One day I went to Beijing Oriental Cultural Hotel to see Mr. Yang Yingwei, one of my hotel friends. He now worked as deputy general manager of the hotel. He told me that this hotel was well located with Guijie ( Ghost Street ) to its east and Nanluoguxiang to its west. I were quite familiar with Guijiie - Beijing's most famous gourmet street. But I knew nothing about Nanluoguxiang! He was surprised that I as a trip advisor and tour company manager, even didn't know Nanluogu Lane. He said that the lane or hutong has a history of over 700 years dating back to Yuan Dyansty in 13th and 14th century. Running from north to south, this lane is about 800 meters long with 16 hutongs - 8 hutongs on each side of the lane. The lane is now famous for the cafes and bars and clothing and handcraft shops that line its hutong laneways as well as its traditional hutong and courtyards (siheyuan). It is another bar area besides Houhai Bar street, Workers¡¯Stadium and Sanlitun bar street. Nanluoguxiang is a perfect blend of past and present. This street is more famous oversea than at home! It is much quieter with reasonable prices.
The tempertation to see Nanluoguxiang was soo great that last week I went to Nanluoguxiang for two times - daytime and nighttime. Personally like nighttime more than daytime Nanluoguxiang. Nanluoguxiang is located between Gulou Dongajie (Drum Tower East Street ) at its north and Dianmen on Ping' an Dajie at its south.
The north starting point of Nanluoguxiang is just next to No. 108-2 Gulou Dongdajie ( East Drum Tower Street )
Local Time - the first bar from its north tip of Nanluoguxiang
The 800 meters ancient lane, a wide, clean and tranquil lane lined by gray brick walls
This courtyard in this lane is the former residence of imperial officials. Beside the two sides of the stone steps in front of the large, high main gate, there stand two stone lions on two large blocks of stone. These were signs of high social status families during feudal times. The two stone lions were brought to safeguard a whole family and to symbolize their social status, while the two large blocks of stone were built to help dignitaries mount and dismount horses.
