Interesting Times: Sanlitun

Sanlitun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sanlitun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sanlitun (simplified Chinese: 三里屯; traditional Chinese: 三里屯; pinyin: Sānlǐtún) is an area of the Chaoyang District, Beijing containing many popular bar streets and international stores.

The area has been under almost constant regeneration since the late 20th century as part of a city-wide project of economic regrowth. It currently houses many bars and clubs popular with both expatriates and locals as well as international band-name stores such as American Apparel, Apple and Adidas. It is notable for housing the largest Adidas store in the world. The Ya Show (雅秀) market is also in the area, a popular destination for tourists wishing to buy counterfeit clothes. His

Prior to 1949, the Beijing Legation Quarter was the center of diplomatic activity in the capital. After the foundation of the People's Republic of China, the government wanted to move the diplomatic district outside the inner city. Sanlitun was chosen as the area where foreign legations and embassies were to be reallocated in the late 1950s. The area was called Sanlitun to designate its location from Dongzhimen gate (东直门). With tun meaning 'locality', san li meaning 'three li' (a li is 0.5 km), the name translates as 1.5 km away (from Dongzhimen Gate).

Sanlitun's began to grow when, along with the economic reforms of the late 1970s and early 1980s, bars serving expatriates and later locals began to open. International hotels hosted the first bars, but in the 1990s, standalone establishments appeared.

A small lane known as Nan Jie was demolished in the summer of 2005 to make way for new buildings. However, bars and restaurants continue to operate on both sides of Gongti Bei Lu.

The Village and Nali Mall shopping areas opened in early 2008, giving the area many new shops, restaurants, bars and a multiplex cinema.

In April 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics and as part of an ongoing operation to clean up the city, a major drug bust occurred in Sanlitun and many arrests were made. A total of four bars and clubs were effectively closed, including a notorious bar known for its cheap alcohol and availability of drugs. The police operation was widely criticized for its violence and absence of proper due process. A number of drug dealers as well as a barman are believed to have received the death penalty as a result of this operation.