[4K] China Beijing Walking tour｜北京城市漫遊｜東直門大街｜沉浸式環境音 ASMR

[4K] China Beijing Walking tour｜北京城市漫遊｜東直門大街｜沉浸式環境音 ASMR

North of the eastern wall of Beijing’s inner city stands Dongzhimen, a city gate bearing 600 years of imperial history. As one of the “Nine Inner Gates,” it is a vivid witness to Beijing’s urban development, functional layout, and historical changes. From its initial construction as Chongrenmen in the Yuan Dynasty to its heyday as a key imperial gateway in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and its subsequent integration into the modern metropolis in recent times, every inch of Dongzhimen and its surrounding streets embodies the profound historical memories of Beijing. Dongzhimen’s history dates back to the Yuan Dadu period. Its predecessor was Chongrenmen, the main eastern gate of Yuan Dadu, named after the philosophical thought in the Five Elements Theory that “the east belongs to wood, which symbolizes benevolence.” During the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing and expanded the city on the basis of Yuan Dadu. To highlight the new dynasty’s demeanor, the gate was extensively renovated and renamed in the 17th year of Yongle (1419). Based on the meaning of “directing the east, the season of spring” from the “Taixuan Jing” (Canon of Supreme Mystery) and the ritual concept that “the east’s noble virtue belongs to wood, representing spring,” Chongrenmen was officially renamed Dongzhimen, symbolizing the rising sun and vibrant vitality. The architectural layout of Dongzhimen reflects the rigor of ancient city defense systems. It consists of a main gate tower, an arrow tower, a barbican, and a sluice tower, forming a complete defensive unit. Unlike most semicircular barbicans, Dongzhimen’s barbican is uniquely rectangular with square corners. The main gate tower, with a double-eave gable and hip roof, is magnificent; the arrow tower is dotted with arrow slits on three outer sides, commanding a view of the east. It was not until the 20th century that the gate was gradually demolished to meet modern transportation needs, leaving only the place name to be cherished in memory. In the functional system of the imperial capital, Dongzhimen played a crucial role in economic logistics, earning the nicknames “Wooden Gate” and “Brick-and-Tile Gate.” This stems from its unique geographical location: It was the terminal of grain transportation and storage. During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, after the Grand Canal—connecting north and south— reached Beijing, some supplies were transported via the Ba River and its tributary, the Liangma River. The area inside and outside Dongzhimen thus became an important storage base, housing large official granaries such as Beixin Cang (North New Granary), which stored grain to supply the imperial family and the capital. It was also the gateway for building materials. The northeastern suburbs of the capital were rich in timber, and there were numerous imperial brick kilns in the suburbs. All the huge timbers, bricks, tiles, and stones needed for constructing palaces and city walls were transported into the city through Dongzhimen. As a result, the gate was bustling with carriages and horses all day long, with a constant flow of vehicles loaded with building materials. Thanks to the concentration of logistics, a prosperous commercial district naturally formed around Dongzhimen. On the streets inside and outside the gate, daily necessities, grain, oil, non-staple foods, and handicraft workshops lined both sides, serving the daily lives of Beijing’s residents. Hence, it was also known as the “Commercial Gate,” filled with a strong atmosphere of urban life. Dongzhimen Inner Street is a blend of official granaries, government offices, and civilian life. As the main thoroughfare connecting the city gate to the imperial city, it was lined with a mix of government offices, granaries, residences, and shops. To the north stood the famous Beixin Cang (later converted into an army uniform factory and then a Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital), while the south side was densely packed with shops. During the Qing Dynasty, this area was under the garrison of the Plain White Banner, further enhancing its importance. The changes of Dongzhimen Outer Street are particularly remarkable, with its main body undergoing three displacements: Early period (before the 1950s): The real prosperous commercial street was today’s Dongzhimen Outer Lane, formerly known as “Shangxia Guan” (Upper and Lower Passes). This three-li-long stone-paved road gathered over 150 shops, ranging from grain stores and iron workshops to teahouses and coffin shops, covering all aspects of people’s lives. It even formed a specialized “labor market” and vegetable market, serving as a fully functional suburban gateway. Middle period (Great Leap Forward to the 1970s): With the construction of Beijing Capital Airport and the Jiuxianqiao Electronics City, the road leading to the airport (today’s Dongzhimen Outer Oblique Street) became busy, and the commercial center shifted northward, leaving the original street to gradually decline. Contemporary period (1970s to present): With the development of diplomatic relations, a wide road was built in the southern part outside Dongzhimen, lined with numerous embassies, high-end hotels (such as Donghu Villa), and modern buildings. This straight avenue was eventually officially named Dongzhimen Outer Street, becoming a window showcasing Beijing’s modern image as the national capital. The Dongzhimen area is also scattered with many cultural landmarks, telling stories of the past: Outside Dongzhimen, there was once the Iron Pagoda Temple, housing a mummified Buddhist monk revered as the “protector of the east.” Folk legends associated it with Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yunwen, shrouding the place in mystery. Inside Dongzhimen, there was the Eastern Medicine King Temple, renowned for its exquisite architecture, lifelike statues, and flourishing incense. It was an important place for people to pray for health, earning the reputation of “Dongzhi Statues.” Its mountain gate has been reconstructed in recent years. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Dongzhimen exclusively hosted a special national ceremony: “Beating the Spring Ox.” Every day before the Start of Spring, officials from Shuntian Prefecture would go to the “Spring Field” one li outside Dongzhimen to welcome spring, and hold a grand ceremony of beating a clay ox the next day. Why choose Dongzhimen? Not only because the east corresponds to spring, but also because the vast farmland outside the gate was closely connected to the suburban villages of Beijing. The location of the Spring Field was reduced from “five li” in the Ming Dynasty to “one li” in the Qing Dynasty, perhaps indicating the continuous expansion of the city’s edge. Russian Northern Embassy and Early Diplomacy: During the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, to accommodate Russian personnel after the Battle of Yaksa, the “Russian Embassy” (Northern Embassy: Luosha Guan) was established inside Dongzhimen. It became an important hub for early Sino-Russian diplomacy and trade, especially fur trade. Today’s famous catering night market, Guijie Street, evolved from the name “Ghost Street,” possibly related to the desolation of the outer suburbs and the concentration of coffin shops in the past. Now it has become a brilliant card of Beijing’s night economy. Entering modern times, Dongzhimen has completely transformed its function. Although the city walls and gate towers have disappeared, its status as a transportation hub has been unprecedentedly strengthened. It is the interchange of Metro Lines 2, 13, and the Capital Airport Express, with a large bus hub standing here, serving as a key node connecting the city to the airport and linking various districts. The surrounding area has also developed from farmland, cemeteries, and manure yards in the past into a modern urban core with towering buildings, concentrated embassies, and prosperous commerce. Dongzhimen’s 600 years is a flowing epic. It witnessed the era of grain transportation with boats coming and going, absorbed the huge timbers and bricks that supported the construction of the imperial capital, greeted and sent off the Spring Ox processions praying for a bumper harvest, and watched the disappearance of traditional city walls under the wave of industrialization. Finally, as a landmark, it merged into the swirling traffic of overpasses and the roar of subways. From “Chongren” to “Dongzhi,” from “Wooden Gate” to “Transportation Hub,” the story of Dongzhimen is the most vivid annotation of how Beijing, an ancient capital, constantly renews itself while always inheriting its historical heritage.

