Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tels to stay in and key sights scattered around too, it's the most visitor-friendly neighbour-
hood in all Běijīng and makes a great base.
Temple of Heaven Park & Dōngchéng South (
Encompassing the former district of Chóngwén, this is an area both grand - dominated by
the magnificent Temple of Heaven - and down-at-heel, a place where ordinary Beijingers
have long resided. Now, it houses some of the finest Peking duck restaurants in the capit-
al, as well as an increasing number of excellent Western eateries, and the restored shop-
ping street of Qianmen Dajie.
Northwest of the Forbidden City, Běihǎi Park and the adjacent Hòuhǎi lakes act as one big
playground for Beijingers. During the day, they are a great spot to kickback, while at night
locals carouse at the bars and restaurants that surround them. Also a temple and
hútòng
-
rich neighbourhood, the Capital Museum, Běijīng's finest, can be found here too.
With the historic shopping street of Dashilar providing a focus, and the many hostels in
the nearby
hútòng
(narrow alleyways) making it Běijīng's backpacker central, this neigh-
bourhood southwest of Tiān'ānmén Sq is both handy for the major sights and has plenty
of character. Formerly known as Xuanwu district, it's also home to the best acrobatics and
opera shows in town.
Big and brash and a key nightlife zone, with many of the most popular bars, clubs and res-
taurants clustered in the Sānlǐtún area. While Cháoyáng lacks the history of other districts,
