Night View of Shichahai (Tips & Photos)

ABC of Shichahai

Shichahai is a place where modernity meets tradition – historical hutongs and courtyards; trendy bars and restaurants. It is also a scenic area with willow lined lakes – boating in summer and skating in winter.

Shichahai is a delight to explore either on foot or by bike. You’ll need 2 or 3 hours to savour the picturesque Shichahai which is often called "Houhai" by foreign visitors.

Shichahai in different seasons or at different times of a day gives you different views and activities. Shichahai at night is most attractive with great fun – neon lights, crowded and bustling, stuffed with all way of bars, restaurants, stalls and gifts shops. It is an entertaining place to browse. In a word, Shichahai is an ideal hangout on your Beijing night tour no matter you seek for fun or try to immerse yourself into an authentic Beijing atmosphere.

Virtual Night Tour of Shichahai

Now follow me for a photo tour of Shichahai in the evening.

Shichahai can be effortlessly reached by subway 6 and you get off at the station of North Beihai (北海北) and exit B, you are just on the southern edge of Shichahai. Shichahai is a large sprawling area with many entry points. My favorite entry is Lotus Market, a 5-minute walk to the east from the station of North Beihai (北海北) of Subway Line 6.

Let’ start with Lotus Market. The present Lotus Market is a restored historical one well known for snacks with Beijing flavors and antiques. Now the market is a row of one or two-story buildings randomly connected, home to cafes, bars and restaurants. Marble handrails are built on the water sides of Houhai ( Back Lake).

This is the decorated archway ( Pailou), the south entry into the market street. The Lotus Market was named as Shichahai Tea and Bar Commercial Street by Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce in 2004.

The first building is the traditional architecture housing a Starbucks store.

The east side of the bar street is the west bank with marble handrails of the southern Houhai Lake. The brightly lit Houhai Lake looks a fairyland with water street lined lights reflected on the water.

The waterfront bar and restaurant street of Lotus Market resembles casinos with delightful neon. Most of the buildings in the bar street are two-story wooden or shikumen architectures that are lit up and colorfully decorated.

It is a pleasant stroll along the street flanked by bars or restaurants on the west side and the bank of Houhai Lake on the east side.

The two-story wooden café restaurant offers good western food.

Here you also can have Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant and Beijing local food stalls and gifts shops.

In summer and autumn, boating on Houhai or Qianhai is quite romantic with a good fun. Boating on Houhai or Qianhai.

At the end of the bar and snack street in the Lotus Market, you turn right and continue to walk along the bank of Houhai Lake, you can find more choices of bars and restaurants.

The bar has an interesting name known as Morning Wine and Night Dance.

A mutton hot-pot restaurant near Yinding Bride straddling Houhai Lake and Qianhai

The Houhai Lake here becomes narrower, close to Yinding Bridge which divides the two lakes – Houhai Lake on the east and Qianhai Lake on the west. The famous Kaorouji Restaurant has its neon-like reflection on the water.

I stand on Yinding Bridge, looking at Qianhai Lake flanked by all way of bars on both banks of Qianhai Lake.

Yandai Xiejie ( or Yandai Byway 烟袋斜街) is one of such old commercial streets that showcase Beijing’s past. Yandai Byway was originally formed in Yuan Dynasty (1271 – 1368) and further developed and reached its height in late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Yandai, literally “Smoking Pipes”, was once lined up with many shops selling smoking pipes, hence the name of Yandai.

Tip:  Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

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