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Took subway from Summer Palace to "Nanluogu Xiang" Station.
Nanluoguxiang (南锣鼓巷)
Nanluoguxiang, literally means 'South Gong and Drum Lane', is a narrow 787-meters long and about 8-meters wide alley running from Gulou East Street in the north to Di'anmen East Street in the south (left photo below). Nanluoguxiang features well-preserved traditional hutong architecture, characterized by narrow alleyways, traditional courtyard homes, and grey-tiled roofs. It provides a charming and nostalgic atmosphere that contrasts with the modern developments in the city (right photo below).
History- Nanluoguxiang was built in 1276 and was once the capital city center of the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368). In the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the area remains a place where the noble and rich gather, which leaves various forms of mansions and houses there. With a history of over 740 years, it is one of the oldest Hutongs in Beijing.
Getting to Nanluoguxiang
- The nearest subway station is "Nanluoguxiang" station (南锣鼓巷站) of Line 6 and 8. Exit E of the station is just outside the start of the south entrance of the lane marked by an archway (left photo below).
Layout of the Lane
- Nanluoguxiang is neatly intersected by totally 16 side alleys and cross streets in a fishbone shape. Overlooking the entire street, they resemble a centipede, and thus Nanluoguxiang is also called "Centipede Street" (right photo below).
Late Lunch
- Decided to have my lunch in one of the eateries along the lane (left photo below). My attention was caught by the store selling braised beef offal (right photo below).
From the boiling pot of braised offal and bean curds, they looked tempting but were rather unhealthy (left photo below). As the saying goes "sinful food are often most delicious", therefore decided to have a bowl of "Fat Intestine Vermicelli" (肥肠粉) at CNY 35 (right photo below).
This food is not a local Beijing cuisine but a popular dish in many parts of China. It was slightly sour and spicy which was very appetizing.Interesting Shops
- The lane is lined with numerous small local shops, boutiques, souvenir stores, and cafes. Visitors can find a variety of traditional handicrafts, clothing, accessories, and unique ornaments (photos below).
Saw the flagship store of childhood sweets "White Rabbit Milk Candy" located along the lane (left photo below). Rows of milk candy bottles can be found next to the entrance (right photo below). However, the price was much higher compared to the ones I bought in Shanghai.
Besides the bottled candies, there were also many candy packs available (left photo below). In the end, bought a pack of Peanut Nougat at CNY 29 and a pack of Tiramisu flavored Creamy Candy at CNY 25 (right photo below).
- One famous shop is the Wenyu Cheese Shop which is considered a landmark snack in Beijing (photos below). The cheese yogurt sold in this shop has a unique flavor that is not as strong as Western cheese or yogurt-flavored, and is baked with fresh milk, sugar and glutinous rice wine.
Ordered the best-selling "red bean double-skinned milk" (红豆双皮奶) at CNY 23 and its size was about a medium-sized supermarket pudding (left photo below). The red beans in the red bean double-skin milk are made from honeyed red beans that have a grainy texture and are slightly hard. Besides enjoying the cheese yogurt, customers can also get a few ink stamps from this shop (right photo below).
- Another tea drink chain to try is the HeyTea. Saw this outlet located along Gulou East Avenue while walking towards the Bell and Drum Towers (left photo below). Ordered a cup of "HeyTea Peach Time" (多肉桃李) at CNY 15 (right photo below). Taste was refreshing in the warm afternoon.
Bell and Drum Towers (钟鼓楼)
Both the Bell Tower (left photo below) and Drum Tower (right photo below) are located at the northern end of the central axis to the north of Di'anmen Street. These two towers are placed 91-meters apart.
History of the Towers- Construction of these two towers began in 1272 and rebuilt in 1420 during Ming Dynasty. They were used as official timekeeping and time announcement in China during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Until in 1924 where they were replaced by Western clocks for official time-keeping methods.
Evening drums and Morning bells
- The drum and bell were not struck at the same time in ancient times, but followed the strict practice of "evening drums and morning bells" (晨钟暮鼓). The day officially began at 7 am with the ringing of the huge bell of the bell tower which could be heard from 20-km away. The drums were struck 13 times every evening at 7 pm to signal the start of the night hour and the closing of the city gates. The drums were struck again every 2 hours and its last time ended at 5 am.
