Where is the overpass in old Beijing?

Outside Zhengyangmen, east of Xuanwu District, Beijing. According to the Qing Dynasty's "Guangxu Shuntian Mansion Records", "Yongdingmen Street is connected to Zhengyangmen Street in the north. There are bridges and overpasses. " This bridge was used by the emperor at the Temple of Heaven and Xiannongtan, so it was called Tianqiao. According to records, this overpass built in the Yuan Dynasty has white marble railings on both sides in the north and south direction. There is a pavilion to the north of the bridge. The bridge is very high.

In the thirty-second year of Guangxu, the Gao Qiao of the overpass was demolished and replaced by a low stone slab bridge. After many reconstructions, it was completely demolished in 1934, and the bridge site no longer exists, but the overpass was kept as a place name. Historically, Tianqiao area is a region with its own characteristics, but it is not a formal administrative division.

Extended data

The overpass originally had a white marble bridge with three beams and four columns. Under the bridge is Longxugou, a small river from west to east. It was named Tianqiao because it was the only way for emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties to sacrifice to the Temple of Heaven. Its scope includes Zhengyangmen Street, passing through the east and west zhushikou to the south, reaching the northwest of the Temple of Heaven and the north of Yongdingmen. Later, another "Beijing flavor" Tianqiao market was gradually formed.

Before liberation, many Jianghu artists "dumped the ground" on the overpass. The so-called "falling to the ground" means drawing a white circle on the ground as a performance venue, and the jargon is "drawing a pot". Pots are used for cooking. Draw a pot, and the artist will have a bowl of rice to eat and a venue. The juggling performance in Tianqiao market is a major feature, with many projects and superb skills.

Baidu encyclopedia-Beijing Tianqiao