From Blue Island Department Store to Parkview Green FangCaoDi to "THE BOX Chaoyang," strolling through the Dongdaqiao shopping district creates a sense of temporal displacement—what was once a gathering place for state-owned factories and department stores has now transformed into a bustling commercial hub where fashion and art intertwine. Within Beijing's urban landscape, the Dongdaqiao shopping district bears witness to the changes and development of this area.

The massive LED sky screen at World Trade Sky Screen, the main structure of Parkview Green FangCaoDi "woven" from glass and steel, and the aerial light and shadow basketball court at "THE BOX Chaoyang" all represent different eras of transformation.

**Era of Change: From State Factory Establishments to Department Store Rise**

The history of Dongdaqiao shopping district can be traced back to the early post-liberation period. At that time, the eastern areas around Dongdaqiao, including Guandongdian and Hujialou, were still farmlands that gradually developed residential areas. An electrical switch factory was built to the east, followed by a cleaning vehicle factory and dormitories to the south, and a pharmaceutical factory was completed in the late 1950s further south.

Around Dongdaqiao, state-owned factories were successively established, including Beijing Prosthetics Factory, Beijing Vacuum Instrument Factory, Beijing Latex Factory, Beijing Yitang Factory, Beijing Machine Tool Factory No. 6, and Beijing Washing Machine Factory. Among these, the White Orchid washing machines produced by Beijing Washing Machine Factory became nationally renowned, representing one of the iconic domestic products of that era. The establishment of these factories laid the industrial foundation for the development of the Dongdaqiao shopping district.

As the city developed and residents' living needs grew, department stores began emerging in the Dongdaqiao area. In December 1954, Guandongdian Department Store opened, becoming Chaoyang District's first state-owned department store. Originally just a large shed, it was expanded to two floors in the 1970s and rebuilt as a five-story building in 1989. With low prices and diverse merchandise ranging from sewing needles and bicycle ball bearings to various daily necessities, it met the daily shopping needs of surrounding residents.

Across from Guandongdian Department Store, at the current site of Blue Island Department Store, Dongdaqiao Department Store was also established, further enriching the commercial format of the district.

By the 1970s and 1980s, Dongdaqiao shopping district's status as a bustling commercial area was continuously strengthened. Residents from eastern areas, Shuangqiao, Changying, and Dongba had regular shopping habits here, referring to trips to Chaoyang as "going to the city." Dongdaqiao New Era Photography captured important life moments for many young people from the eastern areas, from newborn full-month photos to school and work ID photos, and wedding photos, witnessing the dramatic changes in people's lives.

The 1990s marked the most glorious era for Dongdaqiao shopping district. Blue Island Department Store, which opened in 1993, became a leader among Beijing's comprehensive shopping centers in the 1990s and a landmark building of the Dongdaqiao shopping district of that era.

Blue Island Department Store positioned itself as "promoting commerce through culture," emphasizing famous brands, quality products, and new items. Its merchandise included high-end appliances, gold and silver jewelry, clothing and department goods, and food supplies. Mothers' dresses for first meetings with in-laws, "four-piece sets" of bedding for moving to new homes, and pure gold jewelry for wedding anniversaries could all be found here.

Before electronics retailers like Gome, Dazhong, and Suning rose to prominence, Blue Island Department Store's electronics counters were uniquely positioned in Beijing. Of its 24,000 square meters of business area, 8,000-9,000 square meters were dedicated to electronics sales, with exhibition areas for Japanese original color TVs from Panasonic, Toshiba, and Sony being particularly eye-catching.

Additionally, Blue Island Department Store actively organized cultural shopping festivals and participated in social cultural activities, frequently appearing in BTV news advertising slots, becoming a household name among Beijing residents.

**Transformation and Upgrade: World Trade Sky Screen Becomes an "Immersive Interactive Space"**

Upon entering Blue Island Department Store today, one can see that the mall's exterior is surrounded by construction barriers, with internal signs indicating "construction renovation and upgrade." On the first floor, there are extensive barriers, though areas selling gold and jade jewelry remain operational.

Walking to the second through fifth floors, these primarily sell men's clothing, women's clothing, athletic shoes, and bedding, with most brands serving middle-aged and elderly customer groups. Many brand stores are conducting discount promotions, with signs reading "renovation clearance" and "entire store 30% off" visible everywhere.

"Blue Island Department Store is Beijing's veteran shopping center that was once very popular, but foot traffic has gradually decreased in recent years," Beijing resident Ms. Zhang commented on her impression of Blue Island Department Store.

This renovation represents Blue Island Department Store's attempt at transformation. As a key project in the second phase of Chaoyang Street urban renewal, it is expected to complete renovation around 2027. By then, not only will the mall's physical renovation and operational methods change, but surrounding transportation will also become more convenient, with Dongdaqiao subway station becoming Beijing's first "four-line integrated" subway station, bringing more foot traffic and opportunities to Blue Island Department Store.