Decided to visit the Drum Tower instead of the Bell Tower.
Drum Tower (鼓楼)
The Drum Tower is a 46.7-meters tall two-storey building made of wood and was placed on a 4-meters stone and brick base (photo below). It occupied a space as large as three basketball courts. Building is decked out mostly in red and its double eaves roof is covered with grey barrel tiles and green glazed edges.
Ticketing- Did not reserve the ticket online before my trip, thus tried my luck at the ticket counter. Managed to get an admission ticket at CNY 20 (photo below).
- The ground floor is a platform for the tower consisting of brick-and-stone archways. Its central archway is magnificent which is as high as 11.4-meters. During my visit, the exhibition featured different topics, such as the central axis, structure and functions of Drum and Bells Towers, and time-keeping in ancient China (photos below).
There was a music score on the drum rhythm used in ancient times that began with a fast pace in first set and then at a slow pace in second set (left photo below). Another interesting exhibit was on the comparison between the ancient twelve time period against modern 24-hour timekeeping system (right photo below).
- Be aware that going to the top (left photo below) and coming down (right photo below) requires climbing 69 steep steps on a continuous staircase, so this is not recommended for people who are unfit or have mobility issues to climb to its second floor.
Second Floor Exhibition
- On display at the second floor are one principal drum and 24 smaller ones (photos below). These 24 drums are replicas and represented the 24 solar terms in China.
Only one principal drum survived from the last dynasty (photos below). It has a diameter of 1.4-meters and height of 2.22-meters, and was made by whole sheet of cowhide.
There are drum presentations at every hour which is unforgettable. Starting at 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 and an additional show at 17:00 during the peak season from Apr to Oct.
Following is the clip taken during the impressive performance (video below). Do note that this was purely an entertainment show and not the actual demonstration of the time announcement in ancient times.
View of Surroundings
- Neighboring hutongs as well as the Jingshan Park along the central axis could be seen clearly from the Drum Tower (photo below).
| 🎫 Drum Tower (鼓楼) | |
|---|---|
| Website: |  |
| Access: | Exit A2 of Shichahai station (什刹海站) of Line 8 and walk about 3-mins, or Exit G of Guloudajie station (鼓楼大街站) of Line 2 and walk about 10-mins. |
| Opening Hours: | 0930 to 1630 hours (Nov to Mar) or 0930 to 1730 hours (Apr to Oct) Closed on Mondays. |
| Admission: | Drum Tower: CNY 20 (adult) Drum and Bell Towers: CNY 30 (adult) |
Beijing Central Axis (北京中轴线)
The Beijing Central Axis refers to a stretch of imaginary road that extends 7.8-km from the Drum and Bell Towers in the north to the Yongding Gate in the south (right photo). This elaborate north-south path was once reserved for emperors. The Beijing Central Axis was listed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2024. |
 |
| Structures on Right Axis | Landmarks on the Central Axis | Structures on Left Axis |
|---|---|---|
Gate of Virtuous Triumph Note: Imperial military would march out of Beijing through this Gate during ancient times for battles. |
 Bell and Drum Towers (钟鼓楼) |
Gate of Peace and Stability Note: Gate was torn down in 1960s. Past dynasties believed to maintain peace and stability is to use 'literary governance' (文制). |
 Hall of Military Eminence Note: Name of Hall using "Military" word. |
 Forbidden City (紫禁城) |
 Hall of Literary Glory Note: Name of Hall using "Literary" word. |
Altar of Land and Grain Note: "社稷" in Chinese literally means 'Land and Grain' and from a wider perspective represents 'State Affairs'. |
 Meridian Gate (午门) |
Imperial Ancestral Temple Note: The Hall was the place to worship the Ancestors. |
 Great Hall of the People Note: Follows traditional concept of "社稷" where 'State Affairs' are discussed and determined in this modern building. |
 |
 National Museum of China Note: Follows traditional concept of "祖先" where relics from 'Ancestors' are displayed in this modern building. |
Xuanwu Gate Note: Name of Gate using "Military" word. Gate was torn down in 1960s but the Subway Station was named after it. |
 Zhengyang Gate (正阳门) |
Chongwen Gate Note: Name of Gate using "Literary" word. Gate was torn down in 1960s but the Subway Station was named after it. |
 Temple of Agriculture Note: Temple to worship the mythical Emperor Yandi who invented the plow and discovered the medicinal uses of plants. |
 Yongding Gate (永定门) |
 Temple of Heaven Note: Temple where the Emperor (Son of Heaven) prayed to the Heaven for a good harvest twice a year. |
- Legend:
Highlighted in green denotes philosophical concept of "Left Literary and Right Military (左文右武)".
