View source for Xizhimen

{{Short description|Former gate in the Beijing city wall}}
{{See also|Xizhimen Station|Beijing North railway station}}
{{Unreferenced|date=November 2016}}
{{Chinese
|order=st
|s=西直门
|t=西直門
|p=Xīzhímén
|w=Hsi-chih-men
}}
[[File:Image xzm 02.jpg|thumb|The old Xizhimen gate]]
[[File:Xizhimen.Building.JPG|thumb|Office Building over Xizhimen Subway Connection]]
[[File:T128 train in Xizhimen station, Line 2.jpg|thumb|Subway #2 at Xizhimen]]
'''Xizhimen''' ({{zh|s=西直门|p=Xīzhímén}}) was a gate in the [[Beijing city fortifications|Beijing city wall]] and is now a transportation node in [[Beijing]]. The gate was the entrance of drinking water for the Emperor, coming from the Jade Spring Hills to the west of Beijing. The gate was demolished  in 1969.

== Transportation ==
The [[2nd Ring Road]] links with Xizhimen Outer Street, which has recently been transformed into a city express road, linking the western 2nd Ring Road via [[Beijing Zoo]] to the [[3rd Ring Road (Beijing)|3rd Ring Road]]. A triple-arched highrise building is a noticeable landmark at the intersection.

The [[Beijing North railway station]] is in the Xizhimen area.

[[Line 2, Beijing Subway|Line 2]], [[Line 4, Beijing Subway|Line 4]] and [[Line 13, Beijing Subway|Line 13]] of the [[Beijing Subway]] network all stop at [[Xizhimen Station]]. A transfer passage with escalators allows for direct transfers between the three Lines. Line 13 has its western terminus at Xizhimen.

Xizhimen is served by many [[Beijing Bus|Beijing public buses]].  Bus routes 16, 360, 362, 275, 438, 534, 563, 632, 651, 特15, and 夜21 all have terminals in the Xizhemen area.

A bridge is named after the region (Xizhimen Bridge). The bridge has a northern connection bridge built in the late 1970s. It will be removed and be replaced soon. The main Xizhimen Bridge, built also in the 1970s, once stood a rather frightening 5.5 m (it was then, and still is now, for the record, the tallest bridge on the [[2nd Ring Road]]) and had three layers, with the top layer acting as a roundabout. Demolition of the old central bridge took place in 1999 by means of structural removal instead of a major bridge explosion. It was replaced with a series of new bridges which bear no resemblance to the old bridge.

== Xihuan Plaza and Xizhimen Project ==
In 2008 due to the Olympic Games, a reform in Xizhimen Transportation hub, was finished, a masterplan willing to integrate the new Xizhimen, Offices and Commercial building, with the Xihuan Plaza, and both train and subway station. Several Chinese and International Companies took part on the design and construction of the plan. In Xihuan Plaza & Xizhimen Transportation Hub,  [[Li Xinggang]], as the chief designer, presided the engineering design and particular work. The constructions were inaugurated just in time for the Olympic Games.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.sinopolis.com/Archives/TOPSTORY/ts_990827.htm Xizhimen Nature Preserve]
{{Xicheng District}}
{{old Beijing}}

{{coord|39.9405|N|116.3554|E|source:wikidata|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Xizhimen}}
[[Category:Gates of Beijing]]
[[Category:Neighbourhoods of Beijing]]
[[Category:Road transport in Beijing]]
[[Category:Xicheng District]]
[[Category:Demolished buildings and structures in China]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 1969]]