Centuries-old siheyuan (traditional Chinese courtyard houses) "meet" fairy tale giant puppets, Michelin restaurants move into grey brick and tile buildings, and Monet's gardens "grow" in hutongs... On May 25, the Beijing Zhonghai Daji Xiang project in Xicheng District's Luoma Shi Street officially opened. The project, with a total volume of 360,000 square meters, fills the gap in the southern urban commercial complex and is an integrated complex combining "urban cultural living room, citizens' leisure square, commercial complex, and ecological building cluster."

At 9:28 a.m., ten lion dances kicked off the ceremony with drumming and leaping. As "gold" sand poured to form the "Daji" totem, Daji Lane officially unveiled its "veil." As a unique courtyard-style block, Daji Lane has 80,000 square meters of commercial space, including more than 150 shops, over half of which are first-time or custom stores. On the opening day, many visitors came to try and explore the stores.

Walking into the Black Pearl Sichuan restaurant "Youyun," the restaurant was full of diners and people waiting for seats. Compared with traditional Sichuan cuisine, there are many innovative dishes and new flavors here. "Youyun" is a representative of many shops. "Huti Xiao Guan," "Qiaodongbei," and "Xinghuatang" etc. are filled with diners of different ages.

After a satisfying meal, don't miss the "Alley Fun Carnival" section. The 5-meter-high fairy tale giant puppet made its debut in Beijing, the "Hutong Girl" pushed a glowing candied hawthorn skewer cart, the "Steam Scholar" held an electronic ancient book that could turn pages, and they interacted with visitors in the siheyuan. The Qiyi Ke team's device flower car "Dilisike" appeared, turning everywhere it went into a mobile open-air music festival. Equally eye-catching is the "3D Monet Garden." Strolling through it, you can see pink mist hydrangea flower sea, swaying iris flower path, vine arch corridor... A random shot is a French romantic masterpiece.

The northwest side of the project site is home to a group of cultural relics units, and the area preserves a large number of historical architectural complexes from the Ming and Qing dynasties to modern times, including the Beijing-level (provincial) cultural relics Kang Youwei's former residence, the building at No. 29 Mishi Hutong, the former site of "Weekly Review," and other cultural relics buildings. The siheyuan in this area are relatively well-preserved and are a valuable historical heritage. They have well-preserved the fishbone-shaped street layout and courtyard pattern from the Jin Zhongdu to the Ming and Qing dynasties and are one of the concentrated carriers of the guild, celebrity, and commercial culture in the Xuanwu South area.

To achieve the dual goals of cultural relics protection and utilization, the street has jointly adopted a "one house, one discussion" refined plan and "acupuncture-style" restoration techniques with the project team to carry out refined restoration of traditional architectural components such as the entrance, screen wall, and hanging flower gate of the siheyuan to achieve "restoration as old." On the opening day, various exhibitions of the "Yard Culture Feast" were held in the siheyuan in the cultural relics area of the project.

With the official opening of the Daji Lane project, a new 12,000-square-meter "green lung" has been added within the Second Ring. Five gardens, including the "Low-Carbon Garden Elastic Theater" and the "Forest Terrace," are arranged in a staggered manner, perfectly integrating the grey tiles and green trees of the traditional hutongs with modern low-carbon technology to build a "breathing" ecological network. The project, through the ingenious interlacing design of corridors, courtyards, and pocket parks, also meets the needs of "the elderly basking in the sun and children playing," making it a green landmark on the central axis where "you can stroll, rest, and breathe."

Travel Tips

1.Time Planning

Morning (10:00-12:00): During the initial opening period, the foot traffic is relatively large. It is recommended to arrive early. First, head to the "3D Monet Garden" to take photos and check in, avoiding the crowd and easily taking beautiful photos. Then visit the "Yard Culture Feast" to see the Silk Road Civilization Art Exhibition, Feng Tang Art Exhibition, and other cultural exhibitions to feel the charm of culture.

Noon (12:00-13:30): Enjoy lunch in the dining area. You can choose "Youyun" to taste authentic Sichuan cuisine or "Shanxia Jian" to experience the unique greenhouse hot pot.

Afternoon (13:30-17:00): Head to the Fashion Shopping Area to browse the characteristic stores and pick up the items you like.

Evening (17:00-18:00): Take a walk in the "Urban Green Lung" and enjoy the quiet green time. Take a break on the "Forest Terrace" to recharge for the evening activities.

Evening (18:00-22:00): Have dinner in the dining area. After dinner, continue to play in the block, feel the atmosphere of the night, and enjoy the ancient alley and art installations under the lights to bring a perfect end to the day's trip.

2. Transport Guide

Subway: Take Subway Lines 4/7 and get off at Caishikou Station, Exit C, for direct and convenient access.

Bus: You can get off at the Nanhengjie North Station (Line 13/83/144/381) and walk north for about 3 minutes; or get off at Guozixiang Station (Line 5/6/48/102/105) and walk west for about 2 minutes.

Driving: Use a navigation app to search for “中海大吉巷”("Zhonghai Daji Xiang"). The east entrance of the parking lot is located on the west side of Mishi East Hutong Road, and the south entrance is on the north side of Hou Bingma Street. Currently, parking spaces B3 and B4 are available.

3.Warm Tips

The exhibition area is open from 10:00 to 18:00, and the business hours of Beijing Zhonghai Daji Xiang are from 10:00 to 22:00.

Source: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/37rICL9QLcThsrxSomaRyA