Xidan

Xidan (Chinese: ; Pinyin: Xīdān) is a famous traditional commercial area in Beijing, China.cite web|url=http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/Life/Shopping/CommercialStreet/t913719.htm|title=Xidan Commercial Street|publisher=eBeijing|accessdate=2008-09-16] It is located in the Xicheng District. [ [http://www.bjxch.gov.cn/pub/english/decisions/index.html Xicheng district official website] ]

The Xidan commercial district incorporates the Xidan Culture Square, North Xidan Street, as well as many supermarkets and department stores. The Xidan Cultural Square is the largest venue for cultural events in downtown Beijing.

Area

Xidan occupies around 80 hectares (197.7 Acres) within the Xicheng District. [cite web|url=http://big5.bjxch.gov.cn/pub/xch_zhuzhan/B/B8/B8_4/B8_4e/B8_4e1/200406/t20040625_743007.html|title=街區簡介|date=北京市西城區人民政府 (The People's Government of Xicheng District, Beijing)|language=Traditional Chinese|accessdate=2008-09-17]

Name

The name Xidan (literally, "West Single") came from the paifang that existed on one of the streets there. [cite web|url=http://news.sohu.com/20080723/n258330744.shtml|title=北京西单文化广场新装亮相|publisher=Sohu|language=Simplified Chinese|accessdate=2008-09-17] In this context, the name "Xidan" refers to the single () paifang that existed on the west side () of the city.

The paifang was recently rebuilt, and now stands at the Xidan Culture Square. [cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2008-07/25/content_6877120.htm|title=Xidan Cultural Square in Beijing|date=2008-7-25|publisher=China Daily|language=English|accessdate=2008-09-17]

History

Xidan began to develop in the Ming Dynasty as an area alongside the passage for traders from Southwestern China to enter Beijing. Restaurants and shops were eventually built for these merchants. Eventually, as the Western part of the city became the residential area for officials, Xidan became a commercial area. The location of several government agencies when Beijing was under the administration of the Republic of China also helped Xidan's economic growth.cite web|url=http://www.sinohotel.com/travel/attraction.html?attraction_id=354|title=Travel in Beijing: Xidan Commercial Street|publisher=sinohotel.com|language=English|accessdate=2008-09-17]

The area began to experience massive growth in the 1950s, as the population of Beijing began to move westwards.cite web|url=http://big5.bjxch.gov.cn/pub/xch_zhuzhan/B/B8/B8_4/B8_4e/B8_4e2/|title=西單商業區的歷史沿革 (The History of Xicheng Commercial Area)|publisher=北京市西城區人民政府 (The People's Government of Xicheng District, Beijing)|language=Traditional Chinese|accessdate=2008-09-17] By the 1970s, Xidan, along with Qianmen and Wangfujing, became the three major commercial areas in Beijing.

Currently, the area is known for its reputation as a shopping area [cite web|url=http://www.shoppinginbeijing.com/Xidan.php|title=Xidan Area|date=2008-02-04|publisher=Shoppinginbeijing.com|language=English|accessdate=2008-09-17] cite web|url=http://www.1800what.com/2008/08/17/xidan_shopping_area_beijing/|title=Xidan Shopping area, Beijing|publisher=1800what.com|language=English|accessdate=2008-09-17] cite web|url=http://www.holidaybeijing.com.cn/Top10/Top_Spotview.aspx?Spot_ID=M4|title=Xidan|publisher=holidaybeijing.com.cn|language=English|accessdate=2008-09-17] . Many malls and department stores exist within the area, the oldest of which is the China branch of the Taiwanese department store Chungyo. [cite web|url=http://www.zhongyou.cn/zhongyou/lxwm/lxwm.jsp|title=聯系我们 (Contact Us)|publisher=Chungyo Department Store|language=Simplified Chinese|accessdate=2008-09-17] [cite web|url=http://beijing.etours.cn/shopping/shownews.jsp?news_id=408|title=Beijing Xidan Shopping Area|publisher=Beijing eTours Travel Service|language=English|accessdate=2008-09-17]

Xidan is also home to Lingjing Alley, which, at 32m (34 yards), is considered to be the broadest hutong in Beijing. [cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2008-08/09/content_6919141.htm|title=Inside hutong history|date=8-9-2008|publisher=China Daily|language=English|accessdate=2008-09-17]

