North of the Forbidden City

North of the Forbidden City lie what are arguably the city's most attractive neighbourhoods – picturesque lakes amid Beijing's largest area of traditional hutong and some notable historic sights

To the north of historic Beihai Park is the so-called Lake District (also known as the back lakes district), an area of leafy streets and narrow streets (hutong) around Houhai and its adjoining lakes. In the warmer months, locals indulge in simple pleasures such as boating, fishing and passing the time playing mah-jong or cards by the lakeside. Tourists come for the historic sights, though many spend a good deal of their time in the proliferation of bars, cafés and restaurants that seem to fill every corner around the lakes.

The most bustling thoroughfare is Lotus Lane (Hehua Shichang), a pedestrian-only area on the southwestern shore of Qianhai Lake; the lane is lined with bars, restaurants and coffee houses. On sultry summer nights, it is packed with young people. Another nightlife area is concentrated around dinky little Yinding Bridge (Silver Ingot Bridge), where Houhai meets Qianhai Lake, and Nanluogu­xiang – a long, renovated hutong and heartland of Beijing’s coffee-house culture.