Whenever I pass by Qianmen East Street, there is a gate on the north side of the road near the square (diagonally opposite the old train station). The gate is guarded by security guards. From the outside, there is a large screen wall with the words: Qianmen No. 23. I wonder what unit this important geographical location belongs to? What's it like inside? I have never dared to enter rashly. I recently visited this mysterious courtyard by chance.
When you walk into the courtyard, you are greeted by green shade and fragrant grass everywhere, which immediately isolates you from the hustle and bustle of Qianmen Street. Five small buildings made of masonry and granite stand quietly around. The buildings are gorgeous and have the architectural style of the Republic of China. Several cars are parked in front of the building. There are also 9 listed ancient trees in the courtyard. The ancient buildings and old trees are quiet and peaceful.
After consulting the information, we learned that this was the American Legation in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. Built in 1903 by American architect Sid H. Nealy on behalf of the U.S. government, five low-rise buildings surround a 3,000-square-meter lawn in the center. The entire building complex echoes Tiananmen Square and has become a landmark building in the Dongjiaomin Lane area. It is also the only building complex in the foreign embassy area that has been completely preserved from the Qing Dynasty to the present.
From 1951 to 1953, the then Foreign Minister and Vice Minister used this place as their offices. During the "Cultural Revolution", Premier Zhou Enlai worked here most of the time. In 1971, before China and the United States established diplomatic relations, Premier Zhou secretly met at this place with Dr. Kissinger, then US Secretary of State, paving the way for US President Richard Nixon's visit to China the following year. In the 1980s, it was renovated and used as the Diaoyutai Qianmen State Guesthouse.
In April 2005, Li Jinghan rented this place in the name of his The Legation Quarter Ltd and renamed it "Qianmen No. 23", building it into the most high-end boutique living and consumption place in Beijing.
This is a center where fashion, art, and food gather, including a two-star Michelin restaurant where a chef from New York brings authentic French cuisine; Hong Kong’s catering group Aqua has also opened a Japanese-style restaurant and a International new concept of Spanish style snacks, etc.
High-end Chinese restaurant - Wen Ding Fu
It is said that London's famous celebrity social center - Boujis nightclub is also here (Boujis is a place frequented by British royals such as William and Prince Harry) ).
This is the only store of the world's top watch brand Patek Philippe in Beijing
The low-key and luxurious facade is the HERMES Hermès boutique, which allows guests to enjoy five-star shopping at the same time. Fully appreciate the charm of art.
Comparison of old and new photos of the U.S. Embassy building complex
There are currently a main building and four embassy residences on the old site of the U.S. Embassy
The picture above is a photo of the appearance of the main building at that time (picture from Internet)
The main building is 33 meters long from east to west and 17 meters wide from north to south, with two floors above ground and one underground floor. The indoor clear height on the ground floor is 5 meters, the indoor clear height on the second floor is 3.5 meters, and the total building height is 13.65 meters.
The exterior wall is made of gray exposed brick, with granite as the corner stone. The doors and windows are also made of stone as door and window covers, and the wall under the window is also decorated with stone.
The picture shows the staff of the American Legation taking a group photo in front of the main building (picture from the Internet)
The facade of the main building is simple, with the three central bays slightly protruding forward. There are five steps and a platform in front of the building, which lifts the entire building.
There are Ionic columns on both sides of the gate of the main building, crowned with triangular pediments, in a Western classical style.