Also undergoing renewal is the "sky screen legend" of Dongdaqiao shopping district—World Trade Sky Screen. When night falls, the massive LED sky screen at World Trade Sky Screen slowly unfolds overhead. Upon entering the pedestrian area, visitors' attention is immediately captured by the LED sky screen spanning 250 meters horizontally and 30 meters vertically.

Unlike the simple video playback of earlier years, today's sky screen has been upgraded to an "immersive interactive space." At 6 PM, a "Starry Sky Journey" themed show begins punctually, with a school of large fish swimming across the screen. Many citizens take photos in front of the five golden characters reading "All Beijing Looks Up."

According to staff, the sky screen updates 4-6 themes annually, combining seasonal periods and holidays with customized content, such as "Dragon Year Celebration" animations for Spring Festival and "Starry Sky Confession" interactions for Chinese Valentine's Day. They even collaborate with brands within the district, incorporating new product launch information into sky screen imagery, transforming "watching the sky screen" from a purely visual experience into a "ceremonial scene" linked with commercial consumption.

The shops on both sides of the pedestrian area are also arranged around the "sky screen atmosphere." First-floor coffee shops position outdoor seating directly facing the sky screen, offering "Sky Screen Special Coffee" with cup sleeves featuring that day's sky screen theme patterns. Dessert shops have designed "Starry Sky Mousse" that echoes the nebula imagery in the sky screen.

During evening hours, these outdoor seats are nearly fully occupied, with "afternoon tea under the sky screen" becoming a new social choice for many young people.

According to merchants at World Trade Sky Screen, the venue has been continuously transforming in recent years, both due to external competition and to cater to citizens' consumption logic. The most obvious change is the strengthening of "family consumption scenarios"—floors that once primarily featured high-end fashion and luxury goods now include extensive parent-child facilities.

The third-floor "Parent-Child Growth Center" occupies nearly 1,000 square meters, featuring not only conventional children's play areas but also "Children's Picture Book Library," "Parent-Child Handicraft Workshop," and "Science Experiment Classroom."

Dining adjustments are equally evident. The basement level's "Food Market" brings together diverse flavors from Beijing noodles with soybean paste and Shaanxi meat sandwiches to Southeast Asian tom yum soup and Japanese ramen, with per-person consumption controlled at 50-80 yuan, attracting numerous office workers and students.

Notably, the mall is actively "embracing young consumer groups." The second floor has introduced multiple trendy toy collection stores selling blind boxes, figurines, and trendy accessories, with in-store "photo walls" frequently seeing young people queuing for photos. The fifth floor has designated a "co-working space" equipped with charging stations and free Wi-Fi, attracting white-collar workers from nearby office buildings and driving consumption in restaurants and retail below.

This "office + consumption" integration model keeps World Trade Sky Screen highly popular even on weekdays.

**Urban Renewal: "THE BOX Chaoyang" and FangCaoDi Attract Young People**

The renovation of Blue Island Department Store and World Trade Sky Screen represents only the first phase of transformation in Dongdaqiao shopping district. Parkview Green FangCaoDi and "THE BOX Chaoyang," which have embarked on the path of fashion and art integration, are the district's secret weapons for attracting energetic young people.

Located 100 meters south of Blue Island Department Store is Parkview Green FangCaoDi, an "urban oasis" "woven" from glass and steel structures. Unlike the bustle of traditional shopping centers, visitors can constantly feel its artistic atmosphere while shopping, with nearly a hundred artistic sculptures placed and suspended throughout the mall.

Walking up the gently sloped walkways, one discovers that "art" has been integrated into every corner of the mall rather than existing as isolated exhibits. Elevator area walls have been transformed into giant graffiti canvases, with murals created by local artists on the theme of "urban forest" complementing the real greenery visible through windows. In spaces between shops, various installation artworks are scattered—"future robots" crafted from discarded metal and "natural symbiosis" series woven from wool felt, all labeled with artists' names and creative concepts.

Ms. Chen told reporters that she comes to Parkview Green FangCaoDi almost weekly for shopping, drawn by its artistic atmosphere. A complete tour feels like attending an art exhibition, making it arguably Beijing's most artistic shopping center.

Parkview Green FangCaoDi houses authentic works by domestic and international artists including Salvador Dalí and features a 4,000-square-meter non-profit contemporary art museum. This "museum-style" operation creates a high-end image but also involves substantial maintenance, curation, and operational costs.

In terms of commercial layout, Parkview Green FangCaoDi encompasses diverse business formats. The second basement level features various restaurants including Xiao A Po and Bang Bei, offering rich dining options and free galleries that regularly host exhibitions, providing visitors with artistic experiences alongside dining. The first basement level primarily houses trendy fashion stores, gathering numerous trendy clothing brands and well-known restaurants.

