A "citizens' square" currently under construction in southern
Beijing is expected to breathe new life into the "folk art center"
of the early 1900s.
Located in the southern part of the city, the "Tianqiao", or
"heavenly bridge", was first built during the Yuan Dynasty
(1271-1368) and became a center of Chinese folk art at the end of
the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Historians say folk art performed at Tianqiao in the early 20th
century were modern forms of some ancient religious rituals and the
prototype of Beijing's culture and entertainment market. The street
also gave birth to many artistic forms including ballad singing and
acrobatics.
Even today, Tianqiao is still believed to be the epitome of
Beijing's culture by writers, artists and overseas Chinese who have
come back over the years to seek their ancestral roots.
Construction of the rectangular, 5,000-square-meter citizens'
square in Tianqiao started on Dec. 16, 2002, to revive the folk art
center.
On
the eastern end of the square will stand a bell tower -- a onetime
landmark in the area, and on the western end, a fountain and a
group of statues. The square will provide a retreat for passersby
with its lawns, trees and benches.
It
will also include an underground parking lot, a department store
featuring Beijing's folk art and a cultural heritage museum.
Tianqiao, covering 18.1 hectares with 200,000 square meters of
residential housing, is one of Beijing's old residential areas that
need renovation. But priority has been given to the preservation
and restoration of its original flavor.
(People's Daily January 10, 2003)