39°54′35″N 116°27′20″E / 39.909819°N 116.455572°E / 39.909819; 116.455572

Guomao / Dabeiyao in 2009
Guomao / Dabeiyao Area (August 2004 image)
Guomao Bridge. The Guomao area is characterized by many skyscrapers.

Guomao (simplified Chinese: 国贸; traditional Chinese: 國貿; pinyin: guómào) is an area in Beijing at the center of the Beijing central business district, demarcated by the intersection of Jianguomen Outer Street and the Third Ring Road. The Chinese World Trade Center is located there. It was formerly known as Dabeiyao (simplified Chinese: 大北窑; traditional Chinese: 大北窯; pinyin: dàběiyáo), and bus stops in the vicinity still bear this name.

Guomao is also the name of the interchange station on Line 1 and Line 10.

History

During the Ming Dynasty, the area was pastureland outside the city walls, and served as a hunting ground for the imperial family.[1] During World War II, the occupying Japanese Army built a complex of kilns in the area, the largest of which in the north became a landmark.[1] The area was then called Dabeiyao (Chinese: 大北窯; pinyin: Dàběiyáo), literally the "Great Northern Kiln".

In 1985, the China World Trade Center was built at the intersection of the 3rd Ring Road and Jianguomen Outer Street and the Beijing CBD was established in 1993.[1] The Dabeiyao Overpass was consequently renamed the Guomao Bridge - "Guomao" is the abbreviation for the Chinese name of the China World Trade Center (simplified Chinese: 中国易中心; traditional Chinese: 中國貿易中心; pinyin: Zhōngguó guómàoyì zhōngxīn). Guomao subway station was opened on September 28, 1999.[2]

Public transportation

References