Houhai Lakes

Three connected lakes in central Beijing, ringed by hutong neighbourhoods, courtyard bars and the Drum and Bell Towers.

The Shichahai Lakes — three connected bodies of water known collectively as Qianhai, Houhai, and Xihai — sit in the heart of old Beijing's northern residential quarter. The lakes were originally excavated during the Yuan dynasty as the northern terminus of the inland waterway that brought grain barges from the Grand Canal into the capital. Their commercial function ended with the Ming dynasty's decision to extend the city walls, but they remained a recreational and residential focus for the imperial city's elite.

Houhai — the 'back sea', the most visited of the three — is ringed by willow trees and a network of hutong lanes that preserve what is one of the city's most intact low-rise residential environments. The hutong on the north and west banks contain courtyard residences, some converted to boutique guesthouses or cafes, and the Prince Gong Mansion — the largest surviving courtyard compound in Beijing, once home to the Qing prince who negotiated the Convention of Peking in 1860. The Drum Tower and Bell Tower stand at the northern edge of the lake zone, visible across the water from the Houhai bar street on the south shore.

The bar street itself is a long-running collection of lakeside bars and restaurants, most with outdoor seating facing the water. In summer the street is busy into the night; in winter the lake freezes and becomes a skating rink. Pedal boat hire on the lake operates from spring through autumn. The area is best in the late afternoon and evening; the combination of hutong walking in the surrounding lanes, a stop at the Drum Tower, and a lakeside dinner covers a satisfying four-to-five-hour visit. Avoid the south shore bar stretch if the Saturday night atmosphere is not what you came for — the north-shore hutong lanes are considerably quieter.