However my preferred areas for walking have always been west of Qianmen Street. Since the Ming Dynasty, Dashilar was a major center for commercial activities. Today the main shopping street is visited by crowds of tourists looking for its famed “Time Honored Brands” — shops renowned for their hats, silks, foodstuffs, traditional pharmacies and so on. It also boasts China’s first cinema, Daguanlou, dating back to 1905. The cinema still operates, featuring a sculpture of the father of Chinese cinema, Ren Qingtai. I often took visitors to the Neiliansheng Shoe Shop. Photographs show how it was popular with leaders including Chairman Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping. Established in 1853 during the Qing Dynasty by two high ranking officials, its prestige meant wearing these shoes one could get promoted in the Qing Imperial Court.

Meishi Street, running south from Qianmen to Zhushikou West Street, dates from 2008 and was modified to carry southbound traffic away from now-pedestrianized Qianmen Street. Heading west takes the intrepid explorer to some of the best areas for discovery. Several years ago, Dashilar West Street was pedestrianized into a commercial lane and home for local produce rather than the large historic stores found eastward on Dashilar Street.