Got Milk? Getting Intimate With Naizifang Village's Wacky Past

When venturing into Beijing's labyrinth of lanes and alleys, you might often be struck by an unusual or baffling street sign or community name. While newcomers may assume that they have mistranslated or are misinterpreting the characters and meaning, some of these place names really are that weird, and usually, indicate a fascinating past.

Prime example: 奶子房 (Nǎi zǐ fang), which can be literally translated as “Breast's House”, a village located east of the fifth ring road whose wacky name has been prompting giggles for years.

Naizifang, a name that always prompts giggles

According to legend, Genghis Khan, the founder and first Khan of the notorious Mongol Empire, was once chased so aggressively by the enemy that he escaped to a barren locale where a young mother fed him with her breast milk in lieu of other sustenance. After Genghis Khan founded the Empire, he sent people to look for the woman who saved his life, to no avail. Instead, he renamed the place where he met her as 'Naizifang' in 1206 and inscribed a tablet reading 天下第一奶 (tiānxià dì yī nǎi “the world’s bestmilk”) to memorialize the woman who had saved him. According to Baidu Baike, the original tablet is currently in a New York City museum. 

Later on, perhaps inspired by the milky origins of the area, the village also became home to large horse ranches that produced mare’s milk exclusively for the Mongolian nobility to make kumiss, one of their most popular liquors.

Naizifang today

三合院 (sān hé yuàn traditional triple house courtyard)

Naidongcun maintains its old village feel and is home to some very well-preserved traditional local triple-house courtyards.

Niangniang Temple and the annual Temple Fair

Naizifang was once home to five temples, but today only one remains, 娘娘庙 (Niángniáng miào “Niangniang Temple”). Today, it hosts an annual temple fair where attendees worship to 碧霞元君 Bìxiáyuánjūn, a goddess believed to be a protector of children.

The temple fair is the highlight of the village’s calendar, and usually takes place on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the fourth lunar month, the purported birth time of Bixiayuanjun. This fair attracts huge crowds thanks to its diverse and traditional performances presented by over 10 groups in and around the village. Check the video here to learn more about the annual event.

The local food market

What to listen to

How to get there

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Baidu Baike, Google Maps