Nanluogu Xiang is Same Old, Same Old

The Great Nanluogu Xiang Facelift is over and the result is a resounding "meh."

Those harboring secret fantasies of having the alley revert back to the days of the late Qing Dynasty (or at least the late 1990s) will no doubt be disappointed.

Despite a Beijing News report claiming that almost one in three businesses have been shuttered on the popular shopping street, NLGX remains as crowded -- and tacky -- as ever.

According to local media sources, the total number of businesses fronting the busy lane has dropped from 235 to 154 after authorities closed the street for renovations late last year. Many of those businesses have shuttered for good and there are several vacant storefronts waiting to be filled by new occupants with pockets deep enough to afford the notoriously exorbitant rents charged by area landlords.

Crowds were heaving as usual Tuesday at the newly renovated Nanluogu Xiang

Some of the more popular fast food kiosks have been combined and moved indoors, sharing space together in mini food courts that have replaced streetfront service windows.

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Photos by Jeremiah Jenne