Beijing Overline Bridge

Constructed over the Longxu Ditch, the original Overline Bridge (called Tianqiao in Chinese) was located in the northwest of the Temple of Heaven. In the ancient times only the Emperor was allowed to cross this bridge, symbolizing the son of Heaven entering to the Temple of Heaven. It was therefore called the Overline Bridge.

In the past, the Overline Bridge was a high-arch bridge made of white marble. In 1906, as a result of the renovation of the road between Zhengyang Gate and Yongding Gate, the Overline Bridge was shortened. According to the Records of Xuanwu district in Beijing, in 1929, to make way for the streetcar, the bridge was bulldozed; only its handrails on two sides were left.

In 1934, the handrails were tore town to make place for the further expansion of the road. From then on, the Overline Bridge lost everything from its original appearance. Even though it had been leveled to the ground, it has still been called "Tianqiao" bridge. At present, the Overline Bridge is a flat ground which has become a goods market and a gathering place for the folk artists. Each day there are lots of locals visiting the Tianqiao Market to buy local products and the Tianqiao Theatre to enjoy a folk performance.

The Overline Bridge has been long considered the main gathering spot in Beijing by the local artists. It is a hub of folk open-air art. Over five or six hundreds artists are living, teaching, learning and performing there. They can be divided into two groups: juggling artists, who perform acrobatics and Chinese Kungfu; and cross-talk artists, specializing in drama. The most famous Overline Bridge art project are the statues of the "Eight Freaks" - figures in unusual positions, immortalizing personages of different periods, from "Qiong Bupa" to "Cu Nigao" and "Han Mazi".

In the present times, the most prominent opera actors, Meng Xiaodong and Li Guifen, as well as the cross talk master Hou Baolin, have performed on the bridge at the start of their career.