| Above, is the wooden neighborhood gate and the entrance to Qianmen Avenue or Dajie 前门大街 (Qiánmén Dàjiē). The view looks south, away from the Inner City.
Below, is a picture of a section of Qianmen Dajie 前门大街 from about the same era. The clothing and vehicles suggest the 1880s to 1890s. On the left side of the street, you see a tall two pillared structure in front of a building. This was an adaptation of the gate that marked neighborhoods to the front of a store. The gate is a symbol of honor and welcome. For the most part, stores contented themselves with archways and decorated façades. This store was probably also a symbol of a region of China outside of Beijing. Just a guess. You can pick out other examples on the next two pages.
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