Three must-go hutongs, insight into old Beijing

Wudaoying. [Photo/People's Daily Online]

Wudaoying

In Beijing, Wudaoying hutong begins to garner the attention of locals and foreigners alike with its cultural connation, old Beijing architecture and an array of shops, boutiques, cafes, and nightlife hotspots. Give yourself half a day to explore Wudaoying. Any day of the week will be a good time to visit except Monday, when some of the shops are closed.

With the same cozy atmosphere as NLGX, but without crowds, Wudaoying Alley is a good choice to go for a drink or couple walking on a midsummer night. Many older generation Beijing locals still live in the hutong, and it makes the environment especially likable and authentic.

Wudaoying Alllay, in some people’s view, is a ten-years ago version of Houhai and Nanluoguxiang. With enough cultural atmosphere, convenient traffic, all kinds of restaurants, curio shops, it is a good place to escape.

Located near such famous scenic spots such as the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Confucian Temple, Imperial College, and more notably the Yonghe Lama Temple, it is surprising that the hutong has taken so long to develop into a center of commerce. With such growth though, we can only hope that it remains that way and continues to be a unique hutong in Dongcheng district of Beijing.

Bus lines: 119, 125, 206 night , 407, 426 , 430 , 558 , 909 , BRT-3, get off at Andingmen stop.

Subway lines: Subway Line 2 Yonghegong station or Andingmen station then walk to Wudaoying.

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