Dongcheng, Beijing

Dongcheng () is a district of the city of Beijing. It covers the eastern half of Beijing's urban core region, including all of the eastern half of the Old City inside of the 2nd Ring Road with the northernmost extent crossing into the area within the 3rd Ring Road. Its area is further subdivided into 17 subdistricts.

Settlement in the area dates back over a millennium. It did not formally become a district of the city until the establishment of the Republic of China in 1911. The name Dongcheng was first given to it in a 1958 reorganization; it has existed in its current form since a 2010 merger with the former Chongwen to its south.

Dongcheng includes many of Beijing's major cultural attractions, such as the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. More than a quarter of the city's Major National Historical and Cultural Sites are inside its boundaries, with a similar percentage of those protected at the municipal level. Tiananmen Square is also in Dongcheng, along with other popular destinations for domestic and international tourists such as the bars and nightlife in the hutongs of Nanluoguxiang and the shopping in Wangfujing. Over three-quarters of the district's economic activity is in the service sector.

Geography

Dongcheng is often described, and depicted on simplified maps, as the eastern half of the area inside the 2nd Ring Road. However, the district boundaries include some areas outside it as well, particularly on the north and east. In the former direction a small projection crosses the 3rd Ring Road. The 2010 merger with Chongwen added some land beyond the Ring Road on the south.

Boundary

left|thumb|The [[Drum Tower and Bell Tower of Beijing|Drum Tower, with Dongcheng District to the left]]

From Tiananmen at the north end of the eponymous square the district boundary follows West Chang'an Avenue to Chang Street, where it turns north, taking in Zhongshan Park as it follows the western moat of the Forbidden City. At Wenzhin Street it turns eastward to follow Jingshan Front Street between the Forbidden City and Jingshan Park. It resumes its northward course along Jingshan East Street, turning west along Jingshan Back Street, thus leaving all of Jingshan in Xicheng to the west. There are a few significant bodies of water, all lakes in parks—Liuyin Lake in that park and Youth Lake in Qingnianhu Park, both in the district's northern portion, and Dragon Lake in Longtan Park at the district's southeast corner. On the west central edge is the moat surrounding the Forbidden City. The Nanchang River, heavily channelized from its days as the once-walled city's north moat, flows across the district's north, with the South Moat paralleling the 2nd Ring Road along its southern boundary. Along the southern edge of the Forbidden City another small stream, the Changpu River, flows above ground for a kilometer.

thumb|right|Dragon Lake in Longtan Park|alt=Rocky, bushy bluffs at the rear of some green water. There is a small structure with a Chinese roof at the base of one, in the center

Much of the district is densely developed, with major streets following a grid plan, while the side streets connecting them are irregular. Temple of Heaven Park is the largest, at , with the Temple of Earth Park in the Hepingli Subdistrict in second. In addition to the parks already mentioned, others of note include Dongdan Park off that street in the central area of the district and Nanguan Park near the northeast corner. Some major arteries also have wide planted median strips. The Russian embassy complex just inside the Ring Road at the northeast corner of the district also has another large planted area, although it is fenced off.

The most significant non-park urban open space in the district is the Tiananmen Square at its west central point. It is a stone-paved pedestrian area with the Monument to the People's Heroes and Zhengyang Gate bracketing its one building, the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. To the square's immediate north the Forbidden City complex also has many vast courtyards. There is also a large open plaza in front of the Beijing railway station.

left|thumb|upright|St. Michael's Church, a [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival structure in the Legation Quarter|alt=Two ornate spires of grey stone, with a tree branch partially in leaf at right, seen against a blue sky at a sharp upward angle]]

Architecture in the district varies greatly. It ranges in form from the small one and two-story ancient stone houses in the siheyuan plan, that line the district's many hutongs, the narrow, winding lanes that make up many neighborhoods on the side streets, to taller modern office buildings and hotels. Styles include the traditional Chinese architecture of the 15th-century imperial buildings in the Forbidden City and the various temples, the fin-de-siècle European revival styles in the Legation Quarter to the modern styles of today's newest buildings. The district has over a quarter of Beijing's Major National Historical and Cultural Sites, and a similar portion of its municipal-level heritage listings.

