Gongjian Ice Cellar

Gongjian Ice Cellar

The Gongjian Ice Cellar is a protected cultural heritage site of Beijing Municipality.

Coming out of the east gate of Beihai Park and turning left will take you to Gongjian Hutong. No. 5 in the Fifth Alley of Gongjian Hutong is the Gongjian Ice Cellar. According to the "Collected Statutes of the Great Qing," the Qing court established a total of 18 ice cellars in four locations across the capital, managed by the Directorate of Waterways under the Ministry of Works, collectively referred to as "official cellars," which exclusively supplied ice for the imperial palace and government offices. The Gongjian Ice Cellar was one of them. The cellar faces east and is situated to the west, with a double-tiered interlocking hip-and-gable roof covered with semi-cylindrical tiles. It is a semi-underground structure built from city bricks, with walls about one meter thick, and an interior of brick arch construction.

Gongjian Hutong is located in Xicheng District, Beijing. It starts from the north gate of Beihai Park on Di’anmen West Street in the north and extends to Jingshan Back Street in the south. To the west of Gongjian Hutong lies Beihai North Alley, a narrow lane situated beneath the wall of Beihai Park. The name “Gongjian Hutong” originates from the "Analects of Confucius." During the Ming Dynasty, it was called Neigongjian Hutong because the Imperial Household Department was located there. After the Republic of China era, the character “Nei” (inner) was dropped, and “Gongjian” became the homophonic replacement for “Gongjian” (宫监), taken from the phrase “warm, kind, respectful, frugal, and yielding” in the "Analects." Specifically, it refers to the words “Gong” (respectful) and “Jian” (frugal) from the list: “gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality, and yielding.” In the "Analects · Learning," it is written: “Zigong said: ‘The Master attained it through being warm, kind, respectful, frugal, and yielding. The way the Master sought it was perhaps different from the way others sought it?’” Zigong praised his teacher for possessing the virtues of gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality, and humility — a approach distinct from others. “Gong” means respecting others while also respecting oneself. Being neither servile nor overbearing, acting with reverence and humility, and keeping a low profile enables one to achieve great things. “Jian” refers to diligence and thrift, never equating extravagance and waste with wealth or nobility.

Location

No. 5, Fifth Alley, Gongjian Hutong, Xicheng District, Beijing

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Municipal-Level Protected Cultural Heritage Sites in Beijing