Lama Temple Neighborhood Soon to Be One With the Bricks?

The Great Brickening of 2017, which laid to waste vast stretches of hutongs and streets from Chaoyang to Haidian, is back for another summer of dust and demolition. The latest neighborhood to get the short end of the bricks is the stretch of religious curio and souvenir shops surrounding the Lama Temple on Yonghegong Dajie. 

As of Tuesday afternoon, only the businesses on the eastern side of the street had been demolished. The west side of Yonghegong Dajie, which includes several well-established stores and a branch of the tea super-chain Wuyutai, was still open for business. However, the presence of blue construction barricades on both sides of the street is an ill-omen for a neighborhood famous for its cheesy but eclectic mix of fortune tellers, religious shops, and cafés.

Fans of neighborhood stalwarts such as QS and Café de la Poste can breathe a sigh of relief (for now) as the "urban renewal" so far does not extend south of the main gate of the Lama Temple.

As one individual with close ties to food and beverage establishments in the neighborhood warned ominously, "It's hard to imagine they will allow a load of dives to continue if they're bricking up souvenir stores."

But more than just the bars are at stake.

"Hipsters often suggest they're trying to get rid of foreigners and places to have fun," said the same individual, "but more mom-and-pop stores have been shut down than bars and restaurants. Grocery stores, small barber shops, convenience stores, shoe repair places, and innocent little local businesses thrived, and then they got shut too."

The latest round of demolitions comes as many "hutong survivors" have started to emerge in the post-brickening wasteland. Spaces like Great Outdoors, Tiki Bungalow, Side Street, Fang Bar, Three Little Pigs, as well as QS and Café de la Poste, have been doing excellent business as they keep the spirit of Dongcheng nightlife alive in the district.

READ: Final Stop on the Great Brickening Shows Beijing Hutongs Have Become Sterile, Tepid Alleys

Last year, thousands of small business were closed throughout the city as municipal authorities cracked down on "illegal structures" and businesses operating without proper licences. Whether the latest round of summer demolitions is a continuation of last year's crackdown or the start of Phase II remains to be seen.

Photos: Jeremiah Jenne