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Lantern Market Street (Dengshikoudajie) is an ordinary little thoroughfare leading east off the southern section of Wangfujing Street. Apart from the All–China Women’ s Federation and the Chinese Child Welfare Committee, the majority of the buildings in the street are residential buildings serving various organizations or private homes. Though there are now few shops, this was the most fashionable place in Beijing from as early as the Ming Dynasty to buy lanterns.
By day, the market offered goods ranging from precious furs and antiques to clothing and articles for everyday use. Also on display were exotic flowers, rare plans, miniature trees and rockery. In the evening, the surrounding buildings and street were festooned with colored lanterns. The ice lanterns, which were once sold here, made by sprinkling water in particular patterns, now are displayed on some festivals in winter.
The earliest lantern markets were held in Lantern Market Street, and later moved to the Langfang (Corridor House) outside Zhengyangmen Gate. For a short time, markets were also held in Ministry of Works Road (Gongbujie) in front of Tian’anmen. Although extremely popular 100 years ago, the tradition began dying out after the invasion of the Eight–Power Allied Force in 1900 and little survives today.
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