Photography Inner City from Hadamen Gate Towards the North

A black-and-white photograph: panoramic view of one of the three parts of imperial Beijing, called the Inner City (Neicheng 内城), which was located in the northern part of Beijing and surrounded the famous Forbidden City (Gugong 故宫 or Zijincheng 紫禁城). It was separated by a wall from the southern part, called the Outer City (Waicheng 外城). The eastern gate between the outer and inner quarters was the Chongwen Gate (Chongwenmen 崇文門), known in the Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368) as Wenming Gate (Wenmingmen 文明門). Because of its proximity to the residence of the Mongol prince Hada, the gate was also known as Hada Gate (Hadamen 哈達門 or Hademen 哈德門). The name Hademen lives on in the 21st century, having given its name to various manufacturing brands, including a brand of popular cigarettes.

The photograph shows the western architectural style of the streets in part of the inner districts of Beijing, as they were between 1861 and 1959. By the early 20th century, all world powers were represented in this diplomatic quarter, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United States. A smaller plot was also owned by the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.

The photograph is the sixth of 449 photographs of Beijing and its surroundings in the album of Ivan Skušek Jr., purchased during his stay in Beijing (1914–1920). In the handwritten inventory of the album, the photograph is referred to as Tatarenstadt vom Hatamen gegen Norden. (DZ)