Dongcheng District lies at the center of the city and spreads north and east from Tian'anmen Square. During the Qing Dynasty, the Chinese inhabitants were forced to live in the southern portions of Beijing while the Tartars congregated in the neighborhoods on either side of the Forbidden City. This area corresponds roughly with the eastern half of the Qing Dynasty's Tartar City, north of the wall that separated it from the Chinese quarter. These days, of course, nearly all that remains of that wall are the twin towers of the Qian Men or Front Gate. But the outlines of the divided neighborhoods are still there. Besides being the home of Zijincheng (The Forbidden City) it plays host to several major temples. The Yonghe Gong or Lama Temple is found here, as well as the Confucius Temple. This is not to imply that temples and palaces are all that can be seen in Dongcheng. The popular shopping streets of Wangfujing and Dong Dan are all found here.

In ancient times, Dongcheng was another area (along with Chaoyang) in which the aristocracy and high ranking government officials built their homes. That portion of Dongcheng between Chang'an Avenue and the south wall of the Forbidden City and running towards the east is where you will find many of Beijing's most popular attractions. Tian'anmen Square is found here. Further north, you will find the historic Bell and Drum Towers, the Lama Temple, and Jingshan Park. And, of course, Dongcheng has its share of shopping, dining, and local businesses.