Neiwubu Jie: Bygone Brothels and Ancient Mansions

2013年06月02日

School for imperial families during the Qing Dynasty

No. 13 houses the Beijing No. 2 High School. The building was constructed in 1724 to serve children of the left wing imperial clans of the Qing Dynasty; later it became the Ministry of Home Affairs in Duan Qirui's Northern Warlord Government, a period that gave the hutong its name: Neiwubu Jie, or Ministry of Home Affairs Street. The big gray-stone gate, carved with exquisite reliefs, seems to tell passers by the long history of the school. At both sides of the gate, a pair of couplets read, "Enter to realize your dream, leave to go forth and serve society." The gray-white building is obscured by green plants and red lanterns. Students play on the playground, adding a layer of modernity and vitality on top of No. 13's glorious history.