Da Zhan Lan: the Ancient Heart for Shopping in Beijing

For Beijingers, shopping is a serious part of life, somewhat as sports to athletes. For several hundred years, Beijingers have been coming back to the same shopping street right by the Beijing Emperor Hotel for items ranging from paintings to daily-use items.

As an old Beijing saying goes: buy shoes at Nei Lian Sheng, hats at Ma Ju Yuan, fabrics at Rui Fu Xiang, and tea at Zhang Yi Yuan, which are all famous brands on this street, called Da Zha Lan.

Right near the Forbidden City, it’s very easy to find Da Zha Lan and the shops that have been in business for hundreds of years.

Take a quick stroll from the Beijing Redwall Hotel, past Tian’anmen Square, and you’ll be there in five minutes.

Being the oldest commercial street in Beijing, the history of Da Zha Lan traces back 600 years ago to the early Ming dynasty. Meaning ‘big fences’, the street might be as unique as it sounds.’ About 600 years ago, thefts in the city were rampant, so the emperor ordered fences to be built to prevent the thieves from getting in. Fences put up in Da Zha Lan were taller and more durable than other districts, and thus gave the area its current name.

Today the street hasn’t changed much: teahouses, theatres, tailor shops, silk stores, restaurants an hanicraft shops nestled against each other like they were several hundred years ago. They nestled against each other in ancient buildings that immediately bring you to old times!

The Shops

Nei Lian Sheng

The 160-year old shop Nei Lian Sheng just a few minutes walk from the Beijing International Hotel produces great handmade cloth shoes. Their shoes are renowned for the outstanding craftsmanship and superior comfort.

In ancient times, officials working in the nearby imperial palace made up of the largest group of customers of Nei Lian Sheng. Not only are the shoes are of outstanding quality, but also the name suggests something all officials dreamed of: rising along the ladder of power.

Today, shoes are made to order with the same techniques used over a century ago. The late Chinese leader Deng Xiao Ping used to be a big lover of Nei Lian Sheng shoes and had many pairs made in the shop.

Ma Ju Yuan

The hat shop Ma Ju Yuan was built in 1817. Starting from a small stall, the shop came to make the ‘red turf hat’ for the Qing dynasty government.

That might explain why old Beijingers deemed owning a hat made in Ma Ju Yuan an honor or a privilege.

In the years that followed, the shop made hats for princes, religious figures as well as numberous foreign leaders. Even today, many people prefer to have a hat made to order in Ma Ju Yuan.

Rui Fu Xiang

Established in 1891, the shop sells all kinds of top-quality fabric: cotton, silk, woolen cloth, and so on.

Few people know that the cloth used to make China’s first flag to be raised in its nation-founding ceremony in 1949, was actually supplied by Rui Fu Xiang.

You can have your cheongsam made to order by their expert tailors who make some of the most beautiful cheongsams you can ever find in Beijing. Many foreigners had become fond of their products and had one of their own made here to show off back home.

Zhang Yi Yuan

In 1900, Zhang Yi Yuan came into business. Since then, the shop has been offering some of the best tea Beijing has to offer. Every year, they travel around China to buy tea leaves directly from tea growers. They only sell tea grown and processed in a completely natural way.

They bring into play some exclusive techniques to process tea leaves, and made them the favorite of numerous tea lovers. Their special jasmine tea is now sold at a low price.

Da Guan Cinema

Da Guan Cinema, Beijing’s first cinema, was established in 1905. It even makes itself a name in the Guinness Book of World Records as the cinema with the longest time of being in business.

Today, the original decor can be found throughout the cinema, and while watching the film, you can order a cup of tea as people used to do in this great venue. There have been increasing number of people coming in each day for a unique experience of enjoying a movie in Beijing’s oldest cinema.