Beijing · Neighbourhood ·
国贸商务区 · Finance and corporate towers rising around the China World Trade Centre, Beijing's glass-and-steel core.
About this neighbourhood
Beijing's Central Business District coalesced around the China World Trade Centre, which opened its first phase in 1990 at the edge of the Third Ring Road. Subsequent phases, including the 330-metre China World Summit Wing (one of Beijing's tallest buildings), and waves of adjacent tower construction have produced a district that, in outline, resembles the financial cores of other Asian megacities. Remkoolhaas's CCTV Headquarters — the 'big pants' building in local parlance — completed in 2012, is the district's most photographed piece of architecture.
The area functions primarily as an office and hotel district. Daytime streets are busy with white-collar commuters; evenings quiet rapidly as the office population disperses. The exception is the cluster of restaurants and bars in the basement and lower levels of the China World Mall and the surrounding lanes, which sustain reasonable evening activity.
Jianwai SOHO, a large mixed-use development designed by the Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto and completed in 2004, introduced low-level retail and restaurant units around a series of white towers. The outdoor lanes between buildings have a more human scale than the CBD average and are popular for lunch. A subsequent development, SOHO Sanlitun, sits a kilometre to the north.
The metro connection at Guomao — a cross-platform interchange between Line 1 (east–west) and Line 10 (ring) — makes the CBD easily accessible from almost anywhere in Beijing. This, combined with hotel room supply, makes the area a logical base for business visitors even if its atmosphere outside working hours is limited.
What to see
China World Trade Centre complex, CCTV Headquarters (Rem Koolhaas, OMA), China Zun tower, Jianwai SOHO outdoor retail.
What to eat
China World Mall food hall with an extensive mix of Chinese regional and international chains; upscale hotel restaurants in the adjacent Shangri-La, Ritz-Carlton, and St. Regis properties.
Transit
Metro Lines 1 and 10 (Guomao). Direct interchange; excellent coverage across the city.
Where to stay
International five-star hotels dominate; several serviced apartment towers cater to long-stay corporate guests. Budget options are scarce and require a taxi or metro to reach.
Hazards & notes
Very little of interest at street level outside the malls; the area is built for car traffic and the pedestrian experience between towers is poor. Accommodation costs are substantially above average.