Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Extensive reconstruction has stolen
some of the character from the area,
and seen prices rise. Still relatively
cheap, though.
Backpacker Central. Great choice of hostels;
some historic. Hútòng vibe is still strong
around Dashilar.
Dashilar & Xīchéng
South
Area lacks character and any historical
narrative.
Sānlǐtún & Cháoyáng
Great for shopping, eating and nightlife.
Summer Palace &
Hǎidiàn
Less touristy.
Out of the way.
Forbidden City & Dōngchéng Central
|COURTYARD HOTEL
RED CAPITAL RESIDENCE$$$
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8403 5308; www.redcapitalclub.com.cn ; 9 Dongsi Liutiao, s/d ¥1150/1500;
( Xīnhóngzī Kèzhàn;
;
Zhangzizhonglu) Dressed up with Liberation-era artefacts and established in a gorgeous
Qing-dynasty courtyard, this tiny but unique guesthouse - owned by American activist
and author Laurence Brahm - offers a heady dose of nostalgia for a vanished age. Make
your choice from four rooms decked out with paraphernalia that wouldn't look out of
place in a museum: the Chairman's Residence, the two Concubine Suites or the single
Author's Suite. Rooms and bathrooms are small, but beautifully decorated. What makes
this place truly unique, though, is the cigar bar: it's housed in an underground bomb shel-
ter below the courtyard, where guests are pampered with wine, cigars and, if they like,
propaganda films projected onto a pull-down screen. The shelter is reputed to have been
excavated by order of Vice-Chairman Lin Biao. There's no sign on the hotel's front door,
just a number. Booking is recommended, especially at weekends. Red Capital also oper-
ates a wonderfully rustic hotel (p ) by the Great Wall.
CITY WALLS COURTYARD$$
|HÚTÒNG HOSTEL
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( Chéngqiáng Lǚshè; 6402 7805; www.beijingcitywalls.com ; 57 Nianzi Hutong, 8-/4-bed dorm ¥100/120, d ¥420;
; Nanluoguxiang) Expensive for a hostel, and staff could smile more often, but
this is still an attractive choice because of its peaceful courtyard atmosphere and fabulous
hútòng location - authentically hidden away in one of the city's most historic areas. The
maze of alleyways can be disorientating: from Jingshan Houjie, look for the hútòng open-
ing just east of Jǐngshān Table Tennis Park. Walk up the hútòng and follow it around to
the right and then left; the hostel is on the left-hand side.
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