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📜 支持CC多語言字幕/ Support CC multi-language subtitles

🎧 沉浸式環境音 / Immersive Ambient Sound / ASMR

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📍 地點：東直門内大街 → 東直門外大街

在北京內城東北隅，東直門矗立六百年，做為「內九門」的老夥計，藏著北京城的活記憶 —— 見過元大都晨霧，明清車馬，如今仍守著地鐵呼嘯。

它原叫崇仁門，是元大都正東門。明永樂年間更名「東直門」，取東方屬春、旭日東升之意，滿是朝氣。當年城防規制不凡，飛簷翹角的城樓配獨有的矩形甕城，箭樓箭窗密布，可惜上世紀為通汽車拆除，只剩地名供老北京追憶。

這門最顯赫的是「木門」「磚瓦門」身份：元明時大運河漕糧經壩河卸入北新倉，供皇宮與全城口糧；京郊修宮殿的巨木、磚瓦皆由此入城，車馬日夜不絕，塵土裡飄著煙火氣。物流帶火商貿，內外大街糧店、鐵鋪、茶館扎堆，又得「商門」名號。

內外大街變遷有趣：門內街北新倉與商鋪混雜，清代屬正白旗地界；門外街三易其址 ——50 年代前「上下關」三里長街百店林立，是城外鬧市；機場建成後商業北移，老街冷落；70 年代後寬馬路興起，使館、酒店入駐，成了洋氣的東直門外大街。

