Cultural Heritage Unlocked
Historical Blocks around West Huashi Street under Demolition 西花市大街歷史街區拆遷中, Dongcheng District 東城區, Beijing 北京, China, 2003
Huashi Dajie 花市大街, or Flower Market Street, was a historical commercial street outside Beijing’s former Gate of Advocating Literature 崇文門. The street was originally named after the nearby imperial Divine Log Warehouse 神木廠. Since Ming Dynasty 明代 (1368-1644), it started to host spontaneous morning markets of paper flowers. This commercial activity became fixed in Qing Dynasty 清代 (1644-1912), and thus the street was gradually referred to as the Flower Market Street.
Throughout Qing Dynasty, the industry of artificial flower production and trade gathered around Huashi Street. The flowers were usually made of paper, flannel or silk, those sold as traditional Chinese women’s hair accessories – also known as the Capital Flowers 京花 – were once even exported to Europe after being exhibited in the early world expos which the Qing empire participated. Another special kind of artificial flowers produced here was the bonsai of flowers and fruits made from colourful precious stones such as jade 玉石盆景. The customers of some time-honoured jade bonsai workshops in this street included imperial palaces in Beijing.
Between 2002 and 2006, the historical blocks around Huashi Street with numberless Courtyard Houses 四合院, Hutongs 胡同 and old shopfronts were erased during the local government and real estate developers’ joint urban renewal projects. Besides a few listed protected heritage sites, the historical urban landscape of Huashi Street has been replaced by modern high-rise residential blocks.
This photo was taken during demolitions in 2003.
Historical Blocks around West Huashi Street under Demolition 西花市大街歷史街區拆遷中, Dongcheng District 東城區, Beijing 北京, China, 2003
Huashi Dajie 花市大街, or Flower Market Street, was a historical commercial street outside Beijing’s former Gate of Advocating Literature 崇文門. The street was originally named after the nearby imperial Divine Log Warehouse 神木廠. Since Ming Dynasty 明代 (1368-1644), it started to host spontaneous morning markets of paper flowers. This commercial activity became fixed in Qing Dynasty 清代 (1644-1912), and thus the street was gradually referred to as the Flower Market Street.
Throughout Qing Dynasty, the industry of artificial flower production and trade gathered around Huashi Street. The flowers were usually made of paper, flannel or silk, those sold as traditional Chinese women’s hair accessories – also known as the Capital Flowers 京花 – were once even exported to Europe after being exhibited in the early world expos which the Qing empire participated. Another special kind of artificial flowers produced here was the bonsai of flowers and fruits made from colourful precious stones such as jade 玉石盆景. The customers of some time-honoured jade bonsai workshops in this street included imperial palaces in Beijing.
Between 2002 and 2006, the historical blocks around Huashi Street with numberless Courtyard Houses 四合院, Hutongs 胡同 and old shopfronts were erased during the local government and real estate developers’ joint urban renewal projects. Besides a few listed protected heritage sites, the historical urban landscape of Huashi Street has been replaced by modern high-rise residential blocks.
This photo was taken during demolitions in 2003.