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Guozijian Street:China's Past by Liu Jian Humanist Center
WALKING out of the Yonghegong La-masery in Beijing's Dongcheng District,which attracts lots of worshippers everyday,one will find a quiet shady alley op-posite the temple,called Guozijian Street,or Chengxian Street.
The 669-meter long and ll-meter widestreet gradually took shape about 700years ago.This time-honored street is wellknown because it houses the ConfuciusTemple in the east and the Imperial Acad-emy in the west.Over the centuries,thearea became one of China' most impor-tant humanist centers.
The most important architecturalstructure on the street is the ConfuciusTemple,built in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).Confucius was China's great think-er and educator of ancient times,andremains a revered sage to the Chinese.Confucian temples can be found all overthe country,the best known being one inQufu (Confucius' hometown) in Shan-dong Province and this one on GuozijianStreet.The temple is where the sacrificesto Confucius were made during the Yuan,Ming and Qing dynasties (1271-1911).
Two marble steles,about 4 meters highand 1 meter wide,stand near the east andwest entrances to the temple.Both sides ofthe steles are inscribed in six languages,instructing that "all dismount here."Eventhe emperor himself had to leave his car-riage and walk to the temple,acknowledg-ing the supreme status of Confucius.
Adjacent to the temple is Guozijian orthe Imperial Academy,the highest educa-tional institution during the Yuan,Mingand Qing dynasties,combining the func-tions of what is now called the Ministryof Education,as well as that of a nationaluniversity.During the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911),this was also where emper-ors frequently read Confucian classics tothousands of students.
There are old-fashioned one-storeyhouses on both sides of the street.A to-tal of four archways were erected over thestreet.Among them,the archways thatstand at the eastern and western entrancesto the street bear the inscriptions of thestreet name.The street's four decoratedarchways,Chinese scholar trees,and an-cient dwellings largely reflect the old Bei-jing.
Some old buildings are undergoingrenovation while newer structures,inkeeping with local design,have been re-stricted to a single-storey height.Thestreet also contains a number of housesfor ordinary citizens.This is still a resi-dent community where many older menstill hang out bamboo birdcages whilechatting in small groups.
The street is ancient and secluded,andeven the fast pace of urban life seem toslow down here.A stroll along this tran-quil alley is a gentle step back in time.
WALKING out of the Yonghegong La-masery in Beijing's Dongcheng District,which attracts lots of worshippers everyday,one will find a quiet shady alley op-posite the temple,called Guozijian Street,or Chengxian Street.
The 669-meter long and ll-meter widestreet gradually took shape about 700years ago.This time-honored street is wellknown because it houses the ConfuciusTemple in the east and the Imperial Acad-emy in the west.Over the centuries,thearea became one of China' most impor-tant humanist centers.
The most important architecturalstructure on the street is the ConfuciusTemple,built in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).Confucius was China's great think-er and educator of ancient times,andremains a revered sage to the Chinese.Confucian temples can be found all overthe country,the best known being one inQufu (Confucius' hometown) in Shan-dong Province and this one on GuozijianStreet.The temple is where the sacrificesto Confucius were made during the Yuan,Ming and Qing dynasties (1271-1911).
Two marble steles,about 4 meters highand 1 meter wide,stand near the east andwest entrances to the temple.Both sides ofthe steles are inscribed in six languages,instructing that "all dismount here."Eventhe emperor himself had to leave his car-riage and walk to the temple,acknowledg-ing the supreme status of Confucius.
Adjacent to the temple is Guozijian orthe Imperial Academy,the highest educa-tional institution during the Yuan,Mingand Qing dynasties,combining the func-tions of what is now called the Ministryof Education,as well as that of a nationaluniversity.During the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911),this was also where emper-ors frequently read Confucian classics tothousands of students.
There are old-fashioned one-storeyhouses on both sides of the street.A to-tal of four archways were erected over thestreet.Among them,the archways thatstand at the eastern and western entrancesto the street bear the inscriptions of thestreet name.The street's four decoratedarchways,Chinese scholar trees,and an-cient dwellings largely reflect the old Bei-jing.
Some old buildings are undergoingrenovation while newer structures,inkeeping with local design,have been re-stricted to a single-storey height.Thestreet also contains a number of housesfor ordinary citizens.This is still a resi-dent community where many older menstill hang out bamboo birdcages whilechatting in small groups.
The street is ancient and secluded,andeven the fast pace of urban life seem toslow down here.A stroll along this tran-quil alley is a gentle step back in time.