LEGATION QUARTER 公使馆区

The history of the Legation Quarter (东交民巷) is unique among Beijing's neighborhoods – it hosted foreign residents long before Jianguomen was ever given over to the diplomats and journalists, and long before Wangjing even existed. As early as the Yuan dynasty, foreign traders and emissaries were settled here, outside the walls of Dadu. During the Ming and Qing dynasties many government offices (衙门, yámen) were located here, including the Ministry of Rites (礼部) and the Honglu Temple (鸿胪寺), both of which were responsible for treating with foreigners. Naturally, this is where the diplomats and traders lived – during the closed Qing dynasty, they were restricted to living in the Huitong Siyi Guan (会同四译馆), and carefully watched.

Following the Second Opium War, foreign powers began making demands on the Qing government, and one of those demands was more diplomatic territory. More foreigners moved into the area, embassies were built, and the name of the street was changed from Dongjiangmi Xiang (东江米巷, Eastern River-rice Street) to Dongjiaomin Xiang (东交民巷, Eastern Mingling-of-the-peoples Street, more or less). Relative peace was maintained, though the foreigners had established themselves by threat of arms.

During the Boxer Rebellion, the diplomatic presence here become a focal-point for anti-foreign sentiment, and in 1900 the legation quarter was besieged by Boxers. After a few fierce days of fighting, the quarter was relieved by the arrival of foreign troops (Gurkhas, I believe, creeping in via a drainage ditch). Following the end of the rebellion, the foreign nations retaliated heavily – demanding indemnities, executing Boxers, and rebuilding the ruined quarter into a tiny walled city. There were fortifications, a broad esplanade, and exclusionary policies aimed at Chinese citizens. Most of the current architecture dates to this period, which lasted until the Japanese invasion in 1937.

Today the neighborhood is a museum of colonial architecture. It's also, however, home to many sensitive government offices, and you generally can't get in to see the buildings because someone important is living there. Walking the streets ought to be a relaxing experience – it's a beautiful place, with trees and graceful architecture – and yet everywhere you look there's an armed policeman staring at you through a hole in a gate.

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Legation Quarter Photos

The old French Post Office is now a Sichuanese restaurant, but it obviously continued its postal duties well past the establishment of the PRC.

The very beautiful St. Michael's Church, built by the French Vincentian Order in 1902.

The infamous street sign – Beijing's last remaining street sign in a foreign language.