A number of Sanlitun area bars and restaurants have been told to close this weekend, at least in Taikoo Li South and south Sanlitun's Courtyard Four, the area just to the south of Gongti Beilu, multiple business owners confirmed to the Beijinger.
Restaurants in Taikoo Li South were instructed to temporarily cease operations from 3pm Saturday, August 22, until 2pm Sunday, August 23, multiple restaurant representatives in that complex told the Beijinger, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“In line with the work of commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and in accordance with arrangements and notices from related Beijing Municipal Governmnt departments, on August 22 and August 23, Sanlitun Taikoo Li South will come under martial law measures.
"According to the requirements of related Beijing Municipal Government departments, during that period, all stores must temporarily cease operations. The time period is: August 22, 2015 3pm to August 23, 2015 2pm," according to a letter from Swire Properties to tenants obtained by the Beijinger.
At least two Courtyard Four business owners have also confirmed they will close August 22-23, with one operator saying that establishment would close for the full weekend. Courtyard 4 is located diagonally across the street from Taikoo Li and contains businesses such as The Bookworm and The Rug.
More closures in the area are likely; venues located in 1949: The Hidden City have reported closing for Saturday.
Best advice: if you plan on going anywhere on Saturday, call ahead.
Beijing municipal officials had previously announced that Tiananmen Square and the Wangfujing area will be closed to the public due to a rehearsal for the September 3 military parade. However, what this has to do with the purchase of Apple products and Nike shoes in Sanlitun, we're not entirely sure. Stay with the Beijinger for updates.
Margaux Schreurs contributed to this report.
More stories by this author here.
Email: stevenschwankert@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @greatwriteshark
Weibo: @SinoScuba潜水
Photo: tklyishujiang.com
Do you know it would be a mess if these few streets werent protected? Beijing is not shutting down the whole city,but just few areas and not long
Chinese Government is not as stupid as you are
For 70th Anniversary of Victory,it should be an exiciting thing,Why a few people are so ridiculous and showing their limit of IQ?
Why are they closing restuarants in Sanlitun village this weekend? Does anyone know the actual reason??
I guess the logic goes something like this:
-- We're bringing out the big military equipment
-- We better shut down the city because maybe people hate the military so much that they will attack them or something
-- It''ll be worse if people are drunk and Sanlitun is where all the drunk people go, so let's shut that too
I'm Chinese and I don't see what's sensitive about it. In fact it's the opposite of sensitive. It's crude, stupid and self-aggrandizing. Economic problems? Have a big parade. No rule of law? Have a big parade. That'll solve everything.
I feel its a way for the powers that be to show how powerful they are.
Force a city to a grinding halt to practice a parade? No sweat.
It's sort of equivalent to all those unneccessary wooden planks that are placed at the base of traditional doorways. Why have it? To fucking inconvenience you, you worthless peasant.
You have to think this is also going to affect businesses all along Chang'an Jie. For the rehearsal the other night, traffic was being diverted off Jianguo Lu/Jingtong Lu on to the side road as far east as Gaobeidian. This must also have an effect on the China World area. Wangfujing is closed, and armed guards have already appeared at checkpoints there.
