As the capital of China and one of the ancient capitals, Beijing enjoys a profound history and culture. In addition to the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and other classic relics, there are many old streets in Beijing that are worth a visit.
1.Yangmeizhu Xiejie
Yangmeizhu Xiejie is one of the best hutongs to visit in Beijing. It is not only a collection of colorful traditional cultural skills, but also has a strong flavor of old Beijing fireworks. Yangmeizhu Xiejie starts from Meishi Street in the east and ends at Yanshou Street in the west. It was called "Slanting Street"(Xiejie) in the Ming Dynasty because it slanted from northeast to southwest. Later, it was renamed Yangmeizhu Xiejie during the Guangxu period in the Qing Dynasty.
Yangmeizhu Xiejie is a small literary street that you can't miss when strolling around the South City. Here you can find exquisite stores such as Model Bookstore, Suzuki Canteen, independent coffee shop Soloist Coffee Co, and Beijing Postcards with creative design. The narrow hutongs hide poems and remote paradise and store the whimsical ideas of handicraft artisans. The creepers wind through the mottled white walls, outlining the early summer dreams of the literary youth.
2. Liulichang Cultural Street
The famous Liulichang Cultural Street in Beijing is located at Hepingmenwai in Beijing. It extends from Nanbei Liuxiang Alley in Xicheng District to Yanshou Street in Xicheng District in the east, with a total length of about 800 meters.
During the Qing Dynasty, most of the scholars from all over the country who came to Beijing to take the imperial examinations lived in this area. Therefore, there are many stores selling ink, paper and ink stone and various books, making the cultural atmosphere quite strong. During weekdays, Liulichang Street is very quiet without the noisy hustle and bustle. Walking on the street, the fragrance of ink fills the air and makes people refreshing.
On Liulichang Culture Street, the famous old stores are worth a visit, such as Yide Ge, Ruicheng Zhai, GuYI Zhai and so on. Among them, the most famous is Rongbao Zhai. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, literati and inkmen often gathered here. During the Republic of China, the old generation of calligraphers and painters such as Yu Youren, Zhang Daqian, Wu Changshuo, Qi Baishi and so on were also regular customers here.
Liulichang is regarded as the window of Chinese traditional culture and has the reputation of "Chinese Museum Street". Some scholars even call the bookstores dealing with antique books and magazines and stores selling literary treasures here "cheap libraries" and "free museums".
3. Yandai Xiejie
Yandai Xiejie, located in the northeast of Qianhai in Shichahai, is an old commercial street. It starts from Di'anmenwai Street in the east, west to Xiaoshibei Hutong and Ya'er Hutong, north to Dashibei Hutong, and south to Qianhai North. It runs from northeast to southwest, with a total length of 232 meters. In the Qing Dynasty, the street was a high-end commercial area where the common people would not enter. After the Xinhai Revolution, the princes and nobles living near Shichahai sold their antiques and paintings here.
If you come to visit, while tasting the food along the street and enjoying the special handicrafts, you must come to visit the "Qing Dynasty Post Office", which is known as the most beautiful central post office. In 1896, the Guangxu Emperor of the Qing Dynasty founded the Qing Dynasty Post Office. Only then did China have its own postal system. Nowadays, this place has become a "Internet-popular post office". If you are a postmark lover, then this place will be your paradise!
Walk from east to west to the end of Yanbag Xiejie, then go south and you will arrive at Yinding Bridge at Houhai. On a clear day, you can stand on the bridge and view the Xishan Mountain from afar. This is one of the famous eight scenic spots in Yanjing, "Yinding Guanshan".
