Introduction

Nanluoguxiang also is known as the Centipede Lane was once known as Gong and Drum Lane during the Qing Dynasty and Humpback Lane in the Ming Dynasty. It is an old hutong in Beijing that is around 800 years old and measures 768 meters long by 8 meters wide. It was built at the same time frame when the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, Dadu was being constructed between 1271 and 1368. Towards its northern end it connects to Gulou Dong Dajie and to the south it is connected to Dianmen Ding Dajie.

This hutong is a retail paradise along with residential settlements. Most of what used to be residences have now been occupied by dozens of small shops, galleries and family-run restaurants creating a variety of ancient and ultra-modern restaurants. It has gained tourist popularity and this mainly happened during the  Olympic Games.

Things to see and do on a visit

Nanluoguxiang mixes fashion, history and retail all under one roof.

Visit Hutongs

At Nanluoguxiang the most authentic courtyards can be found and anyone can tell apart the difference in architectural design in its grey walls and roofs as opposed to the modern grand red walls and golden colored roofs that can be since in places such as the Forbidden City. In addition, there are even red lanterns hanging under eaves. Nanluoguxiang also used to be the dwelling area for celebrities such as Qi Baishi who was a great artist and royal families and officials like empress Wan Rong.

Bar hop

Nanluoguxiang is the third most popular bar street in Beijing behind Sanlitun and Houhai. Bars in this place are unique, warm and distinctive and they usually attract the vibrant and young crowds and the expatriate community.

Shopping

There are 115 different shops in Nanluoguxiang selling all sorts of goodies ranging from ornaments, jewelry utensils, coasters and handicrafts. It is the ideal place for visitors to pick up souvenirs as they explore the area. In addition, there is a Pottery Workshop where tourists can try their hand in pottery and create their own piece of art. This side of town is loved for its artistic and creative atmosphere.

Food

Walking in Nanluoguxiang tourists will not only feast their eyes, but also their mind and stomach. It is home to many different establishments. There are rich foreign establishments offering Italian, Russian and Indian style dishes alongside local Chinese flavors. There are a variety of drinks such as Nepal style drinks, tasty yogurt shops and fruit drinks.

Affordable and unique accommodation

For visitors wishing to break off the norm of staying in the high-end hotel during their stay in Beijing, there are cheap hotels and hostels that give tourists a unique travel experience in terms of accommodation. The hotels and hostels are fully equipped with the necessary facilities to be as cozy and possible with free internet access, dining facilities and relaxing areas.

Hutongs

Introduction

A Hutong is a local name given to a narrow lane or small street between rows of single storey houses where Beijingers lived in the past. These Hutongs were built hundreds of years ago during the Ming and Qing dynasty era between 1368 and 1912 and up to date retain the same traditional culture and way of life of the past times.

These hutongs are as little as 40 centimeters to as wide as 10 meters. The compounds that line the alleys are known locally as "siheyuan" meaning four joined-together courtyards. They are mainly old buildings taking a four-sided layout enclosed by a wall. These dwellings give an insight to the ancient lifestyle of typical locals and have gained a great appeal to tourists who wish to witness first hand the evolution of locals from a simple lifestyle to the rapid urbanized that is China today. The hutong streets and alleys crisscross with each other and meander in confusing ways. It is fun to walk around them trying to uncover and figure them out.

In 1215 Mongolians captured the Beijing area and started to build the Yuan Empire in 1271 and during this time, a 36-meter wide road was a standard street, an 18-meter wide road was considered a small street and a 9-meter wide road was named a Hutong. Therefore the word hutong originated from the Mongolian word hottog that means water well. In ancient times, villagers dug a well and then lived around it.

In the Ming and Qing Dynasty reign, wealthy families like the Qiao Family built their siheyuan compound close to the Forbidden City along hutong lanes and as time passed their number gradually increased. In Beijing, there are many hutongs but all of them maintain a unique charm that keeps attracting tourists all year round. As time went by due to urban development and in the process of giving way to building roads, the number of hutongs rapidly decreased. The remaining ones like Nanluoguxiang and Yandaixiejie Street are remaining ideal hutong destinations for most foreign visitors and Jiuwan and Wudaoying Hutong are the best destinations for sightseeing, shopping, unwinding and trying local delicacies and traditional tea. Now, these courtyards are preserved and most of them are even under the protection of the government.

Things to see and do on a visit

Take a Hutong tour by rickshaw

Riding a rickshaw is the best way to comfortably take a close glance at the traditional settings in a short time but visitors who wish to take a walk by foot or rent a bike can also appreciate the simple and tranquil atmosphere of the traditional settings with locals going by their day to day life.

Visit family’s run restaurants

Visitors who wish to interact on a more personal level with the locals can visit family-owned restaurants where they can learn cooking skills and their meal preferences with regards to health philosophies followed by Chinese locals.

