Sanlitun

Sanlitun's name means 'three li lanes' and refers to three rows of alleyways that were, until the 1990s, a relatively quiet residential district on the edge of the embassy quarter. The character of the area changed when bars began opening for the foreign community, creating Beijing's first proper nightlife cluster. Further waves of development, culminating in the Taikoo Li Sanlitun complex (opened 2008, enlarged 2014), repositioned the area as the city's main address for international retail and after-dark activity.

Taikoo Li is an open courtyard complex rather than a conventional enclosed mall. Low-rise buildings face on to pedestrian lanes, which allows the architecture to be experienced as a sequence of outdoor spaces despite the commercial density. The mix skews towards international fashion, with a significant presence of Chinese designer labels in the south zone. The Apple Store here was one of the first in mainland China.

The Workers' Stadium, immediately west of Taikoo Li, was rebuilt and reopened in 2023 as a new-generation football venue for Beijing Guoan FC. The surrounding area has a consistent evening atmosphere, with restaurants and rooftop bars operating on all sides.

The northern end of Sanlitun Road has a different character from the polished commercial south: smaller bars, independent record shops, and street-food stalls fill a series of low-rise blocks that have survived successive rounds of redevelopment. This end is livelier and less curated, particularly on summer evenings.

The embassy district to the east — where many of the largest missions are clustered — means the area has a relatively cosmopolitan street-level feel compared to other parts of the city, with non-Chinese supermarkets, bakeries, and specialist food shops within walking distance.