IN director Jiang Wen’s latest hit movie “Hidden Man,” many intriguing scenes of old Beijing have captivated the imaginations of viewers, rekindling tourists’ desire to explore the old parts of the capital city. Luckily, “Lonely Planet” has plotted a route to help you discover the authentic and historical side of Beijing for yourself. Hanfen Lou Bookstore 涵芬樓書店 Perhaps not everyone has heard of Hanfen Lou Bookstore, but the Commercial Press housed behind it is definitely a household name in China. In 1909, Zhang Yuanji, who was responsible for the editing affairs at Commercial Press, established the bookstore for the purpose of storing the increasing copies of books. The name of the bookstore means “containing the aroma of books full of knowledge and wisdom.” Once China’s largest library, Hanfen Lou Bookstore is now home to 12 volumes of “The Yongle Canon.” Nowadays, it mainly sells books on humanities and social sciences. Sitting next to Beijing People’s Art Theater, the bookstore is a nice choice for killing time before a show begins. The Commercial Press is the first modern publishing organization in China. Founded in Shanghai on Feb. 11, 1897, it moved to Beijing in 1954. Lao She Memorial Hall 老舍紀念館 Among the literature giants in China’s modern literature, it’s fair to say that Lao She represents the typical old Beijing scholars. His love for Beijing is beyond comparison. He wrote most about the city in his works. The Lao She Memorial Hall, which was also Lao She’s former residence — the Small Persimmon Garden — is situated in a small Beijing alley in Dongcheng District. Bought by Lao She in 1950 after he returned from a tour in the United States, it is an old Beijing-style villa garden in which Lao She lived out the latter stages of his life. The memorial hall was opened to the public Feb. 1, 1999, two days before the 100th anniversary of the literary giant. His renowned works, including “Dragon Beard Ditch,” “Teahouse” and “Under the Red Flag,” were all written in this place. Lao She liked floriculture. When taking a reprieve from writing, he loved to look at the flowers in his garden. The persimmon trees here were planted by himself. East Church 東堂 St. Joseph’s Church, commonly known as Wangfujing Church or East Church, is an early 20th-century Romanesque Revival church that is one of the four historic Catholic churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Beijing. It is located in Dongcheng District of the city at 74 Wangfujing Street. The church was originally named after Joseph, the father of Jesus Christ, as “Saint Joseph’s Church.” After several restorations in recent years, it has become not only an important venue of Catholics, but also a cultural site with unique features in the Wangfujing Area. The construction of the church was finished in 1655 by Jesuit missionaries. Due to renovations and reconstruction, the current structure dated back to 1904. The church is the second-oldest in Beijing after the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Its architectural style is Romanesque with Chinese architectural features. The whole building is of gray brick and wood structure. It is a typical model of the fusion of Chinese and Western architecture styles. (Chen Xiaochun) | 