Explore the hutongs at night to hunt for traditional Beijing snacks and eateries

Wudaoying hutong and Baocaho hutong offers a peaceful and quiet destination for visitors who want to catch up, relax or read a book as they savor local snacks, meals, coffee and traditional Chinese tea. There are brunch deals in many of its restaurants and cafes with a wide variety of international cuisines. For visitors who want to try local dishes, there are noodles and dumplings amongst many other local dishes.

Shop at interesting shopfronts

Nanluoguxiang has small thrift shops and brand name stores where people can shop for a variety of interesting souvenirs.

Enjoy quality drinks in hutong cafés and bars

In Fangjia Hutong and Nanluoguxiang Hutong visitors can relax in quiet cafes and bars as they unwind and catch up in the midst of the spirit of local life enjoying locally brewed beers from Peiping Machines and extra large cocktails in stylish bars and cafes. There are live music bands and performances in some of the restaurants.

Drum and Bell Towers

Introduction

Located on the north south axis line of Beijing City on a small square north of the Forbidden City, the towers were used for telling time until 1924. They were built in 1272 during the reign of Kublai Khan and were rebuilt after two fires during the Ming and Qing dynasties. During ancient times in the Ming, Qing and Yuan Dynasties they were used to tell time but they were originally constructed for musical purposes. In the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220) people didn’t have a means of keeping time so there used to be a morning bell and a dusk drum that guided people to keep time as they lived and worked. Over time these structures became widely constructed in almost every city in China for the sole purpose of telling time. They were always conspicuous as they were humongous and very high and took the fore and aft layout opposed to the traditional right and left layout.

Legend has it that long time ago there used to be an iron bell in the tower but it was not resonant enough. So the emperor gathered all the best artisans to cast another magnificent bell but three years passed without them achieving the goal. Frustrated, the emperor beheaded the supervising eunuch and then again ordered the artisans to finish the bell within 80 days or else he would behead all of them. Days passed they worked day and night without stopping and on the last day, Hua Yan; the artisan who was in charge was told by his own daughter, Hua Xian that the furnace temperature wasn’t high enough to cast the desired bell so to save his father’s life she jumped into the smelter making the fire blaze powerfully and strongly to the point that the perfect bell was cast. To this day people remember Hua Xian as the Bell Lady to honor her lifetime sacrifice. The huge copper bell hangs at the top of Beijing Bell Tower called and is known as the King of Ancient Bells because its sound can be heard from a long distance away.

Things to do and see on a visit

Drum Tower

Standing at 47 meters high, the Drum Tower was originally built in 1272 during the reign of Kublai Khan but was later rebuilt in 1297, 1420 and 1539. Visitors can see a two-storey structure that was made of wood and on its second floor were 25 drums. One big drum and 24 other smaller drums.

The big drum symbolizes a year and the 24 small drums symbolize 24 solar terms of China. Currently, there is only the big drum that has been hit four times a day at 15 minutes intervals. Every New Years Eve, they are also beaten together 108 times to send blessings to the people of China.

In addition to seeing the humongous drum visitors can also shop for souvenirs at the many stores on the first floor of the building. Visitors can now ascend the tower to have a birds-eye view of the entire city and knock the drums in addition to watching dragon and lion dances.

Bell Tower

The bell tower is situated on Di'anmen Outer Street in Dongcheng District of Beijing at the place where the northern end of the Beijing axle line is located. It is around 100 meters north of Beijing Drum Tower and was first built in the ninth year of Zhiyuan (1272 AD) as the central court of the Wan Ning Temple in the Yuan Dynasty but was destroyed in the war.

The Drum Tower was later rebuilt in the 18th year (1420 AD) of the Ming Dynasty as a bell tower but was unfortunately destroyed again. It was then reconstructed using a brick masonry structure to prevent it from catching fire in Qianlong in the 10th year (1745 AD) of the Qing Dynasty.

The building has two floors, an arched door on all four sides on the first floor and the second floor. In addition, there are stone stairs and a stone window on each side of the four doors. On the second floor is the largest and heaviest bell in China hanging on an eight square wooden frame. The octagonal bell cot with a huge copper bell cast in it measures 7.02 meters in height, 3.4 meters in diameter and 63 tons in weight. The bell is referred to the King Bell since it was the biggest and heaviest ancient bell in ancient China and it also made the most powerful sound that could be heard from dozens of miles away. Initially, the iron bell was rung in the Yongle era but its sound wasn’t as pleasant and was later replaced by the copper bell but it remains against a wall and has been part of the collection belonging to the Ancient Bell Museum attached to the Great Bell Temple for many years. They are also two 2 meters long wooden logs hanging sidewards that are used to ring it