Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Sanlitun and around
三里屯 , sānlǐtún
The most famous nightlife district in Beijing, if not all China, Sanlitun has come a long
way since its first few bars opened up on “Bar Street”- still a popular name in both English
and Chinese ( 酒吧街 , jiŭbā jiē) for Sanlitun Lu, the north-south road that bisects the area.
Many said bars are, amazingly, still there, their dated live-music sessions almost laughable
in comparison with the area's relentless, forward-looking energy - Sanlitun is now full to the
brim with fancy boutiques and shopping malls , a wonderfully cosmopolitan array of excel-
lent cafés and restaurants and some of Beijing's trendiest bars . For all this, there are virtually
no tourist sights in the area - nearby Dongyue Temple and the bronze treasures in the Poly
Art Museum are the only real exception.
The Sanlitun area is centred on Tai Koo Li ( 太古里 , tàigŭlĭ), a visually splendid mix of
upper-class shops, bars and restaurants formally known as “The Village”, and still often
referred to as such. To the southwest is the Workers' Stadium ( 工人体育场 , gōngrén
tĭyùchǎng), colloquially known to Beijingers by the abbreviated term “Gongti”, and itself sur-
rounded by bars and clubs.
Poly Art Museum
保利大厦 , bǎolì dàshà • Poly Plaza, Dongzhimen Nandajie • Mon-Sat 9.30am-4.30pm • 50 •
010
65008117, en.polypm.com.cn/english/bwge.php • Dongsishitiao subway (line 2)
Within the Poly Plaza , a boring-looking office block, lies a small museum that has one of
the most select collections of antiquities in the capital. In the hall of ancient bronzes you'll
find four of the twelve bronze animals that were looted from the old Summer Palace (see
Yuanmingyuan ) ; the pig, tiger, ox and monkey were bought in the West by patriotic business-
 
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