A small tour boat on a willow-lined channel at Shichahai, with white stone balustrades and strolling visitors on both banks

City · Xicheng District, Beijing

Hutongs & Shichahai

Old Beijing lanes and courtyard homes around the three lakes of Qianhai, Houhai and Xihai (什刹海)

Ambient sound · similar settingSummer cicada chorus in Chinese hill woodland

Photo: Willem Chan (@willem_c) / Unsplash

Discover Hutongs & Shichahai

Shichahai is where Beijing slows down. Three linked lakes, Qianhai, Houhai and Xihai, are ringed with weeping willows and white stone balustrades, and small boats drift across the water past old houses and temple roofs. Spreading out from the shores are hutongs, the narrow lanes of grey-brick courtyard homes that once made up most of the city.

Wander here for a few hours and you will pass bicycles leaning against painted doorways, residents chatting outside their gates, tiny shops and cafes tucked into old courtyards, and the occasional grand gateway of a former prince's mansion. By evening the lakeside lights come on and the area becomes one of Beijing's liveliest places for a stroll.

Don’t miss

01Yinding (Silver Ingot) Bridge between Qianhai and Houhai
02Willow-lined lakeside promenades and boating on the lakes
03Hutong lanes such as Dajinsi and Xiaojinsi, with traditional courtyard houses
04Prince Gong's Mansion, a Qing princely residence with gardens
05Lakeside cafes and bars, lively in the evening
06Lotus Market entrance archway on the western shore of Qianhai

History & culture

The story of Hutongs & Shichahai

The lakes have a long history: Shichahai dates back to the Jin dynasty, and from the Yuan dynasty onwards it was the northern end of the Grand Canal linking Beijing with Hangzhou, which made the area a busy commercial hub. In the Ming and Qing dynasties princes and officials built mansions here, the best known being Prince Gong's Mansion, first built for He Shen, a favourite of the Qianlong Emperor.

The word hutong describes Beijing's traditional lanes, lined with siheyuan, the courtyard houses that turned their backs to the street. Visit Beijing highlights Dajinsi and Xiaojinsi Hutongs as well-preserved examples that reflect local life over the past two centuries, while the small Yinding (Silver Ingot) Bridge at the north end of Qianhai, where Qianhai meets Houhai, has long been a favourite viewpoint.

Local life & traditions

Despite the visitors, the hutongs remain residential. Older residents play Chinese chess and walk birds in cages, neighbours gather by the lakes to chat and exercise, and the smell of cooking drifts out of courtyard kitchens. Please remember that many courtyards are private homes: be quiet, ask before photographing people, and do not walk into doorways uninvited.

Things to do

Experience it like a local

Start at the north gate of Beihai Park and walk north along Qianhai to Yinding Bridge, then lose yourself in the hutongs to the west and north. A guided hutong tour on foot or by pedicab, with a visit to a family courtyard, is a good way to understand how these neighbourhoods work, and a rowing or pedal boat on the lake is relaxing on a fine day.

After dark, return to the lakeshore to see the lights reflected on the water. In winter, when the ice is thick enough, parts of the lakes are opened for skating and ice sports, a much-loved Beijing tradition.

When to go

Spring and autumn (April to May, September to October) are ideal for walking, with mild weather and, in autumn, golden willows and gingko trees. Summer evenings on the lakes are lively and pleasant after the heat of the day. In midwinter, when the lakes freeze, the area becomes a popular skating spot. Weekday daytimes are calmest; evenings and weekends are busiest.

Plan your visit

Verified information

Getting there: Subway Line 6 to the north gate of Beihai Park; buses 60, 13, 118, 701, 42 and 823 also serve the area (as published by Visit Beijing). Source: english.visitbeijing.com.cn ↗
The lakes: Shichahai is made up of Qianhai, Houhai and Xihai; Yinding Bridge at the northern end of Qianhai connects the Qianhai and Houhai areas. Source: english.visitbeijing.com.cn ↗
Open access: Shichahai is one of the few areas of Beijing parkland without an enclosing wall, so the lakeside paths can be walked freely. Source: english.visitbeijing.com.cn ↗

Checked against the sources on 27 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.

Travel tips

Walk or cycle rather than drive; many hutongs are too narrow for cars and are best explored slowly.
Agree the price, route and duration before taking a pedicab tour.
Respect residents' privacy: many courtyards are homes, not attractions.
Visit in the late afternoon and stay into the evening to see the lakes both by day and lit up at night.
Halal restaurants are scattered around central Beijing; for a wide choice, head to Niujie in the south-west of Xicheng District.

General guidance from our specialists, not official information.

Around Hutongs & Shichahai: food, markets & places to stay

Beihai Park lies immediately to the south and Jingshan Park and the Forbidden City are a short walk beyond. The Drum and Bell Towers stand just east of the lakes, and Nanluoguxiang, a busy hutong street with snacks and shops, is a little further east. The area has many small guesthouses in converted courtyards, as well as cafes and restaurants along the lakeshore.