Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
soul. Despite this, even those who detest the place find themselves brought here from time
to time to dine, drink, or attend an event. And in a city where everything is so spread out, it
is perhaps the one place in town where bar-hopping doesn't become an endurance sport.
There are several sections of Sanlitun worth familiarizing yourself with. The place
that has become synonymous with Sanlitun itself is Taikoo Li Sanlitun
(
www.taikoolisanlitun.com
)
, a Swire property that is home to a multitude of shops and res-
taurants, a cinema, a supermarket, and Beijing's flagship Apple store. On the same block
and just behind this you'll find Nali Patio, a building that is dedicated to both independent
clothing boutiques and bars and restaurants; the 3.3 shopping mall, the former landmark
of Sanlitun before Taikoo Li Sanlitun came along and stole the title; the Opposite House;
and Taikoo Li Sanlitun North. Not to be forgotten is Sanlitun Houjie (Sanlitun Back Street),
which runs immediately behind 3.3 and another complex called Tongli Studios. This street
is a cacophonous clash of street vendors, drunken clubbers, hawkers, shoppers, and tour-
ists. You'll find some of the best dives of backpacker bars here as well as pirate DVD shops
selling everything that's still on the big screen, tattoo shops, and noodle bars. It is the hu-
man hot pot of Beijing.
Prior to the Beijing Olympics in 2008 none of the high-rises here existed. It was a dark,
seedy-looking location that felt more like a red-light district. Today, vestiges of those days
still cling to the back of Taikoo Li Sanlitun, but for the most part it's a bustling, youthful
place, jam-packed with all levels of shopping, eating, and entertainment.
Diagonally across from Taikoo Li Sanlitun is a place that rarely gets given a clear name.
On paper it's Courtyard 4, Nansanlitun Lu, but most people end up saying “near the Book-
worm,” referring to the café situated at the entrance to the whole area, or by whichever ven-
ue they find most identifying about the place. Enter from either Gongti Beilu or the top of
Nansanlitun Lu, and you discover a warren of bars and restaurants, together with another
restaurant complex, Hidden City 1949, which sits directly behind Pacific Century Plaza.
