Qianmen Street in downtown Beijing to reopen to visitors

Waiters pose as welcoming guests at a restaurant on Qianmen Street in Beijing, China, July 31, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

A waitress introduces food at a restaurant on Qianmen Street in Beijing, China, July 31, 2008.(Xinhua Photo)

After a massive refurbishment lasting over one year, the Qianmen Street in the heart of the Chinese capital will be opened to visitors on Aug. 7, one day ahead of the opening of the 29th Summer Olympics. The Street lies on Beijing's historic central axis just south of Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City. The refurbishment restored the glory of Qianmen as a key commercial and cultural hub of old Beijing.