Xidan Wall

Xidan Wall, also called Democracy Wall, is a long brick wall on Xidan Street. Erected in 1978, the event generally is recognized as the beginning of the Beijing Spring. [cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/99/0927/democracy_wall.html|title=DEMOCRACY WALL: A Sudden Explosion of Free Speech, 1979 Unorthodox Opinions Are Heard on the Street|last=Wei|first=Jingsheng|date=1999-9-27|work=Time Asia|publisher=Time Inc.|language=English|accessdate=2008-09-17] Xidan Wall played a significant roll in the democracy movement in Beijing during the summer of 1979.cite news |first= Frank|last= Ching|coauthors= |title= Peking's Municipal Government bars posting of wall posters on Xidan wall (Democracy Wall)|work= Wall Street Journal|page= 34|date= December 7, 1979|accessdate=2008-09-19|quote= |url= ] It was at that time where the wall received a significant number of posters that criticized China's leaders.cite news |first= James P.|last= Sterba|title= Peking Closes Democracy Wall, Banishes Posters to Remote Park; Peking Closes Democracy Wall, Allotting More Remote Poster Area|work= Wall Street Journal|page= 1|date= December 7, 1979|accessdate=2008-09-19|quote= |url= http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40F14F6385A12728DDDAE0894DA415B898BF1D3] Even an award-winning Canadian journalist John Fraser put up his own "dazibao," whose notice about a lost a gold signet ring that concluded in vague political sentiment bizarrely resulted in his addressing the 1979 summer masses in Tienanmen Square. [cite news |first= John |last= Leonard|title= Books of the Times|work= New York Times|page= 9|date= December 16, 1980|accessdate=2008-09-19|quote= |url= http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=Thinking+that+he+had+lost+a+gold+signet+ring+at+the+Xidan+Wall%2C+he+put+&btnG=Search&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8] However, by December 1979, Beijing's municipal government banned posting all wall posters on Xidan Wall in an attempt to curtail the democracy movement. The municipal government alternatively allowed allow posters on site within Yuetan Park, a small park located in Beijing, but required registration with the city and an agreement to be "held responsible for political and legal implications of their messages." Eventually, the most widely regarded poster writer for Xidan Wall, Wei Jingsheng, was sent to prison. [cite journal |last= Hasluck|first= Nicholas |date=July 1, 2005 |title= The Gang of Four revisited.|journal= Quadrant|volume= 79|issue= 7-8|pages= 18|publisher= Quadrant Magazine Company, Inc.|accessdate= 2008-09-19|http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=Two+years+ago%2C+in+April+1979%2C+the+Xidan+Wall+was+closed+down+&btnG=Search&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8]

Transportation

The area is served by the Xidan Subway Station, which is on Line 1 of the Beijing Subway system. [cite web|url=http://www.bjsubway.com/chinese_ver/search/index.asp?SumSpace=31.55&ConSumeTime=56&ChangeStation=0&RealPathID=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23&RID={98AC0573-FB0D-48E3-B270-B6BAFB500AA6}&SumTicketPrice=2|title=地铁-公交换乘查询 (Inquiries about public transportation transfers)|publisher=Beijing Subway|language=Simplified Chinese|accessdate=2008-09-17] It will also be a stop on Line 4, due to open in September 2009. In addition, many Beijing bus lines have stops within the area. [cite web|url=http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/shopping/xidan-street/|title=Xidan Commercial Street|publisher=Travelchinaguide.com|language=English|accessdate=2008-09-17]

Future

The Chinese Government has targeted Xidan in its 11th Five Year Plan, which is scheduled to conclude by 2010, with a stated mission of improving the area's environment, as well as diversifying the genre of stores that open in the area. Portions of the plan were already completed in the run up to the 2008 Olympic Games. [cite web|url=http://news.youth.cn/yw/200807/t20080722_755724.htm|title= 奥运重点建设项目北京西单商业区基本完成改造|date=1008-7-22|publisher=中青网 (youth.cn)|language=Simplified Chinese|accessdate=2008-09-17] [cite web|url=http://big5.bjxch.gov.cn/pub/xch_zhuzhan/B/B8/B8_4/B8_4e/B8_4e1/200608/t20060825_962796.html|title=“十一五”時期西單現代商業區發展規划 (Modern Xidan Commercial Area's Development and Planning during the 11th Five Year Plan)|publisher=北京市西城區人民政府 (The People's Government of Xicheng District, Beijing)|language=Traditional Chinese|accessdate=2008-09-17]

References

External links

* [http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/Life/Shopping/CommercialStreet/t913719.htm Xidan Commercial Street] from eBeijing, official website of Beijing government
* [http://www.bjreview.com.cn/olympic/txt/2008-05/03/content_129083.htm The Xidan Street]
* [http://en.beijing2008.cn/spectators/beijing/shopping/list/n214257767.shtml Beijing Olympics Page on Xidan]
* [http://big5.china.com.cn/sport/2008ay/2008-07/02/content_15923588.htm China.com Page on Xidan] zh-tw
* [http://www.xdgwzx.com/ Xidan Shopping Center] zh