Under the Jin, the area first became known as the northeastern part of the capital, then known as Zhongdu. When Kublai Khan established the Yuan dynasty later in the century, he rebuilt the city and renamed it Dadu. As part of that project, the future Dongcheng district's boundaries were first officially drawn, although they were different from today's. Under the government of the new Republic of China, the districts of Beijing were reorganized. Today's Dongcheng was known as the inner first and inner third districts.

Often many poorer residents found themselves displaced, unable to afford the luxury housing that replaced their demolished homes. In the 1990s it was estimated that 40% of Beijing's Old City, which includes Dongcheng, had been demolished; some predictions suggest that if demolition continues at its current pace, eventually 90% of the Old City will be gone. Efforts by preservationists to protect the hutongs were only partly successful, and developers and officials often ignored them. A battle over the city's proposed redevelopment of South Chizi Street, alongside the Forbidden City's southeast corner, at first attracted attention due to its high-visibility location, but ultimately only nine of over 200 siheyuans in the blocks east of the street escaped demolition. They have been replaced by architecturally sympathetic new construction that is among the most expensive housing in the city.

Government

Dongcheng is run by several committees. The District Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is its local organization. The District People's Congress is responsible for most major decisions, as well as implementing national and local laws and regulations. Its members, all appointed by the CCP, elect their leadership and local officials. The People's Government, composed of several local commissions, makes local laws and enforces administrative policy. Lastly, the district committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference serves an advisory function. All four committees are headed by chairs, appointed by the CCP to five-year terms. The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau is also headquartered in Dongcheng, as is the China International Development Cooperation Agency (China Aid).

Economy

thumb|Interior of WF Central Mall

thumb|[[Wangfujing]]

In 2017, the regional GDP of the district was 392.07 billion yuan, with GDP per capita at 321.4 thousand yuan.

Owing to its many tourist attractions, much of Dongcheng's economy is in the service sector, which in 2001 accounted for 88% of the district's share of China's gross domestic product. Foreign direct investment at that time was estimated to be US$247.6 million, and rising. Near those hotels are the shopping opportunities of the Malls at Oriental Plaza, once Asia's largest, and the Wangfujing pedestrian mall, a big draw for domestic tourists. Further to the north younger Beijingers and foreigners often visit the hutongs of Nanluogoxiang, east of the Bell and Drum Towers, for its bar and nightlife offerings.

While most of Beijing's major corporate buildings are located in the city's central business district in the Chaoyang District to Dongcheng's north and east, some are within the district. China National Petroleum Corporation and subsidiary PetroChina share one headquarters facility just inside the district at the Chaoyangmen intersection along the 2nd Ring Road. Air Koryo has an office in the Swissôtel Beijing in Dongcheng District.

Beijing's current master plan designates Dongcheng as one of the city's four core zones. To enhance the district's combination of commercial and cultural attractions, it calls for giving priority to service and high-tech industries within it. Three areas in particular are singled out for attention—Wangfujing, the eastern portion of the 2nd Ring Road, and the High Technology Park near the Lama Temple at Yonghegong Road and the Ring Road. The plan also calls for the "preservation of the city's historic landscape and renovation of dilapidated houses." Tax credits are available to eligible businesses that generate at least a half a million renminbi in contributions in their first years of operation in the district.

Administrative divisions

The district contains 17 subdistricts:

{| class="wikitable"

! Name !! Chinese (S) !! Hanyu Pinyin !! Population (2010) !! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)

| Jingshan Subdistrict || || || 40,308 || 1.64

| Donghuamen Subdistrict || || || 61,366 || 5.35

| Jiaodaokou Subdistrict|| || || 49,196 || 1.45

| Andingmen Subdistrict || || || 44,358 || 1.76

| Beixinqiao Subdistrict || || || 82,273 || 2.62

| Dongsi Subdistrict || || || 43,731 || 1.53

| Chaoyangmen Subdistrict || || || 36,702 || 1.24

| Jianguomen Subdistrict || || || 57,170 || 2.70

| Dongzhimen Subdistrict || || || 46,018 || 2.07

| Hepingli Subdistrict || || || 112,058 || 5.02

| Qianmen Subdistrict || || || 12,924 || 1.10

| Chongwenmenwai Subdistrict || || || 48,817 || 1.12

| Donghuashi Subdistrict || || || 52,775 || 1.92

| Longtan Subdistrict || || || 56,257 || 3.06

| Tiyuguanlu Subdistrict || || || 40,303 || 1.84

| Tiantan Subdistrict|| || || 50,304 || 4.03

| Yongdingmenwai Subdistrict || || || 84,693 || 3.33

Transport

Metro

Dongcheng is currently served by nine metro lines of the Beijing Subway:

