Capturing life in Beijing's Qianmen-Dashilar

Simply leaving the main byway can lead into alleys lined with two-floor brick buildings or small factories from the mid-20th century. If only buildings could talk — there would be many colourful legends and stories going back to the latter days of the Qing Dynasty. Its uniqueness has seen its increased use as a location during the annual Beijing Design Week. Indeed, Dashilar is being seen by travel guides like Lonely Planet as becoming a ”hip” neighborhood. This is due to some of the area’s local-style Art Deco buildings becoming centers for contemporary art, fashion and design. Galleries and smart cafes are appearing alongside hostels popular with overseas backpackers and travelers, people who prefer to spend time in local areas filled with reminders of past eras rather than more suburban fashionable hotels.

Considerable work has gone into improving the appearance of Yangmeizhu Byway. One cafe boasts an upstairs terrace offering excellent views over the surrounding rooftops, while looking down on the variety of domestic and Western architectural styles standing side-by-side through this neighborhood. One delight has been to be present when the local Tan’er Hutong Elementary School finishes for the day. With alleys too narrow for cars, students often go home by bicycle carts, while others crowd into local shops for snacks. Indeed, Tan’er leads to north-running Yanshou Street, which is lined with many neighborhood food and household goods stores. It is an image of life from a different era in Beijing’s history, and for a photographer, a place to capture many precious moments in time of people going about their daily lives.

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