About Shichahai / Houhai Lake
“Beijing's most layered neighborhood — crumbling courtyard walls next to craft cocktail bars, ancient willows drooping over lotus-covered lakes, and a soundtrack shifting from er-hu street musicians to live rock bands as you walk from quiet hutongs to the Houhai bar strip.”
Shichahai is the best place in Beijing to feel the old city's rhythm. Three interconnected lakes — Qianhai (Front Lake), Houhai (Back Lake), and Xihai (West Lake) — are surrounded by narrow hutong alleys, courtyard houses, historic mansions, and a lively bar street. The Houhai bar strip gets rowdy at night with live music spilling onto the lakeside, while quieter Xihai and the deeper hutongs feel like stepping back 100 years. You can take a rickshaw hutong tour (negotiate the price hard), rent a pedal boat, ice skate in winter, or simply walk the lakeside paths. The area is free, open 24 hours, and endlessly atmospheric. The downside: the bar street is touristy and overpriced, and rickshaw drivers will try to overcharge you relentlessly. Best for evening ambiance, hutong exploration, and lakeside drinks; skip if you dislike pushy touts or expect manicured perfection.
Top Questions from Travelers
Why This Place Matters
Shichahai's three lakes date back over 800 years to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), when they formed part of the Grand Canal terminus bringing grain and goods into Beijing. The surrounding hutongs were home to officials, scholars, and nobles — the proximity to the imperial palace made this prime real estate. Many courtyard houses still bear the carved stone and woodwork of their aristocratic past. Today Shichahai represents old Beijing's struggle with modernity — traditional hutong life persists alongside commercial development, and the tension between preservation and gentrification is visible everywhere. For foreigners, it offers the most atmospheric glimpse of traditional Beijing life that's easily accessible, without the museum-like artifice of fully restored heritage zones.
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Highlights
4 iconic experiences that define a visit
Houhai Bar Street and Lakeside
The stretch along Houhai's south bank is lined with bars, cafes, and restaurants, many with rooftop or lakeside terraces. Live music spills out of doorways every evening. The willow-draped lake views from the terraces are quintessential Beijing.
This is Beijing's most accessible nightlife area for foreigners — English menus are common, the atmosphere is welcoming, and you can bar-hop along the lakeside for hours. Quality varies widely though — avoid places with aggressive door touts.
Universal AppealHutong Alleys (胡同)
The narrow alleyways surrounding the lakes contain some of Beijing's best-preserved traditional courtyard architecture. Walking these hutongs is like ...
Culturally InterestingSilver Ingot Bridge (银锭桥)
A small arched bridge connecting Qianhai and Houhai, historically famous as the spot where you could see the Western Hills framed between the hutong r...
Universal AppealXihai (West Lake) — The Quiet One
The least visited of the three lakes, Xihai is surrounded by a modern wetland park with wooden boardwalks, lotus ponds, and almost zero tourists. It f...
What Most Visitors Miss
Xihai Wetland Park
Most tourists stop at Houhai and never walk 10 minutes further to Xihai. The recently renovated wetland park is one of Beijing's most peaceful urban spaces and almost entirely tourist-free.
Winter ice activities on the frozen lakes
Foreign visitors rarely plan winter Beijing trips, but skating, ice biking, and playing on the frozen Houhai and Qianhai lakes (December-February) is a quintessentially local experience that transforms the area completely.
The Drum and Bell Towers (鼓楼/钟楼)
A 10-minute walk east from Houhai, these towers offer panoramic hutong rooftop views and a fascinating look at how Beijing told time for 600 years. Often overlooked in favor of more bar time.
Plan Your Visit
How Long to Visit
1.5 hours (lakeside walk around Houhai plus a drink at a bar
all three lakes, hutong exploration on foot, bar stop, optional rickshaw tour
or a full evening (thorough hutong walk, historic mansions, boat ride, dinner, bar hopping
Smart Route
Metro Line 2 to Jishuitan station
walk south to Xihai Wetland Park (the quiet start)
continue south along the lakeside to Houhai
cross Silver Ingot Bridge to Qianhai
loop back to Houhai's south bank bar strip as evening arrives
settle into a lakeside bar for drinks and live music
optional: walk east to Drum and Bell Tower area for hutong atmosphere.
Best Time to Visit
Late afternoon into evening — walk the hutongs and quieter lakes in golden afternoon light, then arrive at the Houhai bar strip as the lanterns light up at dusk
Weekend summer nights when the Houhai bar strip becomes extremely crowded and the touts are most aggressive
By Season
Spring
and autumn offer the most comfortable walking weather. Each season offers something distinct.
Summer
(June-August): lush lotus flowers on the lakes, boat rentals, rooftop bars at peak atmosphere. Winter (December-February): the lakes freeze and become public ice skating rinks — a uniquely Beijing experience.
Autumn
offer the most comfortable walking weather. Each season offers something distinct.
Winter
(December-February): the lakes freeze and become public ice skating rinks — a uniquely Beijing experience. Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable walking weather.
Visit on a winter day when the lakes are frozen — locals ice skate, play ice hockey, and ride ice bikes on the lake surface. It's one of Beijing's most magical seasonal experiences and almost no foreign tourists know about it.
What to Skip
The kitschy souvenir shops along the main Houhai road sell identical generic tourist items. The bars closest to Silver Ingot Bridge tend to be the most overpriced and aggressive — walk further along the bank for better options.
Pro Tips
The best hutong exploration is off-script — wander into any alley that looks interesting. The area between Houhai's north bank and the Drum Tower has the most atmospheric hutongs. In summer, the east side of Houhai tends to be quieter than the bar-heavy south/west banks.
