Nanluoguxiang - Most Complete Hutong Complex in Beijing

Hunt for Interesting Gadgets and Souvenirs

Nanluoguxiang is a paradise for foodies and people with curiosity. Unlike the large shopping malls, there are full of small stores selling all kinds of souvenirs and traditional Chinese handcrafts such as Chinese folding fan, silk scarf, clay figures, Beijing Opera facial masks, old Beijing cloth shoes (very comfortable and walking-friendly), chi-pao (a close-fitting woman's dress with high neck and slit skirt), Chinese cosmetics, etc. You can also buy some cultural and creative products here like T-shirts with special slogans or patterns on. The shops at Nanluoguxiang will surprise you continuously with unexpected gadgets.

Try Local Snacks and Various Cuisines

When you are at Nanluiguxiang, you can meet many tourists holding sugarcoated haws on a stick, kebab, hot dog, roast crab and other snacks while walking around. You can try some of them, too. At #49 Nanluoguxiang, there is a Wenyu Cheese Shop (文宇奶酪店) which boasts having the best cheese in Beijing. There is usually a long queue in front of the shop. Though people differ in taste, the cheese is still worth a try. Apart from that, Chinese and western restaurants, cafes, and bars are also available. For example, Pass By Bar (过客) serves special pizza and Nepalese drinks, and Fish Nation (鱼邦) gains a high popularity for its fish and chips. The list can goes on and on and waits for you to explore.

Appreciate Traditional Chinese Courtyard (Siheyuan)

It is a big misunderstanding of Nanluoguxiang if you only treat it as a place for shopping and eating. As the former center of the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, many prominent officials and eminent personages have lived here in the past several hundred years. With time passing by, the residences remain though their owners are gone. You will find the previous Prince Seng’s Mansion at Chaodou Hutong, the former residence of Qi Baishi (a Chinese painting master) at Yu’er Hutong, the former residence of Mao Dun (a renowned Chinese modern writer) at Yu’er Hutong, the home of Wanrong (the queen of the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty) at Mao’er Hutong, the Central Academy of Drama (Alma Mater of many famous Chinese directors and actors like Jiang Wen, Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi…) at Dongmianhua Hutong, etc. Most of them adopt the structure of traditional Siheyuan, indicating their witness-position of and vicissitudes in the long history.

Visit around Hutongs on a Rickshaw

Taking a rickshaw ride is a characteristic experience of a Beijing tour. You can easily find rickshaws at Nanluoguxiang (usually at the entrance or nearby Hutongs). There is no fixed price of a rickshaw tour but it is normally charged by distance or by time. Generally speaking, visiting around Nanluoguxiang is about CNY100. The rickshaw drivers are conversable and very familiar with these Hutongs. While sending you to the destination safe and sound, they will tell you the history and stories of the Hutongs and Siheyuan you pass by. For many travellers, it is more of a way to better understand Beijing culture than just a means of transportation.

>>3 Days Beijing Walking Tour

There are many attractions near Nanluoguxiang. One of the landmarks of the ancient Beijing City, the Drum Tower, is only a stone's throw from here. Keep walking several hundred meteres, you will find the pipe-shaped Yandaixie Street is right before your eyes.

Yandaixie Street (烟袋斜街)

Yandaixie Street is about 1km (15 minutes’ walk) to the west of Nanluoguxiang. It is the oldest business street in Beijing with a history of about 800 years. In the past, there were mainly stores selling tobacco pipes, antiques, jades, and Chinese paintings. But now, here is teemed with boutiques, souvenir shops, snack houses, restaurants, cafes, and bars. The quint trinkets and all kinds of food always make people linger. There is also a bar street along Houhai (Back Lakes) area where you can grab a drink with your friends while enjoying the gentle breeze from the lake.>>More about Yandaixie Street

Beijing Bell and Drum Towers (北京钟鼓楼)

Bell and Drum Towers, a national key cultural relic protection unit, is a group of ancient buildings located at the north of Beijing's north-south central axis. They are just 200m away from Nanluoguxiang. The two magnificent towers are the crystallization of the wisdom and strength of the ancient Chinese working people. They were used to give the correct time in the Yuan (A.D. 1271 - 1368), Ming (A.D. 1368 - 1644) and Qing (A.D. 1644 - 1911) dynasties. In the history of the construction of the city bell and drum towers, the ones in Beijing are the largest in scale. They are one of the landmark buildings in the ancient capital Beijing, and also an important witness of the history of China in the past hundred years.

It only needs about 2 hours or less to look around Nanluoguxiang. As there are many attractions nearby, you can continue your trip westwards to another Hutong, Yandaixie Street, or travel northeastwards for about 2km to the Confucius Temple and Lama Temple. To enrich your Beijing tour, you can add another 2 days to the Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Jingshan Park, the Temple of Heaven, and the Olympic Park. If you have more days, you can go for an in-depth Great Wall hiking or photography tour, and explore more hidden attractions in Beijing city.

If you have any other questions or ideas, please feel free to contact us. We are specialized in customized tours according to your own interests, budgets, and traveling time. Our professional travel consultants are always ready to help!

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