Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you decide to locate to Xidan, things will be convenient, but it is unlikely you'll
feel particularly at peace. On weekends the streets and malls can become overwhelmingly
crammed with shoppers—even more so during sale periods—and in the morning, should
you need to use Line 1, you'll be schooled on how crowded the city really is. The good
thing is that you'll be just a short bicycle ride from Beihai, Jinshan, and Zhongshan Parks.
Housing
There are a lot of local apartments around Xidan, catering to the younger population. Expect
to pay around RMB3,000-5,000 for a one-bedroom apartment and RMB7,000-12,000 for a
two-bedroom apartment. For high-end luxury apartments, check out Cabinet Mansion (
地 西绒线26号 ), but be prepared to pay anything upward of RMB25,000 per month.
Expat Resources
RELIGIOUS SERVICES
Xicheng is home to some of the most important places of worship. Buddhism and Taoism
are represented, but so are Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism. In fact, the administrative
offices of Buddhism, Taoism, and Catholicism are located here.
Catholics can attend services (Chinese) at West Church, also called Xizhimen Church
( 西宣门天主堂 , 130 Xizhimennei Dajie, 西宣门内大街 130 , Xinjiekou subway, Line
4, exit D, tel. 10/6653-7629, http://blog.sina.com.cn/westchurch ). This is the newest of
Beijing's four big Catholic churches (South, North, West, and East). Xuanwumen Church,
also known as South Church or Nantang ( 宣武门天主堂 , 141 Qianmen Xidajie, Xuanwu-
mennei, 宣武门内大街前门西大街141号 , tel. 10/6602-6538) is the oldest Catholic church
in Beijing, and was established in the 16th century by Matteo Ricci, Jesuit missionary to
China. It's a pretty building worth a visit, and has been listed for national protection. Ser-
vices are in Chinese, Italian, and English (Sundays at 10:30am and 3pm).
The Church of Our Saviour, also known as Beitang, North Church, or Xishiku Tang
( 西什库天主教堂 , 33 Xishiku Dajie, 西什库大街33号 , tel. 10/6617-5198) is the largest
Catholic church in Beijing and is known for its grand gothic architecture (Chinese-language
services only).
Christians can attend Gangwashi Church ( 北京基督教会缸瓦市堂 , 57 Xisi Nandajie,
西四南大街57号 , tel. 10/6617-6181, www.gwshcc.org ) . The church was built in the 1860s
by the London Missionary Society, but in 1900, it was burned down during the Boxer Re-
 
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