Society

Taiwan-themed business street opens in Beijing

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-05-08 03:47

BEIJING: With the opening of a Taiwan-themed business street on Friday in Beijing, fans of Taiwan's architecture, food, handiwork and music may find them, in their original forms, just there.

The street, 500 meters long, is named "Taiwan Street," the first one in Beijing, although there are already several such streets in other cities in the Chinese mainland.

The street is located in Shijingshan District near the west end of Chang'an Avenue.

With 12 buildings and ten pavilions, the street features an exact replica of a century-old house in Taiwan, and a restaurant featuring the music of the island's most famous popular singer Teresa Teng.

Teresa Teng's music is immensely popular among Chinese all over the world. It is often said wherever there are Chinese, the songs of Teresa Teng can be heard.

Tian Xiaoyan, president of the street's building contractor, said the street gives visitors a window into the real Taiwan.

In related news, a century-old Taiwan guild house was unveiled after renovation on Friday on Qianmen Street, just south of Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing.

The house was built around 1890 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) for Taiwan officials and businessmen to stay in when they came to the capital city.

The opening ceremonies of the street and restored house were attended by Lien Chan, Kuomintang honorary chairman, Wang Yi, mainland's top official in charge of Taiwan affairs, and Chen Yunlin, president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits.