Beijing Nanluoguxiang & Shichahai Hutong Walking Tour

Start at Nanluoguxiang Station
and stroll through old Beijing's hutongs

Meet your English-speaking guide at Exit E of Nanluoguxiang Station on Subway Line 6 or 8. Walking mainly through traditional lanes with fewer tourists, you will hear about the origins and meaning of the hutongs, the city layout of Beijing in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the rise and decline of the hutongs, the feng shui of courtyard homes and the lifestyle of local residents.

Houses began to appear along Nanluoguxiang back in the Yuan dynasty. Today the lane is lined with restaurants, unique hostels and themed shops, while gray courtyard homes and old trees showcase traditional Beijing architecture.

Visit the last empress's former home in Mao'er Hutong

Mao'er Hutong is full of famous buildings and stories. Stop for photos at the former residence of Wanrong, empress of Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing dynasty, and hear about Feng Guozhang, the fourth president of the Republic of China, who also lived in this lane. You will also walk through nearby lanes such as Doujiao Hutong and Fangzhuanchang Hutong.

Pass Shichahai Lake and its bar street

Visit the narrow waterway connecting Qianhai and Houhai lakes, the heart of the Shichahai area, surrounded by quiet bars. Then walk to Yandai Xiejie (Smoking Pipe Street), where tobacco shops opened one after another because many locals loved pipe smoking, along with Xiaoxibei and Daxibei hutongs.

Finish in front of the Drum and Bell Towers

Finally, see the Drum Tower and Bell Tower from the outside, which once announced the time in the ancient capital. End the tour hearing how the towers' roles changed over time, the oldest way of telling time in Beijing and stories such as the hutongs' famous zhajiang noodles.

※ The Drum and Bell Towers are viewed from the outside only; entry is not included.
※ The itinerary may change depending on local conditions.