Neiwubu Jie: Bygone Brothels and Ancient Mansions
2013年06月02日
Mansions of celebrities to homes of the ordinary
No. 11 used to serve as the residence of Fucha Mingrui during the Qing Dynasty. In 1759, Mingrui successfully put down the rebellion during Emperor Qianlong's reign and was knighted as duke. In 1834, his great-grandson Jingqing inherited his title of nobility. In 1845, Princess Shou'en Gulun, the sixth daughter of Emperor Daoguang, married Jingshou, younger brother of Jingqing, so later this house was called the "Mansion of the Sixth Princess." In the period of the Republic of China, Yue Qianzhai, president of the Salt Industry Bank Ltd., bought the quadrangle courtyard and lived there. In 1984, the courtyard became a site for historic preservation, and now several households live there. Only the signboards on the door indicate the building's past. A sign insists, "No visitors allowed." It seems the current residents are tired of those in search of the hutong's history.
Two female residents of No. 39, the former residence of Liang Shiqiu, a contemporary well-known scholar, translator and literary critic of China, have a different attitude towards outsiders. "Yes, this was Liang's former residence," they said. "You can go inside to have a look yourself!" The number of mailboxes and electric meters revealed how many different families live in the courtyard, the spaces of which were filled with dusty bikes, leafless trees, empty flowerpots, piles of bricks, brooms, empty drink bottles, washbasins and even chamber pots. Because there are always many households living in such big courtyards, there's no room for toilets. Fortunately, there are four along the street, and especially in the mornings they see a lot of pajama-wearing traffic.
As one heads east, eventually the street comes to Chaoyangmen Nanxiaojie, where cars replace the bikes, and prosperity substitutes for quietness.
How to get there:
Take Subway Line 5 to Dengshikou Station and walk northward for no more than five minutes, or take Bus No. 846, 101, 810, 674, 420 or 24 to Chaonei Xiaojie.
