Republic of China National Assembly Hall

　　The site of the Beijing Republic of China National Assembly Hall is located at No. 57 Xuanwumen West Street, Xicheng District. In the second year of the Xuantong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1910), on the former site of the imperial elephant stables from the Ming and Qing dynasties, a consultative body—the Council of State—was established. After the Xinhai Revolution, it was converted into the National Assembly Hall. The National Assembly consisted of the Senate and the House of Representatives, with the Senate in the west and the House of Representatives in the east. The Senate was housed in the late Qing legal school, which is now the printing plant of Xinhua News Agency. The House of Representatives was located on the original site of the Council of State, which is now within the compound of Xinhua News Agency.

　　After the fall of the Beiyang government, the site of the National Assembly was repurposed as the Law School of Peking University. During the Anti-Japanese War, the Japanese invaders converted it into the Xinmin Academy. From 1946 to early 1949, it was used by the Fourth Branch of Peking University. When North China University relocated from Shijiazhuang to Beijing, this site became the location of its Third Department, and it was later converted into the site of Xinhua News Agency.

　　With the passage of time, some of the original buildings of the Republic of China-era National Assembly in Beijing have been lost, leaving only structures such as the Round Building and the Red Building. Behind Xinhua News Agency is the site of the Republic of China National Assembly Hall, which was once the meeting place for both chambers of the National Assembly and is now used as the Xinhua News Agency auditorium. The assembly hall faces south and is built with brick and wood. Its architectural style is simple yet solemn.

　　To the west of the Red Building is the famous Round Building of the National Assembly. The Round Building served as the office building for the National Assembly, with the second floor being the meeting place for the president of the Beiyang government and the speaker of the assembly. The name “Round Building” is somewhat “misleading”—most would assume it refers to a circular structure, but this building is actually square in shape. It earned the name due to its main section being elliptical. To the north of the assembly hall are two Red Buildings, divided into northern and southern sections, named for their red-painted exterior corridors and pillars. They served as office space for the National Assembly and are also said to have been used as dormitories for assembly members.

　　The site of the Republic of China National Assembly Hall is located at No. 57 Xuanwumen West Street, Xicheng District. Built in 1911, it served as the venue for National Assembly meetings and office work. The surviving structures include the National Assembly Auditorium, with a construction area of approximately 2,100 square meters. To the north of the auditorium are the National Assembly offices, and to the east is the National Assembly Library. Because the National Assembly was based here, the nearby alley was called National Assembly Street. The site is a key cultural relic protected by Beijing Municipality.

　　Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development