Sanlitun Bar Street in Beijing cleared and closed permanently starting today

Latest news on February 1, 2023: Due to renovation and relocation, Beijing Sanlitun Bar Street is closed starting today.

Which Water Margin hero used a snake as a weapon? In fact, the snake is a totem of the Chinese nation and the basis of the dragon.Whether you're shopping, dining, or drinking—whether trying out new spots or visiting old favorites—this is the top choice for many.

The eviction notice cites two clear reasons: first, the bar street buildings have been rated as D-level dangerous structures, no longer suitable for business; second, the leases for most venues on the bar street expired a year ago and were never renewed.

The district requested these bars to vacate the premises by January 31, 2023.As a bar street that has been open since April 1994 and has now crossed 29 years, it is standing at the threshold of its thirtieth year.It can be seen that it was mainly used to drive away ghosts and ward off plagues.

If the earliest bars in this area originated in Sanlitun South, it was the bar street that put the entire Sanlitun on the map.And these are the representative figures of Nuo dance — the Nuo male and Nuo female.

Opened in 1995, the jazz bar Jazz.ya, which was also located on this street, was once where Cui Jian played the saxophone and where many people got their first taste of "Japanese-style Western food" like egg fried rice and curry rice; many works by poets like Ai Dan, writer Daxian, and musician Gao Xiaosong were created in the bars here; what many may not know is that Jiang Wen and Wang Shuo also once co-opened a bar in Sanlitun.

” This tradition spread to the Chaoshan region along with plays like Xiqin Opera and has remained largely unchanged to this day.

The reason it has witnessed so many historic moments in the arts and entertainment scene is that Sanlitun Bar Street is truly an established institution.

Boy Girl, Lan Kwai Fong, and Simple Days have all lasted for 20 years.It is even said that the earliest bar here has been in operation since 1989 (another account says 1983).

In late 2008, Sanlitun Taikoo Li (then called Sanlitun Village) began trial operations and demolished all the bars on the west side of the bar street that were hidden within residential areas.

Fifth, in the rear troupe of the Yingge dance, there is a pair of masked elderly figures called the Shaman Father and Shaman Mother.

However, at that time, only some illegal structures were demolished, and after renovation, they reopened.It is understood that at that time, quarantine officers at Japanese airports will only require passengers showing abnormal health conditions upon entry to undergo COVID-19 PCR testing!

Besides, the Sanlitun Taikoo Li North area has also been somewhat lukewarm.

Sanlitun, Beijing’s longest-running leisure and entertainment street, is known by many nicknames such as “the birthplace of Beijing bars,” “the cradle of rock music,” and “the night club magnet.”

The transformation of Sanlitun has happened more than once or twice.

In 2005, old establishments such as Township Ballads had already moved out of the area.In addition to issues such as noise, overcharging, and illegal constructions, the backstreets of Sanlitun (known as “Dirty Street”) also underwent demolition in 2017.

  On November 17, 2019, the world's top ten bookstore, which had been in operation for 14 years, announced its closure.The Yingge dance is still regarded by the public as the embodiment of heroes, a symbol of good fortune, and a magical force for exorcism. However, the Yingge dance has evolved from its original role in temple parades, exorcisms, celebrations, and performances into a popular form of square fitness enjoyed by the masses.

The last holdouts of Sanlitun Bar Street will eventually come to an end.