Qianmen festival showcases Dongcheng gems

Qianmen's delicious food and grandiose buildings always draw the crowds, but right now there is another reason to visit the area: The 3rd Qianmen Historical Culture Festival, which will last until Saturday.

Hosted by the People's Government of Dongcheng district, the festival aims to promote Qianmen as a tourist attraction and show how the area has successfully developed.

It features a series of events including The Treasure Show of Time-honored Brands, the re-opening of Tianleyuan, a historical opera house, and the 2012 Taiwan Fine Arts Exhibition.

"Qianmen has a strong history of building folk, opera and business culture, and Dongcheng district has made a big effort to recreate the old, traditional look of Qianmen," said Niu Qingshan, head of Dongcheng district, at the opening ceremony of the festival.

"We hope the festival can play a greater role in developing Dongcheng district and set an example of how history and culture can be combined with modernity."

The Treasure Show of Time-honored Brands is regarded as the most eye-catching part of the festival.

Qianmen has been a prosperous business district ever since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and today it still has plenty of brands that have managed to survive the test of time.

These include Quanjude (Beijing roast duck restaurant), Yitiaolong (hot pot restaurant) and Huntun Hou (wonton restaurant).

During the festival all these brands are showcasing their most valuable assets, from food recipes and kitchen ware to design.

In order to ensure visitors can enjoy these treasures, the festival organizers have issued treasure maps. When visitors successfully find the treasure, they have their maps stamped with a souvenir badge.

Wang Xiang, a 37-year-old school teacher and tourist from Hunan Province, who just had his map stamped, described the activity as "less commercial and more interesting."

"It really helped me understand the business culture of Qianmen," said Wang, "Qianmen is a business street, but it's also a tourist attraction. The two sides need to be balanced."

Meanwhile, the 2012 Taiwan Fine Arts Exhibition is a collection of more than 80 international award-winning artworks created by Taiwan artists, all of which are being showcased on the mainland for the first time.

Finally, another spotlight is the re-opening of Tianleyuan opera house. Tianleyuan has a history of 200 years and is one of Beijing's most well-known opera houses. Some of the most notable Peking Opera performers, such as Mei Lanfang (1894-1961), have performed here.