This film is part of Free
Street Scenes in China
Scenes of bustling city life in east Beijing and the funeral procession of Sun Yat-Sen, founder of the Republic of China.
Overview
This lively amateur film shows the street life of Dongsi (marked by its pair of wooden archways) and Chongwenmen (with its city gate) in east Beijing, bustling with busy markets, street pedlars and tradesmen. We are treated to an energetic display of martial arts by a master and his two disciples, and witness the grand funeral cortege of Dr Sun Yat-Sen, founding father of the Chinese Republic.
Chinese city life was traditionally concentrated around the foot of city walls or wooden archways. Many daily activities, like eating at food stalls or getting a hair-cut, were held in the open, while other services - the plate-mender and water-carrier - were delivered to the doorstep. This film was shot by Methodist missionaries in 1925, and captures the grand funeral procession of Dr Sun Yat-Sen, founding father of the Republic of China. His remains were moved to Nanjing in 1929, where they were placed in the Sun Zhongshan Mausoleum in the Purple Mountain.
Related
Modern China Modern China
Non-Fiction 1910 8 mins Silent Location: Beijing
Extraordinary and exquisite views of life and landscape in Beijing during the late Qing dynasty.
Peking and Its Surroundings Peking and Its Surroundings
Travelogue 1910 6 mins Location: Qinglongqiao
The austere beauty of the Great Wall of China's rugged mountain passes, in a travelogue tracing a caravan of camels' journey to Beijing.
Beijing - Coal Hill Street Scenes and the Forbidden City Beijing - Coal Hill Street Scenes and the Forbidden City
Amateur film 1938 15 mins Silent Location: Beijing
This delightful colour film features Beijing's Forbidden City, the Summer and Winter palaces as well as parks, processions, a drama school and a Chinese picnic.
Visit to Beijing and the Forbidden City Visit to Beijing and the Forbidden City
Amateur film 1929 2 mins Silent Location: Beijing
Beijing's Forbidden City is the star attraction in this film from the late 1920s, featuring historic buildings, the Lion's Gate and an early panorama across the city.
My Oriental Friends, From Penang to Peking My Oriental Friends, From Penang to Peking
Amateur film 1933 16 mins Silent Location: Hong Kong
This unique and beautiful tour of Southeast Asia and China is a treasure trove of picturesque views of Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing.
Summer Palace Beijing and Tsientsin Summer Palace Beijing and Tsientsin
Amateur film 1929 3 mins Silent Location: Beijing
Dancing bears and camels feature in views of Beijing's Summer Palace in the late 1920s filmed by an expat couple who are later seen enjoying a traditional Chinese meal.
Beijing / Shantou c.1932 Beijing / Shantou c.1932
Amateur film 1932 2 mins Silent Location: Beijing
Home movie snapshots take in a visit to a rock-face, a Beijing temple and skilled Shantou seamstresses hard at work in Guangdong Province, South China.
Beijing Extract 1 c.1932 Beijing Extract 1 c.1932
Amateur film 1932 2 mins Silent Location: Beijing
This amateur film from the Eng family's collection includes views of the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven.
Modern China Modern China
Non-Fiction 1910 8 mins Silent Location: Beijing
Extraordinary and exquisite views of life and landscape in Beijing during the late Qing dynasty.
Wanderings in Peking Wanderings in Peking
Amateur film 1939 11 mins Silent Location: Taimiao (Imperial Ancestral Temple)
These wanderings of an amateur filmmaker take in city streets, markets and Chinese acrobats in lively 1930s Beijing.
Summer Palace Beijing and Tsientsin Summer Palace Beijing and Tsientsin
Amateur film 1929 3 mins Silent Location: Beijing
Dancing bears and camels feature in views of Beijing's Summer Palace in the late 1920s filmed by an expat couple who are later seen enjoying a traditional Chinese meal.
Peking March/April 1937 Peking March/April 1937
Amateur film 1937 14 mins Silent Location: Tiantan (Temple of Heaven)
Indulge in a spot of time-travel with this 1930s sightseeing tour of ancient Chinese monuments.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archiveβs role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.
Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels
Short documentary 2024 12 mins
Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.