Chang'an Avenue

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Chang'an Avenue

Chang'an Avenue (simplified Chinese: 长安街; traditional Chinese: 長安街; pinyin: Cháng'ān Jiē), literally "Long Peace Street", is a major thoroughfare in Beijing, China.

Strictly speaking, Chang'an Avenue only encompasses West Chang'an Avenue and East Chang'an Avenue. However, it is also used to refer to the stretch from Fuxingmen on the Western 2nd Ring Road to Jianguomen on the Eastern 2nd Ring Road.

In very broad terms, it refers to the stretch of road (the Extended Chang'an Avenue) as the route from Shijingshan District through to Tongzhou District, including portions of the Jingtong Expressway.

This article, and related articles, consider it to be the road from Fuxing Road through to the beginning of the Jingtong Expressway (E. 5th Ring Road). Others have defined it as the road from Shijingshan Road through to Dawangqiao on Jianguo Road.

[edit] Significance

Chang'an Avenue is the road directly before Tiananmen gate and to the north of Tiananmen Square. Because of its location, Chang'an Avenue has been associated with a number of important events in Chinese history, such as the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, the May 4th Movement and the funeral procession of Zhou Enlai. During important celebrations in the People's Republic of China, military parades are conducted on Chang'an Avenue, with the procession travelling from East to West along the avenue, passing before Tiananmen gate.

Located along Chang'an Avenue and near Tiananmen Square are the Great Hall of the People, Zhongnanhai, and central government buildings. The National Museum of China, National Centre for the Performing Arts, Wangfujing, Beijing Concert Hall and the headquarters of the central bank of China, the People's Bank of China are also on Chang'an Avenue. Both the Beijing railway station and Beijing west railway station are both located near Chang'an Avenue. Line 1 of the Beijing Subway runs under Chang'an Avenue.

Because of its sensitive location, special regulations apply to Chang'an Avenue. For example, trucks and freight vehicles are banned day and night, and no commercial advertising is allowed within 100 metres of the street.

[edit] Sections

Note: This article considers Chang'an Avenue as the major through road from the W. 5th Ring Road through to the E. 5th Ring Road, which defines larger urban Beijing.