The Historical Dingfu Street in Beijing

Walking eastward from the eastern end of the historical Huguosi Street across the north-south Denei Dajie (德内大街), you will get to the western end of the west – east street known as Dingfu Street (定阜街). “Dingfu” literally means “The Mansion of the Duke Dingguo”. The Duke Dingguo was Xu Zengshou, the 4th son of Xu Da (1332–1385). Xu Da was the most famous founding general of Ming Dynasty ( 1271 – 1368 ).

Xu Da assisted Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder and first ruler of the Ming dynasty in overthrowing the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty and establishing the Ming Dynasty. Xu Zengshou, the 4th son of Xu Da was entitled to the Duke Dingguo due to Xu Zengshou’s outstanding assistance helping Zhu Di ( the Yongle Emperor ) in seizing the crown of the emperor from the Jianwen Emperor, the second emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Xu Zengshou’s descendent family tree lived for over 270 years here on the street ever since the Yongle Emperor of Ming Dynasty moved its capital from Nanjing to Beijing. The overthrow of Ming Dynasty by Qing Dynasty ( 1368 – 1644 ) brought the end to the Xu Zengshou’s descendent generations on the street.

The No.03 of Dingfu Street was the former Prince Ching’s Mansion. The No.01 of Dingfu Street was the former Fu Jen (Fu Ren) Catholic University.

There were totally over 60 princes’ mansions in Beijing populated by the emperors’ immediate family circles during Qing Dynasty ( 1368 – 1644) . The former Prince Ching’s Mansion is the mansion of Yikuang, the Prince Ching during the reign of Guangxu Emperor in Qing Dynasty. The mansion compound is now occupied by the Beijing Garrison Command, but it will be open to the public eventually.

On the east of the street is the former location of Fu Jen Catholic University. It was originally established in Beijing in 1925 by the Benedictines of St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, at request of the Holy See. In 1952 Chinese government merged Fu Jen with the Beijing Normal University, Peking University, Renmin University, China University of Political Science and Law, and Central University of Finance and Economics. Fu Jen was re-established in 1961 in Taiwan.

The buildings within the campus of the former Fu Jen Catholic University was designed with the combination of eastern and western styles. Today, the century-old magnificnet buildings are still elegantly standing along Dingfu Street under the shadow of dense green trees.

Strolling further eastward, you will come across Prince’s Gong’s Mansion, the best preserved prince mansion in Beijing.

Below are some of the pictures taken while walking from the west of the street to the east .