Poly Art Museum, located in Beijing's Dongcheng district, has been developing high-tech methods to preserve and present its collections. [Photo by Song Jiaru/For China Daily] Diverse forms of new quality productive forces give Beijing's Dongcheng district a cutting edge in the cultural and creative sector, Cheng Yuezhu reports. The hutong (alleyways) have long been iconic to central Beijing, promising those who enjoy taking a walk in tranquility a great experience, with their gray brick walls, upturned eaves and paths shaded by luxuriant tree branches.
But today, these hutong have more to offer. While most remain residential buildings, some courtyards have been renovated into areas for rich cultural and entertaining experiences. Those who walk along the Doufuchi Hutong in Beijing's Dongcheng district may come across a small, inconspicuous door, but when they walk in, they find themselves in a courtyard of considerable size.
The courtyard, called The Guan, is now known as a local culture museum along the Beijing Central Axis, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List this July. Renovated from a former temple and opened to the public in January, The Guan includes a bookstore, a digital art gallery, a Beijing Central Axis Post Office, and a few hospitality venues. A tourist surnamed Liu came across The Guan with her friend on a serendipitous afternoon "city-walk" session.
She says that they wanted to wander around the Bell and Drum Towers area without making any addi.