Beijing/Gulou

Gulou is bordered by subway line 2 on the north, 5 on the east, and (less exactly) 8 on the west and 6 on the south. This means that any spot in Gulou is at most 20 minutes from a subway stop.

• Drum and Bell Towers

  phone: +86 10 6401 2674
  address: Di'anmen Street (地安门大街; Dì'ānméndàjiē
  The Drum Tower was built in 1272 and moved to a new location in 1800. The Bell Tower was built around 1700. Originally, the towers were used to play music and later on to tell Beijingers the time. Now they house a 63-ton ancient copper bell and a number of ancient/replica drums. Free guides start tours at specific times, and the Drum Tower also has performances every hour or so (usually around half-past). There are great views from the top of the towers, but be prepared to hike up the 60+ (very steep!) steps. Ignore the touts at the bottom who try to push off "hutong tours" in rickety tri-shaws.

• National Art Museum of China

  phone: +86 10 6403 4951
  address: 1 Wusi Street ( 五四大街1号 Wǔsì dàjiē)
  China's premier art museum with over 35,000sqm of exhibition space in 21 halls on four stories. Collection exhibits both ancient and contemporary work, with some Western art as well.

• Mao Dun Former Residence

  phone: +86 10 6404 4089
  address: 13 Yuanensi Hutong (后圆恩寺胡同13号; Hòuyuánēnsì Hútòng)
  Mao Dun (1896-1981) was a famous revolutionary writer. His former residence including personal effects and writings can be seen here.

• Dadu Museum of Art

  phone: +86 10-56937555
  address: No 28, Guozijan Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
  Beijing Dadu Museum of Art, a high-profile institution in the public interest, was built with the strong support and assistance of the Beijing Culture & Art Foundation and China Oil Painting Society. The museum has opened to the public since 2013 after 04 years of construction. Covering an area of 11,000 square meters, the museum is located in Chenggxian Street in Beijing, a renowned historical and cultural area near Yonghegong Lama Temple and adjoining the Confucian Temple and Guozijianóthe former imperial college for ancient dynasties. Designed by the world-famous architect Tadao Ando, The Beijing Dadu Museum of Art building is itself a perfect work of art, emboyding a combination of Western modern design concept with Oriental classic aesthetic ideology. After its completion the museum will be a professional exhibition venue within Chinese oil paintig circles which will permanently shows its own collected paintings, in addition to holding themed exhibitions and mobile shows.“China Style - China Oil Painting Languge Research Exhibition” and “Character of Painting - 2013 Chinese Oil Painting Exhibition” were hold at the end of 2013

• Confucius Temple

  phone: +86 10 8402 7224
  address: 13 Guozijian Street (国子监街13号; Guózǐjiànjiē)
  The temple was built in 1302 and honors Confucius (孔子; Kǒngzi; 551-479 BC) who was one of China's greatest thinkers, still with significant influence on all aspects of daily life. The pavilions along either side have displays about Confucius and the history of Confucianism The courtyard is a pleasant place to relax or watch art students practice sketching. Open until 6pm in summer (May-October), 5pm in winter; last admittance 30 minutes before closing.

• Imperial AcademyThe academy was the highest level college and location of examinations for the civil service in Imperial China. Very much related to the neighbouring Confucius Temple in that the studies and exams were conducted in the Confucian tradition. Displays documenting the history of the imperial exams system and the lives of students. Pleasant courtyard, slightly quieter than that of the temple. Open until 6pm in summer (May-October), 5pm in winter; last admittance 30 minutes before closing.

Hutongs

Hutongs are the old neighbourhoods and alleyways of Beijing. While the inner districts still have hutong neighbourhoods (for now), Dongcheng's are among the most extensive and best preserved, and most enjoyable for wandering. Turn off any major thoroughfare in the northern half of the district, and you will find yourself in real, living neighbourhoods, filled with local residents, small shops and food stalls and markets. For a good introduction to the hutongs, the area between Bell Tower and Lama Temple is easy for exploration, as most of the lanes run east-west, making it quite easy to wander from Bell Tower to Lama Temple or vice-versa, which should take about half an hour. Nanluoguxiang is a wide north-south lane that runs almost 1 km, starting from Gulou Dong Dajie, a major road, to Nanluoguxiang subway station in the south. Despite the crowds and touristy renovation it is worth a visit for gift shopping, eating snacks, and drinking bubble tea. Here too you can easily branch off down the side alleys for a glimpse of the less restored and more authentic hutongs. If walking is not your thing, try a rickshaw tour. Rickshaws converge during the day in the square between Drum and Bell Towers. You can try your luck bargaining with the drivers, or there is a fixed-price ticket booth in northwest corner of the square, offering hutong rickshaw tours for ¥180.

