Liulichang Antiques Street

Liulichang is a famous street which has a long history as a main cultural centre in Beijing. Named after official kilns located in the area in the Yuan and Ming dynasties, this 800 metre stretch is now home to shops selling all kinds of antiques and traditional chinese folk arts. Although today Liulichang stretches from the Nanbeiliuxiang of Xuanwu District in Beijing to Yanshousi Street Xuanwu District in central Beijing, originally the area was just a suburb. As the city expanded to surround it, the kilns had to be moved further out of the city centre, but the name remained.
 

During the early part of the Qing dynasty, a policy of segregation between the Man and Han ethnic groups was implemented by the government. Liulichang was located to the west of the outer city, which was a Han area, and home to many officials and their provincial halls. So, book businessmen from all over China came to the area to sell their wares. The prosperity of area and the convenience of transportation led it to be the largest book market in Beijing and shops selling painting and calligraphy supplies to the large numbers of visiting scholars  and members of the literati sprung up all along the street, which quickly gained reputation as an important centre of cultural development.

Today there are many old and famous shops in Liulichang, which is also the location of China's Bookstore, the largest bookstore dealing in old books in China. There are also a number of important publishing houses, like the CommercialPress, Chung Hwa Book Co., Ltd and World Journal Books. One of the most renowned stores on the street is called Rongbaozhai, a bookshop specialising in authentic chinese calligraphy and historic books.