Nanluoguxiang, Beijing

Is Nanluoguxiang worth visiting?

Yes — if you treat it as a gateway rather than the destination. The main lane is a commercial strip of snacks, souvenirs, cafés and bars, and much of it looks alike. What makes Nanluoguxiang worth an hour is its layout: 16 residential side hutongs branch off it like fish bones, eight on each side, and several hide the former homes of an empress, a Mongol prince, a famous writer and China’s best-loved painter.

It works best combined with the Drum and Bell Towers and the lakes at Houhai, both within about ten minutes on foot. Crossing the city just for the souvenir stretch isn’t worth it. And if you want hutongs with fewer shops and more daily life, start with our Beijing hutongs guide instead.

What is Nanluoguxiang?

Nanluoguxiang (南锣鼓巷) is a straight north–south lane in Dongcheng District, 787 metres long and about 8 metres wide. It dates from the Yuan dynasty, when Kublai Khan’s capital Dadu was laid out — more than 740 years ago. Under the Ming it was nicknamed the “hunchback lane” because the middle sits higher than both ends; walk it from the south and you’ll feel the gentle rise. The current name, “South Gong and Drum Lane”, dates from the Qing, around 1750.

Qing nobles and officials built courtyard mansions in the side lanes, and in the 20th century writers, painters and the Central Academy of Drama moved in. Tourism boomed in the 2000s; by 2016 the crowds were such that the lane gave up its national 3A tourist rating and stopped admitting tour groups. Across Gulou East Street to the north lies Beiluoguxiang, the quieter “North” lane.

What to see in the side hutongs

• No. 13 Houyuan’ensi Hutong (后圆恩寺胡同) — the writer Mao Dun’s former home, now a small museum; the second lane east from the north end. Tue–Sun 9:00–16:00, currently free with no booking.
• No. 13 Yu’er Hutong (雨儿胡同) — the painter Qi Baishi’s former home, with a big fish bowl and a statue of the artist in the courtyard. Tue–Sun 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:00.
• Mao’er Hutong (帽儿胡同) — west side, towards the south. Nos. 35–37 were the family home of Empress Wanrong; Nos. 9 and 11 hold the Keyuan garden. Neither is a museum, so you see the gates from the street.
• No. 77 Chaodou Hutong (炒豆胡同) — the first turning east from the south entrance, with the plaque-marked gate of Prince Sengge Rinchen’s mansion; its back gate opens onto Banchang Hutong.
• Dongmianhua Hutong (东棉花胡同) — third lane east from the south, home of the Central Academy of Drama, the school behind many of China’s best-known actors.
• Ju’er Hutong (菊儿胡同) — first lane east at the north end, with courtyards rebuilt in the late 1980s; more in our hutongs guide.

What to eat on Nanluoguxiang

Street snacks are the lane’s main business. The most Beijing things on offer: zhajiangmian — noodles with fried soybean paste and vegetables; Beijing yoghurt sipped through a straw from a little ceramic pot; tanghulu, candied hawthorns on a stick; and lüdagun, rolled sticky rice with sweet bean paste. If you’re brave, try douzhi, a sour fermented mung-bean drink locals love and most visitors don’t.

For noodles, head into neighbouring Fangzhuanchang Hutong (方砖厂胡同), where the noodle shop at No. 69 is singled out even by the official Visit Beijing portal. Daoxiangcun, an old Beijing bakery listed as a China Time-honoured Brand, sells traditional pastries on the lane.

Snacks on the main lane cost more than in the side streets, and many stalls sell the same things. For a sit-down meal, duck into a side hutong or out onto Gulou East Street. Almost every stall takes Alipay or WeChat Pay, both of which link to a foreign Visa or Mastercard after passport verification; carry a few small notes in case a stall has no change.

Best time to visit and how bad are the crowds?

Come on a weekday before 10:00: most shops are still shuttered, but you can see the lane properly, residents are out for breakfast and nobody blocks your photos of the gates. Weekday early afternoons are the next best — shops open, evening crowds not yet arrived.

At night the lane is lit with red lanterns and at its liveliest, with bars, live-music cafés and queues at the popular stalls. Most shops close around 22:00, after which it empties fast.

Avoid weekends and Chinese holidays — the Spring Festival and Golden Week, 1–7 October — when the narrow lane is packed end to end. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons; summer is hot and muggy, winter cold but quieter. Cars and pedicabs aren’t allowed on the main lane in the daytime, so plan to walk.

Main lane or side hutongs?

An easy loop: north up the main lane from the metro, then back south through Mao’er or Yu’er. Museum hours can change, so check on the day.

Nearby and on the way

42

Beijing hutongs

Beijing, China

1 h 30 min · Free; rickshaw about ¥100–200 · 13 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Beijing hutongs

34

Drum and Bell Towers

Beijing, China

1 h · ¥30 for both towers · 14 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Drum and Bell Towers

37

Jingshan Park

Beijing, China

45 min · ¥2, ¥10 during exhibitions · 24 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Jingshan Park

33

Prince Gong's Mansion

Beijing, China

1 h 30 min · ¥40, book ahead with passport · 25 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Prince Gong's Mansion

How to do it right

• Start at the south end by the metro: you walk up to the middle and down again — that’s where the “hunchback” nickname came from.
• Walk the main lane once, then turn into Mao’er Hutong, which leads west to Di’anmenwai Street and the lakes.
• Mao Dun’s and Qi Baishi’s former homes close on Mondays — go Tuesday to Sunday if you want to see inside.
• Public toilets sit at most side-lane corners; many old houses still don’t have their own.
• Souvenirs on the main lane repeat from shop to shop and aren’t cheap — look in two or three before you buy.
• Don’t walk through open courtyard gates: people live in the side lanes, however busy the main lane is.
• End the day at Houhai under the lanterns — about 10 minutes’ walk west.

Questions