Theater

• Beijing North Theater

  phone: +86 10 6406 0175
  address: 67 Jiaodaokou South Street (交道口大街67号; Jiāodàokǒudàjiē)

• Beijing Seven-Color Light Children's Theater

  phone: +86 10 8402 2285
  address: 14 Ju'er Hutong, Jiaodaokou (交道口菊儿胡同14号; Jiāodàokǒujúérhútòng)
  As the name would suggest, shows for children

• Central Academy of Drama Theater

  phone: +86 10 8404 6174
  address: 39 Dongmianhua Hutong (东棉花胡同39号; Dōngmiánhuahútòng)
  Performances include both plays and dance.

• Central Experimental Drama Theater

  phone: +86 10 6403 1009
  address: 45A Mao'er Hutong, Di'anmenwai Street (地安门外大街猫儿胡同45号; Dìānménwàidàjiēmāoérhútòng)
  Both Chinese and foreign plays and both classical and experimental.

Bicycling

• Natooke

  phone: +86 10 8402 6925
  address: Fangjia Hutong 46, E105A 北京市东城区方家胡同46号，E105A
  Bicycle shop for hire, purchases and upgrades owned by a champion bike acrobat.

• NanluoguxiangThis restored hutong, just east of Drum Tower and Houhai, is lined with boutiques and small shops. Not the place for bargains, but this is where to come for unique and distinct gifts including T-shirts, pottery, jewellery, etc.

• NagQu

  phone: +86 10 6403 3472
  address: No.67 Wudaoying Hutong 东城区五道营胡同67号
  A small shop selling handcrafted bags, scarfs and pottery made with natural materials.

Budget

• Yilongzhai

  phone: +86 10 64062511
  address: 地安门外大街帽儿胡同甲43号
  A simple Hui eatery that is head and shoulders above similar Islamic restaurants in the area in terms of tastiness, serving favorite Islamic dishes like noodles in beef soup (lamian, 拉面), lamb kebabs (chuanr, 串儿), and delectable naan (nang, 馕).

• Qingyu Yogurt

  address: 豆角胡同46号
  Creamy yak yogurt served on a cake or in a cup, from the Tibetan plateau province of Qinghai

Mid-range

Chinese food

• Mr Shi's Dumplings

  phone: +86 10-84050399
  address: 74 Baochao Hutong 宝钞胡同74号
  Mr. Shi’s Dumplings restaurant is different from other dumpling hot spots in Beijing, in that although it is good, it totally caters to foreigners.

Non-Chinese Food

• Vineyard Cafe

  address: 31 Wudaoying Hutong (五道营胡同31号)
  Great place for Western-style breakfast and brunch in a restored hutong home. Also great European/fusion dishes, including some vegetarian options. A good dessert choice is the chocolate brownie with ice cream.

• Xiao Xin's Cafe

  address: 103 Nanluoguxiang (南锣鼓巷103号)
  One of the original cafes along this hutong, and now has many imitators. Great coffee and desserts, although the rest of the food is not particularly special.

• Pebbles Courtyard

  phone: +86 10 8404 0767
  address: 74 Wudaoying Hutong 雍和宫五道营胡同74号
  This restaurant's Mexican offerings are authentic, and the soft-shelled tacos are excellent. It's a nice location to spend a laid-back evening.

Splurge

• Saveurs de Coree

  phone: +86 10 6401 6083
  address: 29 Nanluoguxiang (南锣鼓巷29号), 20 Ju'er Hutong
  Korean food in a fancy setting. Can be expensive, but special set menus are a good deal.

Nanluoguxiang area

Bar cluster established around 2006 in hutong area east of Houhai. The atmosphere in this area is still more authentic Beijing than the neighboring Houhai area, and the action here usually starts already during the afternoon at bars with outdoors space.

