Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Start at the Di'anmenwai Dajie end of
Yandai Xiejie
, pedalling slowly past
namechop
(carved name seal)
vendors, Tibetan silver trinket sellers, bars and cafes. Go straight on at the end of the street and you reach
Ya'er Hutong
. Cycle down it, where you'll find the Buddhist
Guanghua Temple
, which dates from the
far-off Yuan dynasty. At the end of the
hútòng,
turn left into a narrow alley which will take you to Houhai Beiy-
an. Turn right again and almost immediately you'll pass
Dazanglonghua Temple
, built in 1719 and now a
kindergarten.
Push on along Houhai Beiyan, passing the
Song Qingliang Former Residence
, once occupied by royalty.
Turn left onto Houhai Xiyan and after 200m turn right onto an alley that connects with Deshengmennei Dajie.
Go across that street and down the alley opposite, which leads you to
Xīhǎi Lake
, the smallest of the three
Hòuhǎi lakes but the most popular with local anglers. Circle the lake anticlockwise and return to Deshengmen-
nei Dajie. Turn right and head down it for 200m and then turn left into
Yangfang Hutong
, home to many
bars and restaurants. Follow the
hútòng
to the right and enter Liuyin Jie, which leads down to
Prince
Gong's Residence
, which will be on your left.
Bear left at the end of Liuyin Jie and go onto Qianhai Xijie, which will take you to Qianhai Beiyan, the west
shore of Qiánhǎi Lake. Hug the lakeshore until you reach the sharply humped
Silver Ingot Bridge
. Cross
the bridge and turn sharp right. Carry along the east shore of Qiánhǎi, passing the quaint
Yinding Bridge
on your left, until you reach Di'anmen Xidajie.
