Nanluoguxiang, Yandai Xiejie, and Guozijian Street
Must-visit spots for both domestic and international tourists in Beijing include Nanluoguxiang, also known as "Centipede Alley," Shichahai's unique commercial street Yandai Xiejie, and the historically rich Mao’er Hutong... Beijing’s hutongs are full of stories, with each street carrying deep history and a strong Beijing flavor.
Nanluoguxiang
Guozijian Street runs east-west, situated between Yonghegong Dajie and Andingmennei Dajie. It was formed in the early Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, the street had no formal name and was simply called "Guozijian Confucius Temple." In the Qing Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, it became known as Guozijian, a name that has remained unchanged to this day. Although the archways at both ends of the street are inscribed with "Chengxian Jie" (Street of Virtuous Scholars), this name has never been officially adopted as the street’s formal designation, and most people still do not know that Chengxian Jie refers to Guozijian Street. In 1965, it was officially named Guozijian Street. During the Cultural Revolution, it was called Hongri Beilu Jiu Tiao. Guozijian Street preserves the well-retained appearance of old Beijing alleys. It earned its name due to the presence of the Confucius Temple and the Imperial College here. In 1984, it was designated as a municipal-level cultural heritage site in Beijing. Today, Guozijian Street is one of the few remaining ancient streets in the capital, featuring towering archways, tree-lined paths of ancient locust trees, and traditional residences and temples on either side—offering an old-world charm, tranquility, and a strong sense of historical heritage.
Guozijian Street is the only street in Beijing that still has archways. There are four archways on the street: one at each end of the east-west stretch, inscribed with "Chengxian Jie," and one on each side near the Guozijian, inscribed with "Guozijian." The street also houses the Han Wen Gong Ci (Temple of Han Yu), dedicated to the great Tang Dynasty literary figure Han Yu; the Huoshen Miao (Fire God Temple), built during the Ming Dynasty; and the Zaojun Miao (Kitchen God Temple).
The Guozijian (Imperial College) was first built in the 10th year of the Yuandade era (1306) during the Yuan Dynasty. It served as the highest national educational institution and the administrative body for state education through the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. The Guozijian offered courses in subjects such as rites, music, law, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. Attending the Guozijian was considered a great honor for scholars at the time. The highest official of the Guozijian was called the Jijiu (Headmaster). Xu Heng, a renowned scholar of the Yuan Dynasty, once served as Jijiu here. A cypress tree he planted survived for several centuries.
The Confucius Temple began construction in the 6th year of Yuandade (1302) and was completed in the 10th year (1306). It was rebuilt on the original site in the 9th year of the Ming Yongle era (1411). In the 2nd year of the Qing Qianlong era (1737), its roof tiles were changed to yellow glazed tiles. In the 32nd year of the Guangxu era (1906), the worship of Confucius was elevated to the highest level of state ritual. It served as the site where emperors of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties worshipped Confucius. The temple grounds include the Stele Forest of Successful Imperial Examination Candidates, consisting of 198 stone tablets inscribed with the names of over 50,000 successful candidates from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, including figures such as Yuan Chonghuan and Zeng Guofan. The temple also has many cypress trees. One, located to the west of the Dacheng Hall, is said to have knocked off the hat of Yan Song, a corrupt prime minister of the Ming Dynasty, when he dismounted to worship Confucius on behalf of Emperor Jiajing. It is thus known as the "Tree That Punishes Treachery."