Bar street venues in Sanlitun closed for renovations

Bars on Sanlitun's famous bar street, a strip located across the street from the Taikooli shopping complex in Beijing, will close for renovations as the buildings were deemed unsafe, a local official said on Tuesday.

The street, which is near the embassy area in Chaoyang district, was initially developed in the 1990s. It is the home of some of the city's oldest bars, which were opened after China implemented its reform and opening-up policy.

Wei Lei, deputy director of Sanlitun subdistrict, told Beijing Daily on Tuesday that the buildings on the street were appraised by a third-party organization. The structural safety and integrity of the structures received a D grade, meaning the venues are not suitable for operation.

"We urgently need to eliminate the buildings' safety hazards and then have them reinforced, so we've asked the business owners to vacate the properties," Wei said.

As the bars renovate, other types of businesses such as coffee shops and restaurants offering healthy food will be opened on the street, he said, adding that even with their arrival, the area will still be known as bar street.