It was located southwest to the city center, outside of Xuanwu Gate.

Located outside the Imperial Inner City and predominantly reserved for the lower class, the district was over 16.5 km2 in size.

The area was also the birthplace of Peking Opera and housed the Caishikou Execution Grounds during the Qing Dynasty.

[1] Prior to the district's dissolution, The High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University was located in Xuanwu.

[2] One school in Niujie, the Beijing Xuanwu Huimin Elementary School (Chinese: 北京市宣武回民小学; pinyin: Běijīng Shì Xuānwǔ Huímín Xiǎoxué), serves the Hui people living in Beijing.