- Tian'anmen East, Wangfujing , Dongdan , Jianguomen
- Qianmen , Chongwenmen , Beijing Railway Station, Jianguomen , Chaoyangmen , Dongsi Shitiao, Dongzhimen , Yonghegong Lama Temple , Andingmen, Guloudajie
- Hepingli Beijie, Yonghegong Lama Temple , Beixinqiao , Zhangzizhonglu, Dongsi , Dengshikou, Dongdan , Chongwenmen , Ciqikou , Tiantandongmen
- Nanluoguxiang , Dongsi , Chaoyangmen
- Zhushikou , Qiaowan, Ciqikou , Guangqumennei, Guangqumenwai
- Andelibeijie, Guloudajie , Shichahai, Nanluoguxiang , Zhongguo Meishuguan (National Art Museum), Jinyu Hutong, Wangfujing , Qianmen , Zhushikou , Tianqiao, Yongdingmenwai , Muxiyuan
- Dongzhimen
16x16px|link=Beijing Subway - Yongdingmenwai , Jingtai
- Dongzhimen , Beixinqiao

Education

Primary and secondary schools

thumb|The Honglou (), a former building of [[Peking University|alt=A red brick building with regular windows and a stone-faced ground floor. It is seen looking along its front; in the center there is a small entrance pavilion with a pediment at the roofline above it]]

Throughout Dongcheng are many of Beijing's public schools. Some of its high schools have been added to the city's list of beacon high schools, those that consistently maintain high standards. Among them are Beijing No. 166 High School on Tongfu Alley just off Dengshikou Street, Beijing Huiwen Middle School on Peixin Street in the former Chongwen District and Beijing No. 5 High School on Xiguan Hutong east of Nanluogoxiang. Another secondary institution of note, Beijing Jingshan School, is also located on Dengshikou Road. on Chaoyangmen Inner Street.

Beijing No. 25 Middle School has a dual Chinese-Canadian diploma program.

The Beijing Dongcheng Huimin Elementary School () serves the local Hui population.

Post-secondary schools

From its founding in the early 20th century to the Japanese occupation of eastern China in 1937, Peking University was housed in the Belgian-designed brick Honglou () or "Red House", at Wusi and Beiheyan streets. Mao Zedong worked in the library there, where he was among the leaders of the May Fourth Movement that lent its name to Wusi Street, an experience that later led him to help found the CCP. The university moved out to a larger campus in the Haidian District when Mao established the People's Republic of China in 1949, and the Honglou is now a museum.

thumb|[[Central Academy of Drama]]

Shortly after the university moved, Mao established the Central Academy of Drama, the only institution of higher education currently in the district. Many accomplished Chinese actors have graduated from it, and it is considered one of the best drama schools in China, East Asia and Asia. It is located on Dongmianhua Hutong, a short distance west of Nanluoguxiang.

Visitor attractions

Some of the well-known areas in Dongcheng District are:

Forbidden City
Zhongshan Park
Tiananmen
Tiananmen Square
Mausoleum of Mao Zedong
National Museum of China
Legation Quarter
Qianmen
Wangfujing
Yonghe Temple
Temple of Confucius
Guozijian (Imperial College)
Temple of Earth
St. Joseph's Catholic Church (Dong Tang)
Drum Tower & Bell Tower
Great Leap Brewing
National Art Museum of China
Zhihua Temple
Youth Science & Technology Museum (Qingshaonian Kejiguan)
Donghuamen Night Market
Temple of Heaven
Longtan Park
Qingnianhu Park
Huashi
Chaonei No. 81

Twin cities