Night View of Qianmen Street in Beijing

Both Wangfujing and Qianmen are a great place for people watch, experiencing Chinese culture and atmosphere. Strolling along the streets in the evening is a pleasant familiarization and sightseeing walk, getting closer to the local people and culture and having your eyes satisfied with the multi-colored streets.

The Arrow Tower stands between Tiananmen Square and Qianmen Street. I snap a photo of the Arrow Tower on its south side.

The northern end of Qianmen Street with a decorated archway

Behind the massive tower “Arrow Tower”, I continue to walk south through the Pailou (decorated archway) and turn back , facing the north with a beautiful view of Arrow Tower and the Decorated Archway (Pailou).

Walking along Qianmen Street lined with many boutiques . Walking in the middle of Qianmen Street.

The time-honored photo studio known as Dabei Photo Studio.

A cluster of Chinese time-honored stores

A pleasant stroll along the axis of Qianmen Street

Qianmen Quanjude Beijing Duck Restaurant

Dashilan is a famous commercial alley the branches off Qianmen Street. The Dashilan area has gathered some of China’s oldest brands, such as Tongrentang (TCM), Neiliansheng (shoes), and Ruifuxiang (silk and fabrics).

Dashilan is a famous commercial alley the branches off Qianmen Street

European-style buildings can be found on Qianmen Street.

The alley across Dashilan is known as Beijing Old Brand Food Restaurants

Walk into the time-honored restaurant street

Back to  the main Qianmen Street,  continue to stroll along Qianmen Street

KFC

Add-on

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for Beijing guided tours:

Further Readings

Chinese version of the travel guide: