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Nanchizi Street, the former imperial city, is still unattainable today

author:And walk and stop and follow the wind

Immediately on the east side of the Forbidden City, there is a street, the southern section is called Nanchizi, and the northern section is called Beichizi. The name is very casual, and it is said that there used to be a river here, called "Chizi" in Beijing. Don't look at the name so elegant and popular, the whole street down, but see many doors written on the doors of "idlers do not enter", "do not disturb", "do not enter" words, people dare not slack off at all times, remember that they are walking in the former imperial city forbidden land, must abide by the rules.

The plots of the north and south ponds are indeed the former imperial cities. Located outside the Forbidden City, they are the location of the royal logistics warehouse, which can be seen from the names of nearby hutongs, such as Lantern Hutong, Satinku Hutong, and Ciqiku Hutong. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, a gate was opened on the east and west sides of the south palace wall of the imperial city, and two streets were gradually formed, the east side was called South and North Chizi, and the west side was called South and North Long Street.

Because it is part of the Imperial City, it has indeed been home to big people. For example, Yingzong Zhu Qizhen of the Ming Dynasty once lived here. During the Battle of Tumu Fort, Emperor Yingzong of Ming captured Zhu Qizhen (1449), and his younger brother Zhu Qiyu was subsequently proclaimed emperor. A year later, Ming Yingzong was released back to Beijing and placed under house arrest in Nanchizi. During the Qing Dynasty, the palace of Prince Rui of the powerful regent Dolgon (1612-1650) was also located here. The titles of emperor and regent should be enough to prove the dignity of this place.

Walk east along the alley in front of Pudu Temple in Nanchizi, and you will not be far away to see a high platform, which is the remains of Rui Wang Mansion. After Dolgon's death, the title was taken away, and the palace was later converted into Pudu Temple, and now only a mountain gate and a large hall remain, leaving not too many traces of Rui Wang Mansion and Pudu Temple.

There is a small iron fence door on the east side of the high platform, and the door does not write where it is, but it says the opening time. The door was open, and I walked in curiously, only to find that this was the Pudu Temple. After entering, I found a bust statue in front of the mountain gate with the words "Dolgon" written on it, and I associated this place with Dolgon. To be honest, the statue was crudely carved and placed haphazardly on the ground. Although the main hall is dilapidated, the tall hall still shows that it was unusual in the past.

Nanchizi Street, the former imperial city, is still unattainable today

Pudu Temple Mountain Gate

Nanchizi Street, the former imperial city, is still unattainable today

The main hall of Pudu Temple is still very magnificent

Pudu Temple is one of the eight temples outside the Forbidden City, and there are two other eight temples on the south and north of Chizi Street. One is the Ninghe Temple, dedicated to the cloud god, on the north side of Pudu Temple, which is said to have also been part of Rui Wangfu, and is now the Beichizi Campus of Dengshikou Primary School. Another temple is Xuanren Temple, dedicated to the wind god, at the northernmost intersection of the street.

Nanchizi Street, the former imperial city, is still unattainable today

Ninghe Temple is now the Beichizi Campus of Dengshikou Primary School

Nanchizi Street, the former imperial city, is still unattainable today

Xuanren Temple is at the northernmost end of Beichizi Street

There is also a landmark monument on this street, the Chéng, located at the southernmost end of the street. This is the place where the annals of royal documents were preserved in the Ming and Qing dynasties, that is, the royal archives, and now it also treasures important texts such as the records of emperors, hadiths, and jade in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is said that the architecture of the Imperial Palace is very distinctive, and in order to prevent fire and durability, all buildings are made of brick and stone, and not a single piece of wood is missing.

Nanchizi Street, the former imperial city, is still unattainable today

After restoration, the Imperial Palace has been restored to its former appearance, and it is hoped that it will open as soon as possible

South and North Chizi Street all the way down, except for Pudu Temple, all other ancient buildings are closed, you can only know their names from the plaque at the door, and then through the crack in the door or tiptoe, you can see a trace of true face. In addition to the ancient buildings, there are many houses on the street. Some should be unit rooms, there are no plaques, the doors are closed, and there is an atmosphere that refuses to be seen thousands of miles away. Even the houses are mostly renovated modern courtyards, with a small sign "Private House" hanging at the door, as if to remind you that the owner here does not welcome you.

Along the way, this street makes people feel cold and proud. After the founding of the Republic of China, the royal houses near the southern and northern ponds were occupied by foreign residents, and the former imperial city gradually became a residential area intertwined with hutongs, and neatly dressed officials were replaced by civilians wearing vests and pants, making this place full of short fireworks in parents. In the past 20 years, with the commercialization of real estate, many houses have been fenced with high walls and iron gates, making this place unattainable again. This makes me miss the fun and lively human touch that I used to have here.

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