Dongcheng, Xicheng Show Signs of Coming Back to Life

Michael Wester | Feb 18, 2020 11:55 am | Add a comment | 1496 reads

Yesterday morning, we took a quick tour downtown to see what was up in the two districts in the center of the city: Dongcheng and Xicheng.

First observation: vehicular and pedestrian traffic was much heavier than last week, with lots of local residents walking around either shopping or taking in yesterday’s bout of very fresh air (in Beijing terms).

We started on Wudaoying Hutong, where most businesses were closed, though Tube Station Pizza’s delivery outlet was still fulfilling orders and was in fact quite busy for it being just past 11am.

The normally bustling shops that line both sides of Andingmennei Dajie remain largely closed with the exception of food markets, convenience stores, pharmacies, and some restaurants doing takeout only, which were all doing brisk business. One shop selling mantou had a line of 30 people out front, all uncharacteristically spread apart and waiting dutifully rather than the typical scrum for access to the front of the line.

At the southern Jiaodaokou intersection, we found McDonald’s taking names and numbers at the door and limiting people to takeout.

Entrances to most of the hutongs that branch out off the main avenue remain open, though some had movable barricades that presumably are being put up at night, and almost all had a manned table set up in front to take temperatures and record comings and goings.

Curling around to Gulou Dongdajie and heading towards the Drum Tower, we found a similar situation as to the east, though a few 'non-essential' businesses like boutiques and one gaming store were actually open for business.

Those looking to take a stroll around Houhai, Qianhai, and Shichahai will be disappointed as the neighborhoods and pathways around them have been closed off. One expat reported that he was able to “negotiate” his way in but for the most part the area is inaccessible.

No worries though as you can head directly across the street from the south end of the Houhai area and go directly into Beihai Park, which is a lot less crowded than usual and provides a welcome open space compared to the tight controls in the surrounding areas.