DK Travel : Beijing : North of the Forbidden City

By far the most rewarding area to explore on foot, north of the Forbidden City stretches an almost contiguous run of lakes, either set in parkland or surrounded by swathes of charming historic hutongs. It’s an area rich in temple architecture and dotted with grand old courtyard residences. Its appeal to visitors has resulted in restaurants, bars, and shops flooding in to take advantage of the picturesque settings, but thankfully much of the growth has so far been sympathetic.

Rickshaws cluster mainly around Qian Hai offering tours around the lakes and hutongs. It’s a fine way to see the area See Rickshaw tours

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A Day in the Hutongs

Morning

Take the subway to Yonghe Gong for an early morning – and hopefully crowd-beating – visit to the Lama Temple. On leaving, cross over the main road and pass under the pailou (gate) at the entrance to Guozijian Jie for the Confucius Temple. Afterwards, take a break at the lovely Confucius Teahouse over the road. At the western end of Guozijian Jie turn left onto Anding Men Nei Dajie, a wide, shop-filled avenue and follow it south across Jiaodaokuo Dong Dajie and take the first right into Ju’er Hutong, one of the most vibrant of the city’s old alleys. Take the first left onto Nan Luogu Xiang, where at No. 108 you will find the charming Pass By Bar , which has a small courtyard that makes for an excellent lunchspot.

Afternoon

On leaving the Pass By, head west along Mao’er Hutong until you reach main Di’an Men Wai Dajie, where you turn right and head up the street for the splendid Drum and Bell Towers. Climb the towers to pick out the route you’ve just taken. Retrace your steps back down Di’an Men Wai Dajie taking the very first right, a tiny opening (usually marked by waiting taxis) leading into bustling Yandai Xie Jie. At the end of this crooked alley is the Silver Ingot Bridge; cross and bear left for Lotus Lane. You can stop here for coffee or head round the southern tip of the lake to Han Cang for a terrific meal of Hakka cuisine.
Bed Tapas & Bar

A short walk north of the Drum and Bell Towers, Bed makes the absolute most of its old courtyard house setting (see Bed Tapas & Bar).
Bei Hai Park

A beautiful example of a classic imperial garden, Bei Hai was a summer playground for successive dynasties that ruled from the neighboring Forbidden City. Today, it is well and truly open to the public, and thronged daily by locals who come here to socialize. There are a couple of small temples, a fine, small ornamental garden, and a noted restaurant. This is arguably the most lovely of Beijing’s many fine city parks (see Bei Hai Park).
Bell Tower

This dates from 1745 and replaces an earlier tower that burnt down. The great 42-ton (42,674-kg) bell it contains used to be rung to mark the closing of the city gates in the evening. During Spring Festival visitors are allowed to ring the bell for a donation of ¥100. The views from both the Drum and Bell Towers over the neighboring hutongs are well worth the exhausting climb.
Cafe Sambal

An old-style courtyard house serves as the venue for exquisite dishes prepared by a genuine Malaysian chef (see Cafe Sambal).
Confucius Temple

Just west of the Lama Temple, the Confucius Temple was first built in 1302 during the Mongol Yuan dynasty, and considerably expanded in 1906. Around 200 ancient stelae stand in the courtyard in front of the main hall, inscribed with the names of those who success-fully passed the imperial civil service exams. On a marble terrace inside the hall are statues of Confucius and some of his disciples.
Di Tan Park

The park was named after the Temple of Earth (Di Tan), which was a venue for imperial sacrifices. The altar’s square shape represents the earth. These days, the only thing that gets killed here is time: the park is always full of pensioners strolling, chatting, and exercising. A lively temple fair is held here at Chinese New Year.
Drum & Bell

A modest bar in the shadow of antiquity offering refreshment and a gentle respite from sightseeing (see Drum & Bell).
Drum Tower

Drum towers (gu lou) were once found in all major Chinese towns. They housed large drums that were beaten to mark the hour, keeping the city’s civil servants on time for work. There has been such a tower on this site since 1272, although the current structure dates to 1420. Visitors can clamber up the torturously steep steps to inspect some 25 drums and be entertained by a troop of drummers that delivers skin-thumping performances on the hour.
East Shore Live Jazz Café

Opened by legendary jazzman Liu Yuan. Climb steep wooden stairs to four walls of floor-to-ceiling windows and a roof terrace, plus live music.

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Restaurant price categories

For the equivalent of a meal for two made up of a range of dishes, served with tea, and including service.
- under ¥100
- ¥100–¥250
- ¥250–¥500
- over ¥500