• 12SQM

  phone: +86 10 6402 1554
  address: 1 Fuxiang Hutong, Nanluoguxiang (南锣鼓巷福祥胡同1号; Nánluógǔxiàngfúxiánghútòng)
  Very small bar/café that takes its name from its original floor space (website claims it's the smallest in Beijing, although it has expanded to 45sqm since)

• Guitar Bar

  phone: +86 10 6405 7263
  address: 40 Nanluoguxiang (南锣鼓巷40号; Nánluógǔxiàng)
  Very small bar with standard drink and Italian food. Guitar jam most nights.

• Hutong Bar

  phone: +86 10 6400 6808
  address: 39 Nanluoguxiang (南锣鼓巷39号; Nánluógǔxiàng)
  Small bar serving tea and beer.

• Jianghu Bar

  phone: +86 10 6401 4611
  address: 7 Dongmianhua Hutong (东棉花胡同7号; Dōngmiánhuahútòng)
  Simple live music venue.

• alba

  phone: +86 10 6709 1383
  address: 70 Gulou Dongdajie (鼓楼东大街70号; Gǔlóudōngdàjiē)
  Bar serving signature cocktails, mixed drinks, rums and whiskeys.

• Mao Live House

  phone: +86 10 6402 5080
  address: 111 Gulou East Street (鼓楼东大街111号; Gǔlóudōngdàjiē)
  Live rock music venue. The stage is great, the sound system is okay and the concert room and furniture are very basic.

• The Pool Bar

  phone: +86 10 8404 7956
  address: 106 Gulou Dongdajie (鼓楼东大街106号; Gǔlóudōngdàjiē)
  Yes, they do have a pool table (and also foosball).

• Reef Bar

  phone: +86 10 8169 8494
  address: 14 Nanluoguxiang (南锣鼓巷14号; Nánluógǔxiàng)
  Basic bar.

• Salud

  phone: +86 10 6402 5086
  address: 66 Nánluógǔxiàng 南锣鼓巷66号
  A Spanish-style tapas bar. Blues jam every Thursday, 9pm. ¥20 for 0.5l Tsingtao.

• Tree House

  phone: +86 138 1044 6267
  address: 81 Ju'er Hutong (菊儿胡同81号; Júérhútòng)
  Small and quiet pub/café, one of the few to be open also in the morning. Evening events now and then.

• Great Leap Brewing I 大跃啤酒

  phone: +86 10 5717 1399
  address: 6 Doujiao Hutong 角胡同6号
  Quite possibly the most difficult bar to find in Beijing. Although it's in the center of everything it's nestled so snugly inside a residential neighborhood that it's nearly impossible for first-timers to locate. It's one of Beijing's first (if not the first) real microbrewery. Founded by a few American guys and one's Chinese wife they have been a huge hit in China and internationally and have been featured on NBC, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, and most expat related magazines in China. The beer menu changes almost weekly but a few standards are always on the board. They are expanding with new stores and distributing to other bars in Beijing.

• Pass By Bar

  phone: +86 10 8403 8004
  address: 108 Nanluogu Xiang 南锣鼓巷108号
  Cool bar in the heart of Nanluoguxiang, serves beer and food, with open-air upstairs to look out over the hutongs. Lots of great posters to admire.

Drum Tower and Bell Tower area

Another smaller and quieter cluster of bars, close to both Houhai and Nanluoguxiang.

• Ball House

  phone: +86 10 6407 4051
  address: 40 Zhonglouwan, Gulou Dajie (鼓楼大街钟楼湾40号; Gǔlóudàjiēzhōnglóuwān)
  Bar with pool and foosball. Frequented by local artists.

• Bed Bar

  phone: +86 10 8400 1554
  address: 17 Zhangwang Hutong, Jiu Gulou Dajie (旧鼓楼大街张旺胡同17号; Jiùgǔlóudàjiēzhāngwànghútòng)
  Relaxed bar with a lot of rugs and pillows.

• Drum and Bell

  phone: +86 10 84033600
  address: 41 Zhonglouwan Hutong
  Best part of this bar is the comfortable rooftop patio (especially if you can score a table with couches) that overlooks the Bell Tower and the square (which at night is clear of tour buses and used by locals playing badminton).

• Jiangjin Bar

  phone: +86 10 8405 0124
  address: 2 Zhongku hutong (钟库胡同2号; Zhōngkùhútòng)
  The cocktails are not good, but the live folk music jam is great.

