Qianmen Street

The street recently was restored, to recapture the elegance and ambience of one of Beijing's foremost commercial areas of the past. Qianmen Street reopened August 7th, a day before the opening of the Summer Games. Today, let's take on a tour of this classic, antique commercial setting, Qianmen Street.

The 840-meter long Qianmen Street began taking shape about 570 years ago. It continued to grow in elegance and stature, finally reaching a heyday in the 1920s and 1930s.

The newly restored look takes guidance from historical photos.

All the traditional touches were maintained.

The unmistakable character of traditional Chinese architecture and history are seen in the gray facades of the buildings and the elaborate wooden archways.