Tianchengzhai Shoes Shop

  Located in the north of Xianyukouxikou, Qianmenwai, Tianchengzhai was set up in the 22^nd year of Emperor Daoguang’s reign in the Qing Dynasty or 1842. The shoes for sale are made in this shop. Boots and shoes from Tianchengzhai have fine materials and are durable and good in quality. Since its opening, it gradually developed to a famous time-honored shop with Tianyuanzhai, Tianlizhai, Tianhuaxin and Tianchengzhai as subsidiaries. The boss of the shop was from Wuqing County in the east of Beijing. Sponsored by Majuyuan Hat Shop as the controlling shareholder, the shop was founded in the north of Xianyukouxikou, Qianmenwai. With four or five employees, it has a workshop on the second floor and shop on the first floor, and run its business quite well.

There was a saying at that time: the rich goes to Neiliansheng fro shoes, while the poor to Tianchengzhai. Shoes made by Tianchengzhai were popular because they were tough and durable. There are many varieties such as Round-opening Black Shoes for farmers and common people in the city, Double-Vamped Black Cloth Shoes for soldiers of the Eight-Banners and Green Troops, sedan chair men, wrestle men and donkey drivers, Reinforced Slippers for porters and wagon drivers, Cloud-patterned Laotoule for aged people in the winters, and Oilskin Shoes used in rainy days. Due to the demand exceeding supply, the first branch Tianyuanzhai Shoes Shop was set up in the east of Buxiangzibeikou, Xianyukou in Emperor Tongzhi’s reign in the Qing Dynasty, another one, Tianchengzhai Branch in the south of the middle of Xianyukou in Emperor Guangxu’s reign and in the east of which Tianlizhai Shoes Shop was set up later. In the Republic period, to meet the social development and fashion, Tianhuaxin Shoes Shop which specialized in lady’s embroidery shoes and leather shoes was set up in the north of Xianyukou. Gradually, Tianchengzhai Shoes Shop became well-known all around Beijing.

Tianchengzhai made shoes dedicatedly with well-chosen material, never treated customers perfunctorily, and focused on quality and warranty.

 The noted products of Tianchengzhai included: Double-vamped Shoes and Reinforced Slippers.  The former were made with two parallel thongs on the vamp.  There are two kinds of Double-vamped Shoes: one, made of black cloth for the laboring people, and the other, made of brocade vamp or uniform cloth for the wrestlers and people in the martial art circle. Reinforced Slippers are even more durable than the Double-vamped Shoes.  They are strong-soled and embroidered with diamond designs on the vamp.  There are two kinds of Reinforced Slippers: one, pointed with reinforced sewing in the front and the other with long vamp that fits in well with the feet.  All the black refined cloth vamps were specially manufactured by the weaving mills and the expensive uniform cloth were chosen for their quality and thickness.  And the selection of materials for round thong and the shoe-soles for the making of Double-vamped Shoes and Reinforced Slippers were also meticulous.  Sometimes even the ropes for the making of shoe-soles were made by the shop itself to ensure quality. 

In 1956, Tianchengzhai Shoe Shop joined the public-private operation and was merged with Xianyukou Department Store.  In 1966, it was renamed the Retail Sales Department of Xian Yang Shoe Shop.  In 1978, it was renamed the Retail Sales Department of Beijing Cloth Shoe Shop.  In 1985, the time-honored brand of Tianchengzhai Shoe Shop was restored.