• Zen Bar

  phone: +86 10 6400 6859
  address: 18 Zhonglouwan Hutong (钟楼湾18号; Zhōnglóuwān)
  Very small and quiet bar hidden away in a hutong. Nice simple surroundings including a lot of Buddhas.

Wudaoying Hutong

Quite possibly the most charming retail street and place for a drink in Beijing. The narrow lane goes east to west starting from across the street of Lama Temple, and is mainly made up of a mix of Hello Kitty cute tiny coffee and pastry shops, hangout terrace cafes, clothing and craft boutiques, and a couple of bars. The calm but popular street is an idealized glimpse of contemporary, middle class Beijing with a local crowd—rather than throngs of tourists like in Nanluoguxiang—milling through on a weekend stroll or snapping wedding pictures on less packed weekends. Unlike the expat heavy bars around Gulou, the street is local in character so more the venue for an afternoon tipple than nightlife. The street is fairly quiet at night with about half a dozen bars and coffeeshops open past midnight.

Other

• Mao Mao Chong Bar

  phone: +86 139 2692 4563
  address: 市东城区交道口南大街板厂胡同12号; 12 Banchang Hutong
  This relaxed hutong pub serves reasonably priced international beers, wines and stellar cocktails. The walls are decorated with art and t-shirts for sale by the bar's owners, a husband-wife team who also cook up some of the city's best pizzas. Just east of Nanluoguxiang, Mao Mao Chong is the perfect escape from Beijing's flashy bar districts. Pizzas ¥45-¥75, antipasto ¥45, cocktails from ¥40, bottled beers from ¥30.

• Minty

  phone: +86 138 1022 2787
  address: 26 Mao'er Hutong (帽儿胡同26号; Màoérhútòng)
  Neighborhood bar with live folk music now and then.

• Modernista

  phone: +86 136 9142 5744
  address: 44 Baochao Hutong, Gulou Dongdajie 鼓楼东大街宝钞胡同44号
  Modernista is a European-inspired cafe, restaurant and bar in the heart of Beijing traditional hutongs. They also showcase what they say is "the best of Beijing´s live music, performances, art and cultural events".

Budget

• Beijing Zaoyuanju Hotel

  phone: +86 10 6404 2653
  address: 17 Zhangwang Hutong, Jiugulou Street (旧鼓楼大街张旺胡同17号; Jiùgǔlóudàjiē Zhāngwànghútòng)
  Rooms with free internet. Ticket office and laudry service available. Western restaurant, bar and room service. The rooms and especially the bathrooms are small. There is some noise from other guests and from the hutong life outside. Great location close to bar areas and sights.

• Flowering House Hostel

  phone: +86 10 6400 4560
  address: 23 Huageng Hutong, Jiaodaokou (交道口花梗胡同23号; Jiāodàokǒu Huāgěnghútòng)
  Hostel in traditional courtyard. Free internet, safe, laundry facilities, massage and bicycle rent available. Chinese and Western restaurant.

• Home Inn (Beijing Jiaodaokou)

  phone: +86 10 8405 0909
  address: 113 Jiaodaokou East Street (交道口东大街113号; Jiāodàokǒudōngdàjiē)
  Small rooms with free internet. Business center and laundry service available. Chinese restaurant and room service.

Mid-range

• Red Wall Hotel

  phone: +86 10 5109 8888
  address: 31 Shatan North Street (沙滩北街31号; Shātānběijiē)
  Rooms with free internet. Business center, gift shop and beauty salon available. Chinese and Wester restaurant as well as coffee shop.

• Shatan Hotel

  phone: +86 10 8402 6688
  address: 28 Shatanhou Street (沙滩后街28号; Shātānhòujiē)
  Rooms with free internet and aircon. Business center, ticket office, laundry service, hair dressing, bath center, billard and table tennis available. Chinese and Western restaurant and room service.

Splurge

• Ascott Beijing

  phone: +86 10 6587 0888
  address: No.108B Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District
  Centrally located in Beijing's business and retail district. All apartments, ranging from one to three bedrooms and three to four-bedroom penthouses have kitchen and a home entertainment system.

• Internet Bar

  phone: +86 10 6401 5483
  address: 24 Meishuguan E St

• Wangju Internet Bar

  address: 449 Dongsi N St,