Beijing Hotel, hotel
The Beijing Hotel is a hotel complex in the Dongcheng District, sitting along Chang'an Avenue and made up of several separate blocks built at different times. The oldest wing features classic brick construction, while a taller modern tower was added later, giving the complex a mix of styles visible from the street.
The hotel opened in 1917 and went through several rebuilding phases over the following decades, including a west wing expansion in the 1950s. The original brick building was torn down in 1974 to make way for Block D, which was at the time the tallest structure in Beijing.
The name reflects the hotel's position at the heart of the capital, and it has long served as a meeting place for diplomats, journalists, and artists passing through Beijing. Walking through its different wings, visitors can notice how Western comfort and Chinese hospitality came together under one roof over the decades.
The hotel stands at the corner of Wangfujing, one of Beijing's main shopping streets, making it easy to walk to nearby markets and historic sites. The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square are within walking distance, so comfortable shoes are more useful than any transport plan.
During the 1989 protests, the hotel housed many journalists and one of the most recognized photographs from those events was taken from its windows. Decades later, it served as the headquarters for the International Olympic Committee during both the 2008 and 2022 Olympic Games held in Beijing.
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