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Bridge of Heaven (Tianqiao)
The bridge, from which this area takes its name, once
located near the Tianqiao Department Store, is long gone. Its white
marble slabs and carved balustrades were used to span the famous
Dragon Beard Ditch (Longxugou). Ming and Qing emperors had to cross it
on their way to the Temple of Heaven, thus giving the bridge its name.
More than 600 years ago in the Yuan Dynasty a high stone bridge was
built across the river here. To the west was a wall around the Altar
to the God of Agriculture, nearby a pavilion. During the reign of
Emperor Qianlong, the river which had been filled in during the Ming
Dynasty was redredged and rows of willows planted along its banks. The
river was filled with red lotuses to create a landscape reminiscent of
southern China. As the number of visitors to the district increased,
so did the number of shops that served them, and before long the area
north of the bridge became known for its wine shops and teahouses.
Emperor Guangxu had the river filled in when the road running between
Zhengyangmen Gate and Yongdingmen Gate (Gate of Eternal Stability) was
built. The bridge was demolished and the stone balusters later removed
when the road was widened. From then on, only the name remained.
It was after the Revolution of 1911 that the Tianqiao area developed
into a market. In1913, the Northern Warlord government demolished
Lotus Lane Market outside Zhengyangmen Gate and shopkeepers set up
seven alleys in the area around the former Bridge of Heaven. There
were shops specializing in imported goods and watches, establishments
of astrologers and fortune – tellers, story–tellers and variety shows,
seconds–hand clothing shops and teahouses where men practiced martial
arts. Small theaters proliferated; the most famous of them, such as
the Dangui (Orange Osmanthus), Tianle (Heavenly Happiness) and
Xiaotaoyuan (Small Peach Garden) remained open for decades. A popular
attraction at the Bridge of Heaven was the “Eight Great Strange
Performers,” whose colorful stage names were: Cloud Flyer (Yunlifei),
Zhang with His Tube, Big Soldier Huang, Spotted Bear, Little Pigtail
Wang, Big Tin Teapot, the Sponge, and Big Gold Teeth.
Yunlifei, surnamed Bai, was the father of the famous cross–talk (xiangsheng)
performer Bai Quanfu. In his youth, he and Tan Xinpei performed Peking
Opera with the Four Happiness Society (Sixibanshe) troupe where he
distinguished himself as an acrobat. When he got too old for
acrobatics, he switched to story–telling; he could narrate the entire
Journey to the West (Xiyouji) from memory. When he came to an episode
about the exploits of the Monkey King, he would launch into a display
of martial arts. Appreciative crowds gave him the nickname “Cloud
Flyer.” Bao San, the most famous wrestler at the Bridge of Heaven,
became an official referee after the founding of the People’s Republic
of China. The famous modern Pingju Opera artist Xin Fengxia also
performed here. An old poem goes, “The wine shop banner
and the drums in the theaters at the Bridge of Heaven make many a
traveler forget his home.” During the “cultural revolution,” the plays
and operas, variety shows and wresting were banished. Nowadays, these
old arts forms are being revived, and several teahouses are back in
business. |