"THE BOX Chaoyang" mall also attracts young people to Dongdaqiao shopping district. In 2021, Chaoyang Street initiated urban renewal, aiming to create Beijing's first urban vitality innovation center "Chaoyang UIC District." In 2023, "THE BOX Chaoyang" mall Building A from the first phase of Chaoyang Street urban renewal opened to the public, becoming a pioneer in the district's transformation.

"THE BOX Chaoyang" incorporates basketball parks and skateboarding areas into its architectural design, integrating art, culture, and social elements into commercial space. On September 21, reporters visited "THE BOX Chaoyang" mall, seeing from afar the massive curved LED screen on its dark gray exterior flickering with fashionable imagery.

Groups of young people gathered at the entrance, dressed in distinctive clothing, holding coffee, chatting and laughing, emanating strong trendy vibes. In the outdoor skateboarding space, skaters performed various difficult maneuvers, their boards creating crisp sounds against the ground. Upstairs is Beijing's first aerial light and shadow basketball court, regularly attracting numerous basketball enthusiasts with nearly daily competitions.

Beyond trendy sports areas, "THE BOX Chaoyang" focuses on "curatorial retail," dedicating 40% of its space to art exhibitions, trendy activities, and fashion pop-ups with frequent updates. A visitor interviewed at the mall noted that here, one might encounter a completely new "box" every week, with various avant-garde artworks cleverly integrated with commercial space, making shopping no longer merely transactional but filled with interest.

Since opening, "THE BOX Chaoyang" has achieved remarkable success with continuously rising sales and foot traffic. Its success lies in precisely capturing young people's preferences, providing them with a comprehensive space for socializing, entertainment, and shopping through constantly changing scenarios and rich activities, satisfying their pursuit of novelty, diversity, and technological sophistication.

**Observation: Dongdaqiao Shopping District's Transformation Witnesses Beijing's Urban Development**

Within urban development patterns, shopping districts are never isolated commercial carriers but "living cells" deeply integrated with urban space, industrial iteration, and residents' lives. The transformation of Dongdaqiao shopping district from a state-owned factory cluster to a fashionable artistic commercial zone represents a typical example of district-city symbiosis and mutual prosperity, witnessing urban changes while contributing to urban development through its own renewal, forming a tight relationship of mutual empowerment.

In the early post-liberation period, Dongdaqiao's surroundings primarily consisted of farmlands and residential areas in Guandongdian and Hujialou, with limited industrial facilities including state-owned factories like switch factories and pharmaceutical plants. Commercial activities were limited to small shops meeting workers' living needs, making this "shopping district" more like an "auxiliary service area" on the city's periphery, reflecting the era's "heavy industry, light commerce" spatial layout.

As the city expanded eastward, Dongdaqiao gradually transformed from an "industrial support area" to a "commercial cluster" leveraging its proximity to the CBD. This evolution included the 1954 opening of Guandongdian Department Store, filling Chaoyang District's state-owned retail gap; the 1993 rise of Blue Island Department Store as synonymous with "high-end consumption" in eastern Beijing; and today's emergence of THE BOX Chaoyang and Parkview Green FangCaoDi, shifting spatial functions from "single shopping" toward "art + social + experience," highly aligned with the city's planning to "relocate non-core functions and create high-quality living spaces."

Urban industrial structure adjustments often manifest through shopping district business format upgrades, while district business format innovations reciprocally drive urban industrial transformation. The business format evolution of Dongdaqiao shopping district perfectly echoes Beijing's industrial transformation path from "industrial city" to "service city" to "consumption center city."

Today, as Beijing builds an "international consumption center city," Dongdaqiao shopping district's business formats continue upgrading: Parkview Green FangCaoDi's "art + commerce" integration attracts cultural creativity and high-end dining industries; THE BOX Chaoyang introduces "flagship store economy" and "trendy toy industry," driving urban trendy culture industry development; Blue Island Department Store's renovation plan clearly states "reducing traditional retail, increasing experiential formats." These adjustments not only help the district adapt to "consumption upgrade" trends but also become important spaces for carrying the city's emerging industries like "cultural consumption and experiential consumption," providing "implementation scenarios" for urban industrial transformation.

Looking ahead, as Beijing's "urban renewal" strategy advances, Dongdaqiao shopping district will further deepen integration with the city: Blue Island Department Store's renovation will coordinate with surrounding transportation upgrades, becoming a demonstration project for "urban renewal"; THE BOX Chaoyang's "curatorial commerce" model will promote further integration of the city's "culture + commerce" industries; coordination between the district, Parkview Green FangCaoDi, and World Trade Sky Screen will form the "Dongdaqiao Consumption Belt," supporting Beijing's construction of an "international consumption center city."