Photo Spots
Silver Ingot Bridge at sunset
Shoot looking west for sunset colors reflected in Houhai's water. The willow branches frame the bridge beautifully. Clear winter days offer the best distant mountain visibility.
Houhai lakeside at dusk with bar lanterns
Walk the south bank as lanterns light up along the bars. The reflection of red lanterns in the lake water against a dusky sky is peak Beijing atmosphere.
Narrow hutong alleys with traditional doorways
Morning light streaming through east-west alleys creates beautiful shadow patterns. Look for ornate door knockers and carved stone doorstep drums.
Winter frozen lake with ice activities
Shoot from the lake bank capturing the ice skaters, ice bikers, and makeshift hockey games with hutong architecture in the background.
Pair With
Drum and Bell Towers (鼓楼/钟楼)
10-minute walk from Houhai
A 10-minute walk east of Houhai — climb the Drum Tower for panoramic hutong rooftop views. The surrounding neighborhood has excellent cafes and craft shops.
Prince Gong's Mansion (恭王府)
15-minute walk from Houhai's south bank
Beijing's best-preserved Qing Dynasty princely mansion with beautiful gardens. A natural cultural complement to the casual hutong atmosphere.
Nanluoguxiang (南锣鼓巷)
15-minute walk east
Beijing's most famous hutong tourist street — more commercialized than Shichahai's hutongs but lively, with craft shops, bars, and street food. A 15-minute walk east.
Tickets & Access
Lakeside walking, hutong exploration
The core experience — 24/7 access to all three lakes and surrounding hutongs
Rickshaw hutong tour (1-2 hours)
Negotiate firmly — includes courtyard house visit on most tours
Pedal boat rental
Seasonal — available spring through autumn
Winter ice skating/ice bikes
December–February when lakes freeze — uniquely Beijing
Prince Gong's Mansion (恭王府) nearby
Best-preserved Qing Dynasty princely mansion — 20-minute walk from Houhai
Opening Hours
24 hours — open public area. Bars typically noon to late. Boat rentals seasonal, roughly 9 AM–5 PM. Winter ice skating when lakes freeze, roughly December–February.
How to Buy
Walk up for everything. Rickshaw drivers approach you — choose and negotiate.
Passport: N/A — no ID required for the open area. Nearby attractions like Prince Gong's Mansion accept passport.
Queue Situation
No queues anywhere — it's an open neighborhood. Bars may have waits for lakeside seating on summer weekends.
Tips & Warnings
Rickshaw drivers can be very aggressive with pricing
Agree on the total price (not per person) BEFORE getting in. ¥100-180 per person for a 1-2 hour tour is the going rate. If they say ¥300+, walk away — there are plenty of others. Ask whether the courtyard house visit is included. If you want to avoid the haggling, message our concierge before you arrive and we can arrange a reputable rickshaw tour at a fair pre-agreed price.
Houhai bar prices are inflated
Expect to pay 2-3x normal Beijing bar prices for the lakeside location premium. Check the menu before ordering. Some bars add 'service charges' not listed on menus — clarify upfront. Our team can recommend specific bars with fair pricing and good lakeside views — just drop us a message when you arrive in the area.
The hutongs are a labyrinth
It's easy to get turned around. Keep your phone GPS on. The lakes serve as navigation landmarks — if lost, head toward water. Getting slightly lost is actually part of the charm. If you get properly lost and need help, send us your location pin and we can guide you back to the lakeside or to your next destination.
What to Bring
Wear
Comfortable walking shoes — cobblestone hutongs are uneven and you'll walk a lot. Dress for the season: light layers in summer evenings, serious cold-weather gear in winter. Casual dress is fine for the bars.
Bring
Phone with maps app (essential for hutong navigation). Cash for rickshaws. Camera. Portable charger. In winter: warm layers, gloves, hat for ice activities.
Don't Bring
Don't bring a big bag — you're walking narrow alleys and sitting in cramped bars. Travel light.
Physical Reality
easy-to-moderate
Lakeside paths are flat and paved. Hutong alleys are mostly flat but cobblestoned and sometimes uneven. The area is large — expect 5-8 km of walking for a thorough exploration. No significant elevation changes.
Foreigners Watch Out
- Rickshaw drivers may quote per-person prices but imply it's total, or vice versa. Clarify 'total price for both of us' before riding. Type the agreed number on your phone screen so there's no miscommunication.
- Some Houhai bars aggressively tout at the door — the quality inside rarely matches the enthusiasm of the doorman. The best bars don't need to tout.
- The hutongs are residential — be respectful of homes and privacy. Don't peer into courtyard gates or photograph residents without permission.
- Winter ice activities on the lakes are thrilling but there are no safety railings or lifeguards. Stay on areas where locals are already skating — they know where the ice is thick enough.
- The area around Houhai has more pickpocket risk than most Beijing attractions due to the bar crowds. Keep valuables secure, especially at night. If anything does go missing, message us right away and we can help you file a report or contact local police.
If Things Go Wrong
Got lost in the hutongs
→ Use your phone GPS — cellular signal works throughout. Head generally south or east toward the lakes, which serve as landmarks. Ask locals: '后海在哪儿？' (Hòuhǎi zài nǎr? — Where is Houhai?).
Overcharged by a rickshaw driver
→ Stand firm on the price you agreed upon before the ride. Show them the number you typed on your phone. If the dispute escalates, offer to involve nearby police (there's usually a patrol nearby). If a dispute gets uncomfortable, message our team — we can call the driver directly and help resolve the situation in Chinese.
Houhai bars feel too touristy and overpriced
→ Walk north along the east bank of Houhai, away from the main bar strip. The bars thin out and become more local-oriented with better prices.
Useful Chinese
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