Visiting a 300-year old courtyard and experiencing a minutes’ rickshaw drive through the zigzag and narrow alleys or hutongs will surely make an authentic Beijing life for tourists.

You also expect standing on the Silver Ingot Bridge ( Yinding Bridge ), a narrow channel joining Qianhai Lake and the Houhai Lake, the hub of Shichahai area with surrounding quiet hutongs, and then wandering along the Yandaixiejie ( Tobacco Pipe Lean Street ), a quaint 800-year-old hutong.

Ascending the 67-meter high and two-storey Drum Tower dating from the year 1420 is sure to bring you back to the old Beijing by seeing the big drum tower and having bird's-eye view of the surrounding communities of hutongs and siheyuan - existing traditional courtyards in Beijing.