Beijing is a complex city of historical and modern areas. The latter are planned and illustrate conformity in design and function. Many older areas have often lost their original identity and frequently show a pattern of unplanned changes, making them fascinating areas to explore and study.

The future of these twilight or transition zones is often debated. A factor controlling the development of some is the presence of important historical buildings.

An area illustrating the contrasts and the dilemma of inner city development is around Gulou — the famous Drum and Bell tower district and former home to many top officials of the Imperial Court.A very interesting walk starts from Deshengmen Gate on the North Second Ring Road (Beierhuan Lu). It follows Gulou Xidajie and Gulou Dongdajie to Jiaodaokou, where the old Beijing suddenly gives way to the new.

Deshengmen, built in 1440, was a gate in the wall that once surrounded the Inner City. It controlled one of the routes leading up to Badaling Pass of the Great Wall. Gulou Xidajie led from the gate to the city’s eight-kilometer long North-South axis, which passes through the center of the Forbidden City, Tian’anmen Sque and south through Qianmen (Front Gate). North of Deshengmen rises the skyline of modern Beijing that is quite a contrast to the landscape of Gulou.

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