Around Town wraps up its look at the capital in the fabled 1950s by concentrating on 1958-1959, a crossroads in Beijing's urban development.

The walls defining the Inner and Outer Cities of Beijing since the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) were condemned to complete removal at this time. The process lasted until the late 1960s when the segment around Xizhimen was the last to vanish.

Gerald Clark, a correspondent working for the Montreal Star and author of "Impatient Giant: Red China Today" (published in 1959) was one of the few Western observers in the city to write about the early phase of the wall coming down.

Clark wrote: "Soon after my arrival (in 1958), Western diplomats received a phone call from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 'At 2 am,' an official informed them, 'you will hear an explosion. It will be the dynamiting of an old wall - not a counterrevolution.'"

He puts the capital's population as just over two million, double what it had been at the time of Liberation in 1949. With demand for space at a premium, siheyuan houses had their courtyards filled with a warren of small brick rooms for the newly arrived. Outside, the juggernaut of new construction remade Beijing.

Starting in 1958, the capital embarked on a scale of building that marked the turning point for Beijing's ancient form. Like London and Paris before it, the walls were coming down, and a new city started to emerge. This process, still going on with the elimination of the hutong and siheyuan, is nearly complete.

The Gates of Gongti

Beijing Gongren Tiyuchang,or Beijing Workers' Stadium was one of the ten projects for the tenth anniversary of the PRC in 1959. This spot, along with another 10/10 edifice, the Agricultural Exhibition Centre, were early examples of the city's suburban spread to the east in Chaoyang District. Chaoyang first appeared on maps in 1958.

Capable of seating 80,000 people, it's a major venue for sporting events and music concerts in town. China's first National Sports Meet was held here in September 1959. During the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976) it was used for huge political rallies. The first big Western concert took place in April 1985 when George Michael sang in a band called Wham!

On most any day you'll find joggers, bicyclists, or rollerbladers doing laps around the stadium. The more sedate enjoy the "Gongti" as Beijingers call it, by telling a taxi which menr (local dialect for gate) to drop them off at for fun.

Here's a partial list of places to go at the Workers' Stadium using compass directions.

Gongti Dongmenr: On the left side facing the east gate is a restaurant, while Maggie's bar is along the outside service road 100 metres to the south. The inside is the eponymous Gongti Hotel. Eating and drinking continue across the street from dongmenr with long-time Beijing fixtures of Berena's restaurant, Frank's Place and the Den.

Gongti Ximenr: The on the right hand side of the west gate there's a couple of Chinese restaurants and Gongti Yibai, 100 alleys of bowling surrealistically strung together. Across the street to the southwest near the T junction is Metro Cafe, a venerable institution for fine dining in the city.

Gongti Beimenr: Outside the north gate is where middle-aged Chinese dance in the early evening. Inside beimenr to the left of the statue is Vic's, a fixture where young adults, local and expat, dance and drink late into the night. Outback Steakhouse is also located there. In the alleyway across the street from the north gate are Orange and Jia 55 where the capital's cool flit or pose. The Xinjiang restaurant Hongmeigui (Red Rose) is in this vicinity too.

Gongti Nanmenr: The south gate is home to one of Beijing's large aquariums, the Blue Zoo, a couple of Chinese restaurants, an indoor swimming pool and onthe southeast corner, Huxley's #2 bar.

Truly a Great Hall

To paraphrase Richard Nixon's response to the Great Wall at Badaling, "it truly is a Great Hall." The Great Hall of the People is the most important of the ten large projects undertaken to celebrate the tenth anniversary of New China in 1959. Dominating the western side of Tiananmen Square, it is an interesting spot for a tourist trek whether you live in Beijing or are just visiting the city. In addition to serving as the venue for government and Communist Party gatherings, such as the on-going 16th National Party Congress, heads of state are frequently feted within the massive structure.

Construction began in October 1958 and was completed in a ten-month period ending in late August 1959. The epic undertaking demonstrated the ability of Chinese labourers to accomplish amazing engineering feats in an incredibly short time.

At 171,800 square metres, it has more floor space (by 20,000 sq. m.) than the adjacent Forbidden City on the north side of Chang'an Boulevard.

Each of China's provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities has its own room inside the Great Hall. Other interesting tidbits include the main auditorium which seats 10,000 and the 7,000 sq. m. banquet hall, slightly smaller than a soccer pitch, which can feed 5,000 at one event.

Go now for a pure fifties feel because the new National Opera Theatre being built west of the Great Hall will surely change the aesthetic.

Days and hours for tours vary, depending on the political calendar. Tickets cost 30 yuan (US$3.60) and are purchased at the stand located on the southeast corner of the hall. If you speak Chinese, call 6608-1188 for information.

Roots of the ring road

The Third Ring Road was originally planned in 1958.

Various new city streets laid out after this time were first integrated as a continuous 48 km circuit in 1981. It became an expressway in 1994.

(China Daily November 16, 2002)