Page 28 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Beijing

26 ❯❯ Top 10 Beijing Highlights

Hou Hai

The area around the joined lakes of Qian Hai and Hou Hai has
traditionally been home to nobles and wealthy merchants. Several
grand homes survive, hidden in the labyrinthine old lanes known
as hutongs. This is a rare quarter of Beijing where the 21st century
is kept at bay, and these back alleys represent one of the most
satisfying parts of the city to explore on foot – or by rickshaw.
Boating and skating
1
In summer the lakes are filled with small pedal
boats. By mid-December, they are frozen over (below)
and a large area is cordoned off for ice-skating.

Former
Silver Ingot
2 3
Residence of
Bridge
The narrow channel Guo Moruo
that connects Hou Hai’s Beijing’s many “former
two lakes is spanned residences of” are
by the pretty, arched mostly connected with
Silver Ingot Bridge, Party favorites. Moruo
Hutongs
which dates from was an author and key 4
the time of the Yuan figure in the rise of The lakes (above)
dynasty (1279–1368). Communism in China. lie at the heart of a
sprawling old district,
NEED TO KNOW Song Qingling’s Residence: characterized by
traditional alleyways
MAP D2 • Subway: 6404 4205; open 9am– known as hutongs. These
Shicha Hai, Jishuitan 4:30pm Tue–Sun; alleys are lined for the
admission ¥20
Mansion of Prince Gong: most part by the blank
8328 8149; open Apr–Oct: • Visit Hou Hai by day outer walls of siheyuan,
8am–5pm daily; Nov–Mar: to explore the hutongs which are inward-looking
9am–4pm daily; adm ¥40 and historic residences, houses arranged around
or ¥70 with tour guide, tea but come back later to a central courtyard.
and snack tasting, and dine and see the lake
Drum and Bell
traditional opera perfor­ 5
mance (call ahead for glimmering with the Towers
times); www.pgm.org.cn flotilla of tea-candles Just north of the eastern
that are floated out on
Former Residence of Guo the water each evening. end of Yandai Xie Jie,
Moruo: 6612 5984; open these two imposing
9am–4.30pm Tue–Sun; • The Hou Hai area towers once marked the
closed Dec 25 until 5th has several excellent northernmost limits of
day of Chinese New restaurants and bars the city. You can ascend
Year; adm ¥20 (see pp84–5). the towers for views of
Hou Hai and beyond.
Eyewitness Travel – Top 10 series LAYERS PRINTED:
Three-column, 8.25pt grid “UK” LAYER
(SourceReport v1.5)
026-027_Top_10_Beijing.indd 26 27/06/2017 14:32
Date 12th May 2015
Size 100mm x 191mm