BJ-HT03: One-Day Qianmen Exploration in Beijing with Surrounding Hutongs and Landmarks

Qianmen is a well-known commercial area in the center of Beijing. Different from modern business streets, many time-honored shops have rooted there for generations. Surrounding it, there are many hutong alleys, quite a few of which are lined with quaint stores, restaurants, and tea houses, etc where you can feel the antique air of the city, including Dashilar, Xianyukou, and Zhubaoshi. Not far away, modern landmarks have also been built in this core area of the capital city. Join us to explore them one by one. 

 This is a guided tour by eco-friendly public transport. If you need a private car, feel free to contact our travel consultants to arrange it for you.

This day at the appointed time, our guide will come to your hotel or other location in downtown Beijing per your request, to pick you up and head to today’s first sightseeing stop, National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), or National Grand Theater. He or she will lead you there by subway line 1. It is right next to the Tian’anmen West subway station. If it cannot be reached by subway directly, then city buses might be optional choices, including buses no. 1, 1 inter-zone line, 5, 5 inter-zone line, 52, sightseeing line 1 and sightseeing line 2. 

The theater is in a unique and grand oval shape. Surrounding it is a large man-made lake. Looking from afar, it is like a giant ball floating on a lake, very eye-catching. The guide will lead you in via an underground passage and to tour around inside the different halls for operas, dramas, concerts and more. 

Then, follow the guide to take bus no.1, 1 inter-zone line or 52 for one stop from Tian’anmen West to Tian’anmen East, to find National Museum of China to the south. This is a comprehensive museum mainly displaying China’s long history from about 5,000 years ago till present and art pieces. The most precious collections include Four-Ram Square Pot, Nine-Dragon Nine-Phoenix Crown of Ming Empress Xiaojing (1565 – 1611), and Jade Seal of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851-1864).

After, walk southward via Tian’anmen Square for about 20 minutes to find the northern end of Qianmen Street. This 845-meter (924 yards) long street is the central axis of Beijing, which is also one of the busiest commercial quarters in the city. The street is clustered with a lot of age-old shops and restaurants. Apart from all the old stores, another interesting part of Qianmen Street is the old style buildings, steles, and archways. The guide will accompany you to stroll along the street in north-south direction, with extensional explorations to several hutongs on both sides. The Qianmen Gate Tower and Qianmen Archery Tower on its northern end are landmarks there. 

Lunch Recommendations 

It is recommended to have lunch in one of the restaurants along Qianmen Street. Tell the guide your preference and he or she will be glad to give you some suggestions. 

Beijingfang (Beijing Fun)

It is not a single hutong alley, but a group of crisscross hutongs and three open-air squares. Architectures here are not only in traditional Chinese style like in other Hutongs, but also in the style of the Republic of China in early 20th century and Europe style. Many stores here are artsy new brands and you can find many fashionable and unique articles here. It is especially popular among youngsters. It is right to the southwest of the Qianmen Archery Tower. 

Dashilar 

The entrance to Dashilar is in the west of the Qianmen Street. It is the most bustling and hustling Hutong in the area. Roaming through it following the guide, you will come across branded stores surviving for hundreds of years. 

The first popular one on your right side would be the Rui Fu Xiang Silk Store located at No. 5 of Dashilar Street. Since the very beginning of 1893, they have provided beautifully designed and superiorly woven silk. Many people have their tailor-made clothes here and the cheongsams are women's favorites.

Opposite to Rui Fu Xiang Silk Store, you will see another old-brand shop, the Bu Ying Zhai Shoe Store. In the past 150 years, they have produced high-quality handmade cloth shoes and enjoyed high reputation all over the country. Now they have expanded their business and you can find almost every kind of shoes here, all comfortable and classic.

Keep walking forward for about 80 meters (90 yards), you will get to the famous Tong Ren Tang Medicine Store. It is a reputed traditional Chinese medicine store which had served eight Chinese emperors in ancient time. 

A few minutes forward is Da Guan Lou Cinema. The predecessor of the cinema was Da Heng Xuan Tea House, where people could enjoy fragrant tea and fantastic Peking Opera. In 1907 it turned into the first cinema in Beijing, and at that time watching movie was a trendy activity for people of all ages. Continuing its resplendence, now it is still a nice place to enjoy a leisure time.

Xianyukou Hutong

The entrance to Xianyukou hutong is right opposite to that of Dashilar across the Qianmen Street. It initially was a fish market, so you will find many fish patterns along this alley, on the ground, manhole covers and lanterns, etc. Nowadays, it is a food street gathering many old brands restaurants like Bianyifang famous for roast duck, Tianxingju for fried pork liver, Jinfang for Beijing desserts, and Jingaozhang for hawthorn products. 

After, the guide will escort you to stroll all the way south to the southern end of the Qianmen Street and send you back to your hotel by public transport. Subway line 7 or line 8 have a station there, called Zhushikou and they will be the prior choices. City buses are also available, including 2, 20, 23, 57, 59, 93, 120, 141, and 622.