Republic of China (1912-1949), Liulichang was a popular pastime and treasure discovery site for scholars and celebrities. It is said that the famous writer Lu Xun (鲁迅) visited Liulichang Street for over 400 times during his stay in Beijing from 1912 to 1926.

History of the street

The history of Liulichang can be traced back to Liao Period (907-1125) when it was the Haiwang Cun (Village of the Sea King). And in Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), a kiln was established here making glazed tiles, which was later became one of the official Five Kilns in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when Ming rulers began to built their palaces in Beijing. A fairly large number of the glazed materials of the Ming palaces, temples and officials’ residences were produced in this factory. During the Jiajing period (1507-1567) when the government built the outer city, the factory was moved out but the name "LiuLichang" (the Chinese of glaze factory) was retained so far.

Introduction to the Liulichang Cultural Street

Liulichang Cultural Street of Beijing is a famous street with a history over centuries in the downtown city which is known for traditional Chinese Stone dwelling houses selling diverse Chinese handicrafts, artistry, antiques, and most particularly, ancient books, calligraphy, paintings, rubbings, and the "scholar's four jewels" (writing brush, ink stick, ink slab and paper). It is one of Beijing’s traditional old quarters, unsophisticated but elegant, still retaining its glamour just as it was in the old days. The quintessence of all the markets and the strong cultural backgrounds here attracts thousands of visitors foreign and domestic everyday.

Chinese name: 琉璃厂文化街 (Liu Li Chang Wen Hua Jie)
Location: South Xinhua Street of the Heping Gate, stretching from South North Liu Lane in the west to the Yanshousi Street in the east, Xuanwu District, Beijing.
Length: 800 meters.
Opening hours: 09:00-18:00
How to get to Liulichang Cultural Street:
- By subway No.2 and get off at the station of He Ping Men (和平门, Heping Gate);
- By buses No.7, 14, 15, 45, 66 and get off at the stop of Liu Li Chang; or take buses No.6, 23, 34, 50, 53, 102, 105, 603 and get off at the stop of Hu Fang Qiao (虎坊桥).

Beijing Season Café (VINCENT CAFé, France): A family small bar that is worth your visit most. The French boss Mr. Vincent worked as general manager at a famous French restaurant in Beijing before he opened his own café. At the age of 15, he began to learn cooking and management in Paris. In this café, people can get a good chance to have a taste of French fried pancakes, with meat, vegetable, ice cream or fruits. Another feature there is a kind of drink called SHOOTER mixed by three alcohols. Vincent is an interesting man and he wants to tell those who want to go his café: We can only live once, so we must try to be happy everyday.

Tips: There are much more waiting for your exploration in 798 Art Zone, only can people closely touch them as long as they were there. And once there, people will be embraced and attracted deeply by the artistic atmosphere.

AT CAFé (China): Run by Mr. Huang Rui, who says his café's feature is Italian coffee "that is much tastier than Starbuck". Besides, its pizza and sandwich are quite delicious. And it is special that this building has an outside of factory style.

12500 Kilometers Long March culture Communication Center (China): This center records all of the famous artist Mr. Lu Jie's early activity, including his leading many artists to communicate with local artists along the route of the 12500 Kilometers Long March. And now, they have almost finished the entire route. If you are interested in folk art, it would be a good place to go. Traditional folk art such as Paper-cut opuses, which are made by the noted paper-cut artist Ms. Gao Fenglian who comes from Shanxi Province, can be seen there.

Tokyo Art Work, Beijing (Japan): It is the first gallery in the 798 Art Zone, with the theme of contemporary art.

Tianxiayan Sichuan Restaurant (China): Autochthonous Sichuan dishes which are cooked by good chefs from Sichuan Province, especially the dish of Unique Flavor Duck, are always very popular there.

A bar inside the Zone with traditional Chinese couplet & scrawling on the wall

Xiyuan Elegance Gathering Gallery (China): Focusing on traditional Chinese paintings, especially good at reproducing old Chinese paintings.

What to Enjoy in the Beijing 798 Art Zone?
Centennial Impression Photograph Gallery (China): This gallery collects both traditional and modern photos, most of which are developed and made by the boss Mr. Chen Guangjun. Notably, some opuses can rarely be seen but here.

798 Space (China): There, space is for renting for press conferences, Fashion Collection and some other activities. Distinctively, the roof is saw-toothed structure, which is called Bauhaus and was designed and supervised by the Eastern Germen 50 years ago. Nevertheless, this construction style is rare in Germany nowadays.

International Activities in Beijing 798 Art Zone
Beijing 798 Art Festival：Hold from the end of April to the end of May, focusing on exhibition and communication of culture and art.
Beijing 798 Creative Art Festival：Hold from the end of September to the end of October, focusing on exhibition and communication of culture and art.

In the future, the 798 office will attract more famous artists and art organizations from home and abroad according to the instruction policy of "protection, exploration, stability, development", to build Beijing 798 Art Zone as the center of the exhibition and trade of culture and art, as the most unique and influential cultural creative industry basement in Beijing and the worldwide cultural creative industry park.