Street Special: streets around the Forbidden City

cctv.com 01-05-2005 15:41

Welcome to Travelogue. This is first episode in our Street Special. Sometimes when you walk on the street of a city you feel as if you have come upon one of the keys to the living heart of the place. It's as if something of the soul of the city has been concentrated along this particular path. In this episode of Street Special we take you to a street that runs along beside the Forbidden City in Beijing.

800 years of history, over ten million population. Beijing, embracing the hubbub and the throbbing heart of the country, stands as a link between the past and the present day China.

But to get the essence of the city, you need to get out of the car and savor the street scene on foot.

Wenjing Street is the most beautiful street in the city

Wenjing street lies to the northwest of the Forbidden city, the Royal Palace of the last two dynasties in China. This area used to be strictly for the use of the royals only. Its beauty is enhanced by the two lakes that flank the street.