·1903年建成的河北新车站

        直隶总督兼北洋大臣袁世凯到天津后,将直隶总督衙署迁至海防公所(今金钢公园一带) ,天津也开始作为直隶省的省会。由于城厢地区已经遭到八国联军的严重破坏,城东南的海河两岸便于发展的地区,被各国租界所侵占,袁世凯决定规划开发海河上游以北地区——河北新区。
        开发前的河北新区,大部分是坑、塘、荒地和坟茔。袁世凯在新区建车站、修道路、建桥梁、开设电话局、兴办实业、兴建大中小学堂等,许多官邸、衙门纷纷迁至新区。使新市区迅速发展,很快成为天津繁荣的行政、经济和文化教育管理中心。
        光绪二十九年正月初二(1903年1月30日),在河北新区的北头、京山铁路上,建成启用了河北新车站(今北站)。该站的中心里程为京山铁路134.74公里,津浦铁路以该点为起点,并与京山铁路联轨。
        新车站建成后不到一个月,即光绪二十九年正月二十六日 (1903年2月23日),袁世凯批准了工程总局制订的 《开发河北新市场章程十三条》,确定了新区的四至是: 东沿京山铁路,南迄金钟河,西抵北运河,北到新开河。
        是年十月初九(1903年11月27日),由城厢东北通往河北新区的金钢桥竣工,取代了旧的窑洼浮桥。同时,建成了自金钢桥通往河北新车站的道路,称大经路(今中山路)。河北新区的布局,是以大经路作为轴线,修建了与大经路平行的二、三、四、五经路(今二、三、四、五马路); 沿经路自南至北,又先后开筑了以《千字文》命名的、与经路相垂直的天、地、元、黄、宇、宙、日、月、辰、宿、律、吕、调等,多条纬路,使整个河北新区形成了一套经纬纵横、四通八达的交通网络。这种序列化的命名方法,既便于寻找,又影响深远,对今天的地名规划仍具有参考价值。
        为了加快河北新区的开发速度,光绪三十一年(1905)4月6日,袁世凯颁布了《开发河北新市场变通现行新章十三条》,限定在区域内的业主,3年内,一律修建房屋; 凡是临靠马路的,必须把房屋翻盖成新瓦房。7月7日,袁世凯又批准了天津府、县改造马路两侧小屋和窝铺的办法; 并准许富裕商民自行改建,期限是一个月内完工; 贫困商民由官府垫款,商民分期偿还; 新章还规定,在大经路修建河北公园; 沿主要街道修建新式商店;政府机关要迁到河北新区办公,在新区内兴建工厂、学校等。其中,在行宫庙(粮店街),设立的行宫庙等官立小学堂,是天津最早的官立小学之一。
        房地产开发商见到河北新区大有商机,便争相向天津县承租土地、建筑房屋,以开发商的堂号为里巷名称,拔地而起。如元福里、元善里、颐寿里、敏智巷等。一些中、下级的政府官吏,也因衙署的搬迁而到新区居住。于是,便形成了三、四马路和黄、宇纬路之间的东兴里、择仁里等新式院落型的里弄住宅群。使当时的河北新区有“天津新世界”之称。
        After grand minister of Beiyang Navy,Yuan Shikai,became Governor-general of Zhili Province (coveringthe area of present Hebei Province and part of Shandong,the Inner Mongolia and Liaoning Province),he movedhis office to Coast Defense Mansion (located nearJingang Park) in Tianjin. Since then Tianjin became thecapital of Zhili province. Since areas around the Tianjingate had been dramatically destroyed by Eight-countryAllied Forces and the underdeveloped areas alongbanks of Haihe River in the south of Tianjin had alsobecame concession areas,Yuan Shikai decided to planand develop areas to the northern of Haihe River,Hebeidistrict,so as to compete with the concession areas alongbanks of Haihe River in the southeast of Tianjin.
        To tap and harness Hebei district most of whichwere covered with pits,ponds and tombs as well asdeserted land,Yuan Shikai started to built a new railwaystation and new bridges. He also constructed roads,opened Telephone Bureau,embarked enterprises andset up schools in this new area,which attracted moreand more offices of government coming in a continuousstream.This new area developed rapidly and becameTianjin`s centre of administration,economics andculture.
        Then he approved "Thirteen Articles forDeveloping Hebei District" in February 23 in 1903 (the29th year of Emperor Guangxu). In the Thirteen Articles,four borders of Hebei district are defined,that is,theeast border was along Jingshan railway road,the southto Jinzhong River,and the west to the North Canal andthe north to the Xinkai River. To develop Hebei district,Tianjin Customer Office and Tianjin Municipal Officeissued an order that said all proprietors in Hebei districtmust 1) go to the Engineering Bureau for registrationwithin one month; 2) move tombs within six months;3) fill and level up all pits within one year; 4) build newhouses within twenty months with construction cost noless than 1000 Liang of silver every Mu of land.
        In November 27,1903,the Jingang Bridgeconnecting the northeast areas around Tianjin gate andHebei district were completed with total cost of silver168000 Liang,therefore replacing the old YaowafuBridge. In the same day,the ceremony of its openingto traffic was held. The road from the Jingang Bridgeto Hebei new railway station was also completed at thesame time,called Dajing Road (now Zhongshan Road).This road was the widest road at that time in Tianjin,wider than those planned in concession areas.
        Hebei district was laid out with Dajing road asthe axes (Dajing means the big longitude). The second,third,Sijing and Wujing roads (called Erjing,Sanjing,Sijing and Wujing and now called Er,San,Si and WuRoad) were then built,parallel to Dajing Road. Afterthat,multiple latitude roads named as Tian,Di,Yuan,Huang,Yu,Zhou,Ri,Yue,Chen,Su,LV,Tiao etc.(thesecharacters are from "One Thousands Characters") andvertical to the longitude roads were also built. Therefore,a traffic network extending with all directions werecreated in Hebei district. Easy to memorize and search,the sequential method of naming roads has far-reachingimpact and is still valuable to the current road namingand planning.
        To speed up the development of Hebei district,inApril 6th,1905 (the 31st year of emperor Guangxu),Yuan Shikai approved and issued "Thirteen New Articlesfor Developing Hebei New Markets" which required thatall proprietors in Hebei district build new houses withinthree years and all houses along roads be remade intonew tile-roofed ones. In July 7th,Yuan Shikai approvedways to rebuild small houses and wickiups along the twosides of roads. Affluent business men were allowed torebuild their houses on their own way within one month.The government advanced money to those needy tradersto rebuild their houses on installment. According tothe new articles,Hebei Park at Dajing Road was built,new shops were built along major roads,governmentoffices were moved to Hebei district,and new factoriesand schools were also built there. Among the schoolsbuilt then,the public Xinggongmiao primary school atLiangdian Street was one of the earliest public schools inTianjin.
        Real-estate developers saw great profit in Hebeidistrict. They rented lands and developed new houses.Therefore,groups of commercial houses arose out of thelands named after brands of real-estate developers suchas Yuanfuli,Yuanshanli,Yishouli and Minzhi lanes etc.Many low- and middle-rank government officials alsomoved to Hebei district because of the moving of theiroffices. They usually dwelled in the new yard-type lanehouse groups such as Dongxinli and Zerenli between Sanand Si Roads and between Huang and Yu roads. Hebeidistrict was therefore called "New World of Tianjin" atthat time.

        

·1903年建成的金钢桥