In a city that like old Beijing was built out of wood, one of the biggest scares was fire. When a fire raged, it would have immediate catastrophic consequences, but the flames would also ignite significant developments in the capital. Because out of the ashes of devastation long lasting societal changes would grow.

White Russian refugees in Beijing

In 1943 most of the foreign community of Beijing was expelled from the city by the Japanese occupiers. It was the end of an era where westerners had been treated as outside the jurisdiction of Chinese law.

The story of Beijing’s first public toilet

The moment you set foot on Beijing soil you will hear about the hutongs. It is as if these narrow, grey lanes of the capital encapsulate the very soul of the city. However, Qing dynasty residents of Beijing would probably scratch their heads if they saw how the dusty back alleys of the capital have been awarded this glorifying status of representing the “real” Beijing.

The history of the ring roadsThe odd couple of the pagoda and the chimney has 900 years between. The buddhist tower is in fact probably the oldest building in all of Beijing

There are a surprising number of German footprints on the development of modern Beijing. Where the British, Japanese and American influence on republican Beijing is well known, the German impact on the city is often forgotten.

The history of the ring roads

On November 11, 1908, a rumour spread throughout Beijing that the Guangxu emperor had died. That night, multiple wedding celebrations suddenly took place.

Chang’an Avenue - Beijing's Revolutionary Road Part Two

​Changan Avenue - Beijing’s Revolutionary Road Part 1

In 1922, the last emperor Puyi caused a stir. According to his teacher Reginald Johnston “he surprised and shocked the court – especially the imperial dowagers – by vehemently protesting against being provided with more than a single fiancée.

Next to the Tiananmen there is a red gate. It leads into a garden called the Zhongshan park.

The city plan of Beijing was measured out according to a tree. This glorious plant stood just outside of what we today know as the Tiananmen gate. Whilst sadly the tree itself is no more, the grid of roads that it helped measure out still exists to this day.

Only a hundred years ago, when Chinese people from the south of the country arrived in Beijing, they did not have a clue what was sold inside Beijing’s shops. This was because the signage outside the stores was particular to Beijing. You could almost call it a code of the capital.

Xingshi Huabao was established in 1909, but only existed for around half a year. It was located in the Dashilar area and reported numerous stories from brothels and opium dens in a gossipy, sensationalist yet not very openly political way.