Huguosi and Baitasi: Xiaochi and Stories in Xicheng
The hutong areas around Gulou are well documented, but fewer people venture slightly further to the area west of Shichahai. Spiraling out from Ping’anli and Xisi subway stations, this area holds one of the best attractions for budding Beijing foodies – Huguosi. Think of it as the Nanluogu Xiang of food, but without the flag-toting tour groups.
AN EDIFYING START
Start your journey at Prince Gong’s Mansion – you’ll want to get there either early or late in the day to avoid the tour groups. The largest extant courtyard in the world, many consider Prince Gong’s crash pad to be better preserved than the Forbidden City. It also houses the city’s only fully preserved Qing Dynasty opera house, where if you’re lucky, you can catch a traditional performance.
Head west from Prince Gong’s Mansion to the Former Residence of Mei Lanfang at the eastern entrance to Huguosi Jie. Often cited as the greatest Peking Opera singer of the 20th century, Mei Lanfang’s home has been lovingly preserved as a mini museum complete with costumes and recordings of his premier performances.
SOURCING SUSTENANCE
Let’s be real though, the reason you’re in this area is for the epicurean delights offered along Huguosi Jie. Start your culinary journey at Huguosi Xiaochidian, where you can jostle shoulders with the crowd to sample some of Beijing’s hearty local snacks such as miancha (millet porridge topped with sesame paste) or wandoughuang (a slightly-sweet cake made of peas). The snacks on offer here haven’t changed much since the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Not every dish on offer along Huguosi hails from northern China. Head to incredibly popular Xiaoluohao (1,666 Dianping reviews and counting) for a bowl of luosifen (river snail rice noodles), a signature dish of Lizhou in Guangxi. The rice noodles are served in highly spiced broth made from river snails and pork bones.
Travel back to northern China with a basket of the Hebei specialty xiedi huoshao, so called because the baked huoshao buns are shaped like the sole of a shoe (xiedi). Baoguang Xunrou Xiedi Huoshao netted themselves a spot on BTV’s popular food show for their supremely crisp buns, stuffed with juicy smoked pork hock.
LIBATIONS
Time to help digest all that food with a spot of booze. Head to the innocuous Huguo Xintiandi, where you will find one of Beijing’s lesser known brewpubs, NBeer. Popular with students from the nearby universities, NBeer has beers from local brewers on tap, as well as rare imported bottles.
A MOMENT OF CONTEMPLATION
If you’re still on your feet after NBeer, head south towards Xisi then west along Fuchengmen Neidajie to reach Baitasi, or White Dagoba Temple. The temple’s eponymous dagoba is one of only two in Beijing (the other being in Beihai Park) and is in fact the oldest, completed in 1279 by Kublai Khan. The grounds of the temple itself are quite small, but the hutongs around it now offer some interesting diversions, since the area was named one of the core Design Hop areas for this year’s Beijing Design Week (until Oct 7). For example, head to 22 Gongmenkou Sitiao to visit Vector Architects’ project, the Hybrid Courtyard, the renovated space blending old and new, both in terms of lifestyle function and construction materials.
A few hutongs over, the Lu Xun Museum is a modern building that also encompasses the writer’s former courtyard home. Stop by the small bookshop by the entrance to pick up some of his works in English translation.
LAST MEAL OF THE DAY
Head back to Xisi Beidajie, where – if you still have any appetite left – you will find Guxiang Jiujia, a restaurant specializing in North Korean-style cold noodles from the city of Yanji in Jilin Province. The slippery buckwheat noodles in chilled sweet-savory broth are the perfect dish to see out the end of summer. There is a more famous restaurant specializing in this dish just up the street, but locals will tell you that Guxiang is just as good, but without the queues.
RETAIL THERAPY
If you’ve got your walking shoes on, head south until you reach the intersection of Lingjing Hutong and Xidan Beidajie (alternatively, hop on line 4 to Lingjing Hutong), where you will find Galeries Lafayette. This French temple to consumerism recently saw the opening of a concession of popular British high street brand, Topshop. Heat up that plastic for a while before you hop on the subway home.
DIRECTORY
Prince Gong’s Mansion
RMB 40. Daily 8am-5pm (Apr 1-Oct 30), 9am-4pm (Nov 1-Mar 31). 17 Qianhai Xijie, Xicheng District (8328 8149)
恭王府：西城区前海西街17号
Former Residence of Mei Lanfang
RMB 10. Tue-Sun 9am-4pm. 9 Huguosi Jie, Xicheng District (8322 3598)
梅兰芳纪念馆：西城区护国寺街 9号
Huguosi Xiaochidian
Daily 5.30am-9pm. 93 Huguosi Dajie, Xicheng District (6618 1705)
护国寺小吃店：西城区护国寺大 街93号
Xiaoluohao Liuzhou Luosifen
Daily 11am-9pm. 55 Huguosi Jie, Xicheng District (136 0113 7718)
小螺号柳州螺蛳粉：西城区护国 寺街55号
Baoguang Xunrou Xiedi Huoshao
Daily 10am-11pm. 65 Huguosi Jie, Xicheng District (134 6667 5528)
宝光熏肉鞋底火烧：西城区护国寺接65号
NBeer Pub
Tue-Sun 3pm-late. 1/F, Huguo Xintiandi, 85 Huguosi Dajie, Xicheng District (8328 8823)
牛啤堂：西城区护国寺大街85号护国新天地1层
White Dagoba Temple
RMB 20. Tue-Sun 9am-4.30pm. 171 Fuchengmen Neidajie, Xicheng District (6616 0211)
白塔寺：西城区阜成门内大街171号
Lu Xun Museum
Free. Tue - Sun 9am-4pm. 19 Gongmenkou Ertiao, Xicheng District (6616 4080)
鲁迅博物馆：西城区宫门口二条19号
Guxiang Jiujia
59 Xisi Beidajie, Xicheng District (66162183)
故乡酒家：西城区西四北大街59号
Galeries Lafayette
Daily 10am-10pm. 110 Xidan Beidajie, Xicheng District (5962 9888)
老佛爷百货：西城区西单北大街110号
Photos: Darryl Snow (Flickr) (Prince Gong's Mansion), courtesy of Beijing Design Week (Baitasi)