Highlighted in purple denotes philosophical concept of "Left Ancestor and Right Land & Grain (左祖右社)".
Took subway to "Jinyu Hutong" station (金鱼胡同站).
Wangfujing Street (王府井大街)
Located in Dongcheng District, the 800-meters long Wangfujing street is without doubt the very center of Beijing and has many great shopping malls on par with any famous shopping streets in the world (photos below).
History of the Street- Since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, this section of Beijing has played host to a series of commercial activities and a slew of people. In the Qing Dynasty, this place was home to eight aristocratic estates and a princess residence. Following the discovery of a natural well filled with sweet water, the road was given the name 'Wang Fu' (王府) meaning 'aristocratic residency' and 'Jing' (井) meaning 'well'. Modifications between 1999 and 2000 turned it into a pedestrian only street.
Getting to Wangfujing
- There are two subway stations located on both ends of Wangfujing street:
- Exit B from Jinyu Hutong station (金鱼胡同站) of Line 8
- Exit E or F from Wangfujing station (王府井站) of Line 1 and 8
Shopping Malls
- There are around 280 shops scattered along the street and most are located inside the big shopping malls, such as:
Had been watching 3D LED billboards video clips on social media and it was my first time seeing one. Really amazing to see one from the L-shaped screen on the exterior of Beijing Department Store. Following is the clip taken from one of its advertisements (video below).
Wangfujing Bookstore (王府井书店)
- The Wangfujing Bookstore is one of the city's biggest and most comprehensive bookstores, occupying 6-storey of the entire building (left photo below). Books are regularly on sale and I even got one book at 15% discount (right photo below).
- Used to have a snack street but was closed two months before my visit. However, there are many food shops located along the street that sells local pastries, candies and titbits (photos below).
Patronized one of the titbits shops (left photo below) and bought some packs of honeyed red kidney beans at CNY 24.89 for 250-grams (right photo below).
Back in 2009, I bought a pack of assorted titbits to sample and these honeyed beans tasted the best among them. Popular Beijing snacks like "Donkey Rolls" (驴打滚) or "Aiwowo" (艾窩窩) perhaps are not on my favorite list.Let's Lunch (铁板厨房)
Decided to have my dinner in the Let's Lunch restaurant located in the Ginza Mall (left photo below). The restaurant is spacious enough to allow the smoke from the sizzling food to escape (right photo below).
As the payment system had not been updated, the restaurant could not accept payment from Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to overseas card. Therefore I had to order from its online menu instead from the restaurant counter. Selected a beef curry rice at CNY 52 (left photo below). Food served was similar to the Pepper Lunch. The mixing of food on the hot plate and the sizzling sound always amused me (right photo below).
The curry tasted good with some spiciness and its beef portion was satisfying.
| 🍔 Let's Lunch (Ginza Mall store) 铁板厨房 (银座店) | |
|---|---|
| Address: | Floor B1, No. 11B, Ginza Department Store, No. 48 Dongzhimenwai Street, Dongcheng District |
| Access: | Dongzhimen Subway Station of Line 2 and 13 |
| Operating Hours: | 1100 hours to 2200 hours; daily |
Supper for the day
While walking back to the hotel, saw this bakery located just next to the subway station exit (left photo below). Bought a small piece of tiramisu at CNY 19.90 to try (right photo below).
In addition I purchased a Hong Kong Milk Tea at CNY 18 from LINLEE located in Ginza Mall. The tea drink store unexpectedly gave me a small rubber ducky as a souvenir (left photo below). Part of my supper, I also had my half-drank Beijing Yogurt bought at Wangfujing street at CNY 15 (right photo below).
After a fulfilling supper, I had an early rest in the hotel.