XICHENG - Living Abroad in Beijing - page 419

countries across its southern border. For a good example of the cuisine, grab a table at South
Silk Road ( 茶马古道 , Unit 12-13, 19 Shichahai Qianhai Xiyan, 什刹海前海西沿甲19号
12-13室 , tel. [phone]), situated slightly west of Qianhai (southern part of Houhai)
and a short walk from Beihai North subway station (exit B).
If you're on Financial Street, one particular highlight is Cépe. Located in the Ritz-
Carlton Financial Street (1 Jinchengfang Dongjie, 金城坊东街1号丽思卡尔顿酒店 , tel.
10/6601-6666), it crafts superb, delicate Italian food.
Don't forget Niu Jie down south. This Muslim neighborhood is food proud, and when
people aren't here to pray at the mosque, they're here to eat in one of the many street-side
restaurants. Look for the crowd and follow.
Places of Interest
Maliandao is Beijing's hot spot for tea. This ancient street has historic trade stories that have
developed into what is today a street lined with small, large, and multistory tea purveyors.
It is a bit of a tourist destination, but if you're in this neck of the woods it's a convenient but
perhaps overwhelming place to get a simple cup of tea. To get here, take Line 9 to Beijing
West Railway Station (exit B), then after exiting the south gate of the station, head east
along Guang'an Lu. For other culinary adventures, wander the hútòng around Dashilan, just
off Qianmen Jie. The section right next to Qianmen Jie is irksomely touristy and kitsch, but
go deeper into the hútòng and explore the many too-narrow-for-cars alleyways. There are
some interesting galleries and cafés tucked back here.
Xicheng district is also home to several important theaters. These include the stunning
National Center for the Performing Arts ( www.chncpa.org ), on the west side of Tian'anmen
Square; and the Meilanfang Grand Theatre, situated beside Chegongzhuang subway station
(Line 2, exit C). The National Center for the Performing Arts is an iconic piece of archi-
tecture in the city, designed by French architect Paul Andreu, and nicknamed “The Egg”
or “The Alien Egg.” It hosts both local and international performances, such as ballet, or-
chestral music, and Western opera. Meilanfang Grand Theatre is the place to come for some
authentic Beijing opera. You can find out more about each venue and buy tickets from ht-
tp://theatrebeijing.com , which will deliver tickets to your door and accept cash upon deliv-
ery.
Then, for something of a more educational nature, visit the Capital Museum
( www.capitalmuseum.org.cn ) on occasion to see the elegant and contemporary displays