Day & Night Around Xixinglong Jie
This area, situated between Qianmen Pedestrian Street and Dashilar, is home to small eateries, cafes and shops that blend with repurposed historical blocks and buildings. It’s as much a place to relax as it is a place to get a feel for Beijing’s history.
Sanlihe Park
Begin your exploration from Sanlihe Park, a small park just south of Xinlong Jie that’s just big enough for a morning stroll, with a path that leads along a small waterway winding deep into the nearby neighborhoods.
Sanlihe Park 三里河公园
50m east of Nanlucaoyuan Hutong and Qunzhi Hutong intersection, Dongcheng District
东城区南芦草园胡同与群智胡同交叉口东50米
Hours: Open 24/7
Art-Filled Coffee Shops
Just east of the park, there’s a branch of Voyage Coffee. This larger store houses extensive book and art print collections, although there weren’t many English books when we last visited. The good news is there’s a nice grassy sitting area by the water, which makes for a nice spot to enjoy a coffee.
Back on Xinglong Jie proper, there are two coffee shops of note: Wei Shui, a tiny shop serving coffee made from beans grown near Beijing, and a branch of Fusan Coffee x Little Red Sandwiches.
While Fushan is more notable for its wanghong-friendly interior of blue wooden beams rising to the ceiling like a forest, for the best coffee and fewest crowds, we prefer Wei Shui. For something a bit more on the fancy side, there’s Maple Lounge, which serves English afternoon tea with savory and sweet treats inside the Mandarin Oriental Beijing Qianmen.
Voyage Coffee (Sanlihe Park branch)
1/F, Bldg 3, 19 Changxiang Wutiao, Dongcheng District
东城区长巷五条19号3幢1层
Hours: Daily, 10am-6pm
Contact: 131 2650 0068
Wei Shui 為水
85 Xixinglong Jie, Dongcheng District
东城区西兴隆街85号
Hours: Mon-Thu, Sat-Sun 10am-8.30pm; Fri, 10am-6pm
Contact: 153 7521 2126
Fusan Coffee x Little Red Sandwiches 福叁咖啡&小红帽三明治
130 Xixinglong Jie, Dongcheng District
东城区西兴隆街130号
Hours: Daily, 10am-8pm
Contact: 185 1850 0159
Maple Lounge 枫香廊
1 Caochang Shitiao, Dongcheng District
东城区草厂十条1号
Hours: Daily, 10am-7pm
Contact: 010 8592 8899
A Bit of History
The area is also home to two small but significant museums: the Central Gift and Cultural Artifacts Center and the First Historical Archives of China. The former showcases gifts presented to China by diplomats and world leaders during diplomatic exchanges and visits, and the latter acts as an extension of the Palace Museum, with historical documents on display.
Both are free entry, but you’ll need to go to their respective WeChat accounts to register for a visit with a Chinese phone number and real ID.
Central Gift and Cultural Artifacts Center 中央礼品文物管理中心
1 Xixinglong Jie, Dongcheng District
东城区西兴隆街1号
Hours: Tue-Sun, 9am-5pm (last entry 4pm)
Contact: 010 5562 6345
First Historical Archives of China 中国第一历史档案馆
9 Qinian Jie, Dongcheng District
东城区祈年街9号
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8.30am-4pm
Grabbing a Bite
Back at Fusan x Little Red Sandwiches, you can find a menu of inventive Italian sandwiches, many of which are named after characters from Little Red Riding Hood. If sandwiches aren’t your thing, there are plenty of spots for traditional Beijing snacks, including hot pot, chuanr, and noodles.
Fancy Nightcaps
Finally, if you’re still around Xinglong Jie come late afternoon or evening, there are a few nearby cocktail bars worth a visit. One of these is Tiao, the house bar of the Mandarin Oriental Beijing Qianmen, where drinks pull inspiration from Chinese history and myth. Just down the street to the east, there’s also Drinker, a cafe by day and bar by night with cocktails, wine and spirits.
Tiao 十条
40 Xixinglong Jie, Dongcheng District
东城区西兴隆街40号
Hours: Sun-Thu, 6pm-1am; Fri-Sat, 6pm-2am
Drinker
44 Xixinglong Jie, Dongcheng District
东城区西兴隆街44号
Hours: Mon-Thu, 10am-10pm; Fri-Sun, 10am-midnight
READ: Day & Night Around 798 Arts District
Images: Vincent R. Vinci, Uni You, Dianping, courtesy of the venues
