Beijing Xierqi: Where 20 Ming Dynasty Soldiers Became 220,000 Tech Commuters | 8 June 2023

Описание: 8 June 2023. Beijing. From Wudaokou to Xierqi.

Casual footage by the filmmaker of Masters in the Forbidden City and Every Treasure Tells a Story. Let‘s see what “Life-or-Death Tiantongyuan, Decisive Battle Xierqi” really means.

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“Which subway commute in Beijing impressed you most?”

Online answer: “Definitely Tiantongyuan and Xierqi.” Someone suggested making a film or song called Life-or-Death Tiantongyuan, Decisive Battle Xierqi.

Today’s destination: Xierqi.

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Xierqi: Heart of China‘s internet industry.

Outside Beijing’s Northwest 5th Ring Road: Baidu, Tencent, NetEase, Xiaomi, Sina, Didi, Kuaishou—China's tech giants' Beijing HQs cluster here. Xierqi Station, where Line 13 meets the Changping Line, handles over 220,000 passengers daily. If you live in Changping and work downtown, Xierqi is unavoidable.

Morning and evening peaks: nightmare for hundreds of thousands of tech workers. One commuter describes: “When you hear ‘Xierqi Station approaching,’ prepare to get off. Secure your phone—there are countless cases of phones crushed here.”

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But here, work seems everything. Life, absent.

Step outside: brutal Beijing summer sun. Few shops, restaurants, cafes. Normal urban spaces have storefronts, street life. Xierqi has none.

How do people actually live here?

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The name “Xierqi” is ancient.

Some associate it with Qing dynasty八旗. Wrong. It dates to Ming dynasty military pasture management. To defend against northern invaders, the Ming established horse pastures in the Qinghe area. Military units were organized into卫 (garrison) and所 (post) levels. A百户所 (company) commanded 10 “small banners” (小旗), each with 10 soldiers. Xierqi—two small banners stationed in the west: 20 men.

500 years ago, 20 soldiers patrolled grasslands. They never imagined this pasture would become one of Beijing's most densely populated, highest-income areas.

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These streets aren‘t for strolling.

Online question: “Do high-earning tech workers live in Xierqi?” Reality: surrounding housing averages 80,000–90,000 yuan per sqm. Most rent in Tiantongyuan, commuting across half the city.

Over 80% of Xierqi Station passengers work in IT. Everyone arrives with purpose, leaves with purpose. Beyond work, no one stays.

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Where do we begin to understand a city, a people?

With its name—20 soldiers, 500 years ago.
With its station—morning tides of 220,000, crushed‑phone legends.
With its absence—streets without shops, figures hurrying away after work.

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Beyond Xierqi's tech‑fortune myths lies another story: poor planning, absent street life.

But maybe that's Xierqi. A place to work, not live. For now.

Future? Unknown.
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一个个活生生的人，每天在西二旗这个空间里是怎么活动的？是怎么生活的？
2023年6月8日，北京。从五道口去西二旗。《我在故宫修文物》《如果国宝会说话》导演随手拍。去看看，什么是“生死天通苑，决战西二旗”。

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那些年在北京挤过的地铁，哪一次最让你印象深刻？

网友答：“那必须是天通苑与西二旗啊。”有人说可以拍一部电影或写一首歌，就叫《生死天通苑，决战西二旗》。

今天去的，是西二旗。

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西二旗，中国互联网的心脏。

北京西北五环外，百度、腾讯、网易、小米、新浪、滴滴、快手……互联网大厂的北京总部聚集于此。西二旗站是13号线与昌平线的换乘站，日均客流量超22万人次。只要你住在昌平，要去城里上班，西二旗是必经之路。

早晚高峰，这里是数十万互联网人的梦魇。有乘客这样描述：“当你听到西二旗站要到了，就该做好下车准备了。要收好手机——在这里把手机挤坏的例子太多了。”

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但这里好像只有工作，没有生活。

一出车站，就是北京夏天大太阳底下的暴晒。配套的购物、餐饮、休闲商业设施并不多。正常的一个城市空间，街道上都是商铺，充满人间烟火气。而西二旗没有。

一个个活生生的人，每天在这里是怎么活动的？怎么生活的？

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西二旗这个名字，其实很古老。

有人以为和清朝八旗有关，其实不准确。它源于明代卫所制度下的牧马场。明政府为防御外敌，在清河区域设牧马场。军队编制分卫、所两级，百户所下辖十个小旗，每小旗10人。西二旗，就是西边两个小旗驻军的地方，一共20人。

500年前，20个牧马的小兵，每天巡逻的是青草茂盛的空旷之地。他们怎么也想不到，这片牧场有朝一日会成为北京人口密度最大、人均收入最高的区域之一。

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这不是适合散步的街道。

有人在网上问：“那些收入很高的互联网人，住在西二旗吗？”答案很现实：周边房价每平方米8万至9万元。更多人在天通苑租房，每天跨越大半个北京城来上班。

西二旗站乘客中，IT从业者占比超80%。大家好像是带着某种目的来，再带着某种目的走。工作之外，不会在这里停留。

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我们从何处开始了解一座城市、一群人？
从它的地名开始——从500年前20个牧马小兵的故事。
从它的地铁站开始——从早高峰22万人次的潮汐，从把手机挤坏的传说。
从它的缺失开始——从那些没有商铺的街道，从那些下班后匆匆离开的背影。

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西二旗的互联网创富神话之外，还有一个话题：这片区域糟糕的规划与生活气息的缺失。

但也许，这就是西二旗。它是用来奋斗的，不是用来生活的。至少现在是。

未来呢？不知道。
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