Guozijian Street

Guozijian Street in Beijing starts from Yonghegong Street in the east and extends to Andingmennei Street in the west, with a total length of 669 meters. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty once praised, "the capital is the area of utmost virtue, and the Guozijian is the place of utmost virtue".

Guozijian Street is home to the ancient national highest educational institution, Guozijian, and one of China's four major Confucian temples, the Temple of Confucius. It is also adjacent to the important Tibetan Buddhist temple, Yonghegong. Guozijian and the Temple of Confucius are actually integrated, with the Temple of Confucius the east and the Imperial Academy (Guozijian) in the west, embody the centralized expression of the ancient "temple on the left, school on the right" system. It exudes profound cultural charm of national studies and atmosphere of solemnity, the ancient buildings and hutong layout bear the imprints of history, old objects and traditional crafts inherit the culture of old Beijing.

Guozijian Street has a long-standing tradition of planting locust trees, with rows of locust trees lining both sides of the street, providing dense shade. The changing seasons, along with the surrounding red walls and archways, create magnificent scenery.

Guozijian Street combines the quaint and solemn atmosphere of the old city with the tranquility and ease of the hutongs. With its elegant environment, rich history, and cultural connotations, it has developed into a unique cultural scenic area in Beijing, attracting countless visitors to stop and admire.

Address: Guozijian Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Wudaoying Hutong

Wudaoying Hutong stretches from the west Andingmennei Street, and you can see the red walls of Yonghegong in the east. Wudaoying Hutong has attracted many interesting shops, including independent designer boutiques, boutique coffee shops, and charming restaurants.

These beautifully decorated small shops, along with the gray-tiled red doors, doorsteps with bicycles, birdcage pigeon whistles, and other old Beijing elements the hutong, blend traditional charm with a modern artistic atmosphere.

The space of Ruhaikou Bookstore is not large, and there are not many types of books, mainly focusing on popular titles. But as soon as you enter, there is a reading space where seven or eight people can sit. The owner not only unwraps each book but also places a projector on the cement wall and plays white noise with the sound of ocean waves through speakers.

Metal Hands is a coffee shop born in Beijing hutong in 2016 and is one of the earliest boutique coffee shops in the hutongs of Beijing.

As night falls, Wudaoying Hutong sheds the hustle and bustle of the day and reveals a calm and warm atmosphere in the darkness. Young people walking together here "start with coffee in the morning and end with alcohol in the evening", laughing and chatting. Wudaoying Hutong is telling new stories of the old hutongs in a different style.

Address: Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Translator: TANG Yingqi