Hutong lanes
Courtyard homes.
Anagoria — CC BY 3.0 · FANG Chen — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ben Bender — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Worldtravelwiki — CC0 · EditQ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · i a walsh from Shanghai, China — CC BY 2.0 · oenvoyage — CC BY-SA 3.0 · EditQ — CC BY-SA 4.0
A lovely historic area in north-central Beijing made up of three linked lakes, Qianhai, Xihai and Houhai, covering 147 hectares; it dates back to the Jin dynasty, and under the Yuan it was the northern end of the Grand Canal linking Beijing with southern China. Around the lakes run the narrow traditional lanes called hutongs, with grey courtyard houses, or siheyuan, and red doors, which you can explore on foot or by cycle rickshaw with a guide telling the old neighbourhood's stories. Cafés, restaurants and old stone bridges line the shores, the best known being the Yinding Bridge; people go boating in summer, and in winter the frozen lakes become a playground for skating and fun on the ice. Wandering is free at any time, while rickshaw tours and boats have their own prices, so agree on them first. Late afternoon and evening are best, and it pairs well with nearby Beihai Park.
Courtyard homes.
Old stone.
On the lakes.
North-west of the Forbidden City, Beijing
NanluoguxiangA narrow historic lane in north-central Beijing about 800 m long, running from G11 minutes walk
Beihai ParkA former imperial garden north-west of the Forbidden City, first built in the tw19 minutes walk4.6
Jingshan ParkAn imperial park of 23 hectares directly north of the Forbidden City, once a pri20 minutes walk4.5Narrow traditional lanes lined with grey courtyard houses and red doors; Shichahai's lakes are the best place to explore them on foot or by rickshaw.