Dongjiaominxiang

　　    Dongjiaominxiang is the longest hutong in Beijing, stretching approximately 3 kilometers in total from East Tian’anmen Square Road in the west to Chongwenmen Inner Street in the east. Every city has lanes and alleys of various sizes. In Beijing, these are called “hutongs,” which originated in the Yuan Dynasty. For centuries, these hutongs have been like blood vessels intertwined with the lives of Beijingers. There is a widely known saying in Beijing: “Of the three hundred and sixty famous hutongs, the nameless ones are as numerous as cow hair,” illustrating just how densely hutongs are spread across the city. Today, these historic old hutongs continue to witness the daily stories of Beijing residents and record the historical changes of this millennia-old capital.

　　    Dongjiaominxiang was established in the late 13th century when grain from southern China was transported via the Grand Canal to the Yuan capital, Dadu, and unloaded here. As a result, this lane was then called “Jiangmi Lane” (Rice Lane). In the 18th year of the Yongle era, Emperor Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing, and this “Jiangmi Lane” became a long street within the city. It is the longest hutong in Beijing and served as the foreign legation quarter during the old Chinese era.

　　    Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development