老故事裡藏著韻味：鐵塔寺胡僧肉身佛附會建文帝傳說，東藥王廟香火鼎盛，明清「鞭春牛」儀式盼豐年，康熙年間「俄羅斯館」見證早期中俄通商。如今的簋街，從「鬼街」變身燈火通明的美食街，延續著煙火氣。

城牆雖沒，東直門仍是交通樞紐：地鐵 2 號、13 號、機場線在此交匯，公交四通八達。農田墳塋早已換成高樓使館，成了北京核心區。

六百年間，東直門從漕運碼頭到交通樞紐，從「崇仁」到「東直」，變的是模樣，不變的是煙火裡的生命力。它像老北京的縮影，拆舊牆、搭新軌，把歷史妥妥帶入今天。

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📍Location: Dongzhimen Inner Street → Dongzhimen Outer Street

Perched in the northeast corner of Beijing’s inner city, Dongzhimen has stood firm for 600 years. As one of the “Nine Inner Gates”—the city’s time-honored landmarks—it holds the living memories of Beijing: witnessing the morning mist of Yuan Dadu, the carriages of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and now the roar of subway trains.

Originally named Chongrenmen, it served as the main eastern gate of Yuan Dadu. Renamed “Dongzhimen” during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, its name carries the meaning of “spring in the east and the rising sun,” brimming with vitality. In its heyday, the gate was an impressive defensive structure: a tower with curving eaves paired with a unique rectangular barbican, and an arrow tower dotted with dense arrow slits. Sadly, to make way for automobiles in the 20th century, the walls and towers were demolished, leaving only the name for elderly Beijingers to cherish.

Dongzhimen’s most prominent roles were as the “Wood Gate” and “Brick-and-Tile Gate.” During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, grain from the Grand Canal was unloaded at Beixincang Granary via the Ba River, supplying the imperial palace and the entire city. Giant timbers and building materials for palaces, sourced from the suburbs, all passed through this gate, with carriages and horses flowing day and night—filling the air with the hustle and bustle of daily life. Thriving logistics boosted commerce: grain stores, iron workshops, and teahouses clustered along the streets inside and outside the gate, earning it another title: the “Commercial Gate.”

The transformation of these streets is fascinating. Inside the gate, Beixincang Granary stood alongside shops, and during the Qing Dynasty, the area belonged to the Zhengbai Banner. Outside the gate, the street shifted three times: Before the 1950s, “Shangxia Guan” (Upper and Lower Pass) was a three-li-long bustling street lined with over a hundred shops; after the airport was built, commerce moved north, leaving the old street quiet; from the 1970s onward, wide roads were constructed, and embassies and hotels settled in, turning today’s Dongzhimen Outer Street into a stylish thoroughfare.

Legends add charm to the area: A mummified Buddhist monk at Iron Pagoda Temple was rumored to be Emperor Jianwen; the Eastern Medicine King Temple drew crowds with its burning incense; the Ming and Qing “Whip the Spring Ox” ritual prayed for a bumper harvest; and the “Russian Embassy” during the Kangxi reign witnessed early Sino-Russian trade. Today’s Guijie Street, once known as “Ghost Street,” has transformed into a brightly lit food hub, continuing the legacy of vibrant street life.

Though the city walls are gone, Dongzhimen remains a major transportation hub—intersecting with Metro Lines 2, 13, and the Airport Express, with buses connecting it to all corners of the city. Farmland and cemeteries have long been replaced by high-rises and embassies, making it a core district of Beijing.

Over 600 years, Dongzhimen has evolved from a canal port to a transportation hub, from “Chongrenmen” to “Dongzhimen.” Its appearance has changed, but the vitality rooted in daily life endures. Like a microcosm of old Beijing, it tears down old walls and builds new tracks, seamlessly carrying history into the present.

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🗺️地圖 (Map):
1. 東直門内大街 Dongzhimen Inner Street: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Rx8rJQqgsVb8w41o7
2. 東直門立交橋 Dongzhimen Overpass: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8wR58cZV8Y9bqRvk6
3. 東直門外大街 Dongzhimen Outer Street: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kpZvdnJVHfx7d7ri6

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🔍時間軸 Timeline
0:00 概覽 Overview
1:38 東直門内大街 Dongzhimen Inner Street
15:21 東直門立交橋 Dongzhimen Overpass
18:55 東直門外大街 Dongzhimen Outer Street

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#beijing #citywalk #北京 #城市漫步 #旅行 #china #中國 #ASMR

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