e-magazine
The Hot Zone
China's newly announced air defense identification zone over the East China Sea aims to shore up national security
Current Issue
· Table of Contents
· Editor's Desk
· Previous Issues
· Subscribe to Mag
Subscribe Now >>
Expert's View
World
Nation
Business
Finance
Market Watch
Legal-Ease
North American Report
Forum
Government Documents
Expat's Eye
Health
Science/Technology
Lifestyle
Books
Movies
Backgrounders
Special
Photo Gallery
Blogs
Reader's Service
Learning with
'Beijing Review'
E-mail us
RSS Feeds
PDF Edition
Web-magazine
Reader's Letters
Make Beijing Review your homepage
Hot Links

cheap eyeglasses
Market Avenue
eBeijing

Beijing Review Exclusive
2008 Olympics> Beijing Review Exclusive
UPDATED: March 24, 2008 NO.13 MAR.27, 2008
DISCOVERING BEIJING: From Commerce to Culture
An old industrial part of Beijing, known for its geomantic omens, will soon become a recreational area housing cultural and sporting facilities
By TANG YUANKAI
Share

Shijingshan District, regarded as a geographically auspicious district, will soon become the site of the Capital Recreation District.

The history of Shijingshan District, named after Shijingshan Hill, dates back at least 2,200 years. It occupies 86 square km, and the distance between the central area of the district and Tiananmen Square is 16 km.

Shijingshan Hill, rising just 184 meters above the sea level, looks out over a diverse industrial area of Beijing that includes the dykes built since the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) to prevent floods, Guanting Reservoir and a diversion channel, built in 1949, and Capital Iron and Steel Co. that rises in the southeast along the foothills.

Capital Iron and Steel Co. is an industrial icon in Beijing that has grown over almost 90 years. Its products are often chosen for use in key construction projects and national defense infrastructure, and are also exported to many countries around the world.

The industrial giant's days in Beijing are numbered though. It has reduced production in order to help Beijing reduce its air pollution ahead of the Olympic Games and will soon move to a new site 225 km from the capital. Despite its imminent exit from Beijing, many memories of the factory will remain in the form of protected buildings and a cultural and creative industrial zone that will be set up on its former site.

At the junction of Shijingshan District and Haidian District lies Cuiwei Hill. Compared to the hill, people are more familiar with Badachu Park, which is located at the south of the foothill. The park is famous for eight well-preserved monasteries. In the second monastery, Lingguang Temple, there is a tower which enshrines a tooth of the Buddha Sakyamuni and attracts Buddhists from all over the world.

The district's transport links are very convenient. The No.1 Line Subway passes through the area. Getting off at Bajiao Station by subway, you can go directly to an amusement park, which occupies 340,000 square km. From the same station it is an 8-minute walk north to the Laoshan Velodrome, an Olympic venue.

Another Olympic venue, the Beijing Shooting Range, is also located in the district. The inspiration of the range's design comes from forest hunting, where modern sport of shooting originates. The "ecological breathing walls" of the range automatically control the ventilation of the entire building and create a comfortable and healthy environment. The venue will host 10 Olympic events, including pistol and rifle prone, and will see the first medals of the Beijing Olympics awarded.



 
Top Story
-Protecting Ocean Rights
-Partners in Defense
-Fighting HIV+'s Stigma
-HIV: Privacy VS. Protection
-Setting the Tone
Most Popular
 
About BEIJINGREVIEW | About beijingreview.com | Rss Feeds | Contact us | Advertising | Subscribe & Service | Make Beijing Review your homepage
Copyright Beijing Review All right reserved