Side Street Beijing: Escape from the Over-Crowded Tourist Destinations

On the second journey through the streets of Beijing, I was determined to find sites that weren't packed with tourists and souvenir touts. More tourists are flocking to China's capital city every year for a glimpse of the history, but it's exhausting jostling for position at the hot tourist destinations. Sometimes, travelers just need to get out of the road and find a decent hutong street on which to relax and enjoy the Middle Kingdom.

A while back, my parents mailed a short magazine article to me. This particular article was about side streets in Beijing--I found it just before traveling to Beijing to meet my parents and brother. I took it along in the hopes that the destinations were better than the usual tourist fare.

I studied my map and found that Nan Luoguxiang was not too far from the Drum and Bell Towers--it turned out to be about a 15-minute walk east along the main street. It sounded like there was enough to check out for the afternoon--it was either try this or find a taxi to somewhere else. We were pleasantly surprised.

Nan Luoguxiang is a quiet hutong neighborhood in the process of remodeling that is home to quite a few small bars, restaurants, and arts shops that are difficult to find elsewhere in the city. Our first stop was a small foot massage parlor (38RMB for one hour) for my mom and brother take up the two available spots.

My father and I walked along the street to find a snack and settled on the Pass By Restuarant. There are two along the street and we chose the one further from the main road. They actually served spring rolls (anyone who lives in China knows that these are a rarity). There's also a great "hutong pizza," which is cheese covering spicy chunks of barbecued lamb. This is one of the more expensive restaurants in the area, but well worth the money for its quality and atmosphere. It's a great place to have a drink and a snack while reading a book from its numerous shelves--they have worldwide travel guides as well as a selection of more entertaining works.

The artistic shops along the alley have quite a few unique items. There are a couple of really nice T-shirt shops, but the prices are set and they are in the range of what you'd expect to pay in the U.S. My favorite shop was Grifted. They had some amusing shirts and other items. I ended up with a waving, cartoonish Chairman Mao doll. They also had a shirt with a cartoon Chinese guy, shirtless with a beer and yelling "Ni hao!" Next to the shop was a small photo gallery chronicling the progress of reconstructing the neighborhood--the photos were beautiful, as are the reconstructed hutong.

On a few nights we stopped in the bars. These places are mostly small and quiet--a perfect alternative to the noise and crowds of Houhai. We found the newly-opened Catcher in the Rye and we were the only customers. For those seeking a cheap night out, there's always the 10 RMB Bar--and there are others that have similar prices. Most bars have a decent selection of imported beers for travelers who are tired of Tsingtao (it was really nice to have a Newcastle). All have English-speaking staff for the tourists who are lacking Mandarin skills.

At the moment, this narrow hutong street is fairly unknown to tourists, although it is getting more press and will probably be quite crowded by the time the Olympics arrive. So far, there is no Starbucks located there, but you can buy coffee at the restaurants and bars. After two trips through Beijing, I have to say that this is my favorite part of the city.