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Nanluoguxiang Alley

The Bustling and Lively Alley

The Nanluoguxiang Alley runs from Gulou East Street in the north to Di'anmen East Street in the south, with a total length of 800 meters. Nowadays, more and more bars, cafes, snack shops, and souvenir stores are located on both sides of the alley, giving this 700-year-old alley a youthful vitality.

The Nanluoguxiang Alley 南锣鼓巷 is a 700-year-old Hutong in Beijing, built in the Yuan Dynasty, which starts from Gulou East Street in the north and ends at Di’anmen East Street in the south, with a total length of 800 meters.

Because of its location near the imperial city (outer region of The Forbidden City), Nanluoguxiang and its more than ten nearby hutongs have many celebrity residences and private gardens, such as the General Sengge Rinchen’s residence in Fried Bean Hutong, the former residence of master painter Qi Baishi in Yu’er Hutong, and the former residence of Mao Dun in Hou Yuan Ensi Hutong, as well as the Ke Yuan Garden in Mao’er Hutong and the Qi Yuan Garden in Qin Lao Hutong, which are also representatives of private gardens in China. Besides, the Central Academy of Drama in East Cotton Hutong is a well-known art college in China.

Manywhere Trivia:
The tiny Nanluoguxiang Alley is the most crowded tourist spot in Beijing.

The Nanluoguxiang Alley is a combination of both cultural traditions and youthful vitality. More and more Commercial Facilities have moved in, with bars, cafes, hotels, snack shops, and small souvenir stores, making it one of the most popular hutongs in Beijing for young people nowadays, comparable to the nearby Houhai Bar Street. It’s a great place to spend your free time with a few friends, relax, and wandering along the 700-year-old alley.