Xidan: Beijing’s new style hub

Xidan THE NEW is the renovated underground retail and public‑space project at Xidan Culture Square that reopened on April 27, 2021 after a multi‑year overhaul by developer China Resources Land and is operated by China Resources’ lifestyle arm (华润万象生活). (baike.baidu.com) The site pairs a surface "city forest" park with a three‑level underground shopping area, and it links directly to Xidan Station on subway Lines 1 and 4, which makes quick trips and social gatherings easy for young shoppers; the combination of green public space above and compact retail below is a recurring theme in recent video tours and local posts. (baike.baidu.com) (youtube.com) The reconstruction followed Beijing’s urban‑renewal principle summarized as “减量、提质、增绿” — literally “reduce (commercial volume), raise quality, and increase green space” — and involved about a seven‑year renovation with roughly 600 million yuan invested; during the conversion the project reduced older retail area and expanded ground‑level greenery. (baike.baidu.com) The mall’s operating playbook has emphasized a “first‑store” strategy — bringing brands’ first city or regional outlets to Xidan to create novelty — and programming that favors pop‑ups, themed exhibitions and designer collectives, which keeps the tenant mix rotating and generates social‑media content. (baike.baidu.com) (english.beijing.gov.cn) THE NEW has been singled out by planners and designers — receiving city renewal and design awards in 2021–2022 — and it continues to host branded pop‑ups and tie‑ins (for example a March 2026 Disney‑themed 52TOYS event listed among recent programming), while official tourism and local creator channels keep publishing short tours that sustain steady online engagement. (baike.baidu.com) (tiktok.com)