Name: Beijing Historical and Cultural Tourism Scenic Area "Shichahai"

Introduction

Shichahai is a historical and cultural tourist attraction in Beijing and a historical and cultural reserve in Beijing. It is located in Xicheng District, the downtown area, adjacent to the central axis of Beijing. The water area is 336,000 square meters and is connected to the waters of Zhongnanhai. It is the only open scenic spot with open water in the inner city of Beijing. It is also the largest and best-preserved historical district in Beijing. It occupies a unique position in the history of Beijing's planning and construction. Among the 25 historical and cultural reserves approved in Beijing in 2000, the Shichahai area is the largest.

Introduction to Shichahai

Shichahai refers to the three lakes of Qianhai, Houhai, Xihai and their adjacent areas. There is a beautiful lake here and it is also a famous historical district in Beijing. Many famous former residences, palaces and other historical relics are scattered here, as well as various delicacies close to people's lives. Houhai Bar Street is an old place for nightlife in Beijing.

When you first arrived in Shichahai from 2010 to 2010, you must have been attracted by the endless lake at first sight. In summer, the lake is very cool, lotus flowers are in bloom, and you can take a boat ride to enjoy the lake scenery. There are many piers along the lake, including Menghao Jiangnan Pier in Qianhai, Lianhua Market Pier, Yeya Island Pier in Houhai, Zhengdu Pier in Liuyin, etc., where cruise ships can be taken.

You can enjoy pedal boats and hand boats. Depending on the boat type, the boat fee ranges from 40-60 yuan per hour; if the sightseeing paddle boat will take you around the lake, it will take about an hour. The boatman will also explain the scenic spots in Shichahai and compete with others for the reference price of 50 yuan.

Come take a cruise in summer

In winter, the lake is frozen and cruise ships cannot operate, but you can enjoy the winter scenery. When the ice reaches a certain thickness, a Shichahai ice rink will be opened on the lake. Tickets are 20 yuan/person. In addition, rent skates, ice bikes, etc. It's not expensive, but you need to pay a deposit of 100-200 yuan.

Skating on the lake in winter

The ancient buildings around Shichahai make the scenic spot still retain the characteristics of old Beijing. There are Huitong Temple, Deshengmen Arrow Tower, Qinchun Palace, Guanghua Temple, Yinding Bridge, Bell and Drum Tower and other attractions.

Among them, the most famous is the Little Shenyang Mansion - Prince Gong's Mansion - located on Qianhai West Street. In addition to seeing the mansions of corrupt officials of the Qing Dynasty, there are also more than 10,000 Chinese characters for "Fu" hidden in the mansions, and Kangxi's "Fu" inscriptions have tourists queuing up to see the real thing.

If you are interested, you can also go to Xie Jieyan Island to visit the Qing Post Office, which marks the birth of China’s modern postal service. You can knock some beautifully designed postmarks at the post office to commemorate it. Of course, you should buy postcards from the post office first.

Visit ancient buildings

You like to grab a snack. You can buy a bunch of candied haws, lean against the white marble railing of Shichahai, and watch the cruise ships coming and going on the lake while eating. If you want to go shopping specifically for Beijing snacks, you can go to Jiumen Snacks. In the old-fashioned courtyard house, there are various snacks such as sauce beef, grilled dumplings, mutton hot pot and tofu. Or go to the Huguosi Snack Street on the west side of the Mei Lanfang Memorial Hall, where the tube wing bar, palace cheese, and shoe soles are all baked, and taste the delicacies from the alleys; in addition, there is a Quanjude Roast Duck restaurant in the Lotus Market.

Try the old Beijing snacks

As night falls, it’s time to get busy. You can hear bursts of singing in many bars around Shichahai, and some of the bar singers in Shichahai are really good at singing. Behind the bars is the story of "Northern Drifting". Rock singer Dou Wei has been singing in Shichahai for three years and is said to own a restaurant, Qingyunlou, in Shichahai. Other famous bars include Hutong Freehand, Jiading Square, etc. Go to a bar to watch a singer perform. From the songs, we can hear the enthusiasm of the "Beijing drifters" for music and their desire to become famous overnight.

Bar nightlife

Shichahai is adjacent to Nanluogu Lane in the east, Beihai Park in the south, and not far from Jingshan Park, the Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square in the south. You usually visit the Forbidden City or Tiananmen Square during the day, and sit in bars in Shichahai at night; if you don’t go to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square and like lake views, you can go to Beihai Park and Shichahai.

If you just like shopping and eating snacks, you can go to Nanluoge