# Nanluoguxiang, Beijing > Nanluoguxiang is a 787-metre pedestrian hutong lane in old Beijing, just east of the Drum Tower. It’s free and open around the clock; shops trade from about 10:00 until late evening. Allow an hour for the lane itself, 90 minutes to two hours with the side alleys. Take Metro Line 6 or 8 to Nanluoguxiang. Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/nanluoguxiang - City: [Beijing](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing), China - YesGo score: 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free, no booking — it’s a public street - Opening hours: Lane open 24 hours; shops roughly 10:00 to 21:00–22:00 - Metro: Nanluoguxiang, Lines 6 and 8; Exit E for the south end of the lane - Time needed: About an hour for the main lane, 90 minutes to two hours with the side hutongs - Crowds: Quietest on weekday mornings before 10:00; worst on evenings, weekends and holidays - Museums nearby: Mao Dun’s and Qi Baishi’s former homes — Tue–Sun, currently free, no booking - Paying: Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign Visa or Mastercard; some small cash as backup - For the taxi driver: 南锣鼓巷南口 (south entrance), Dongcheng District - Coordinates: 39.93518, 116.39694 - Facts checked: 04.11.2026 ## Key facts - **787 m** — length of the lane from Gulou East Street south to Di’anmen East Street (source: Visit Beijing (787 m); Chinese Wikipedia (786 m)) - **16** — side hutongs, eight on each side, in a fishbone pattern (source: Chinese Wikipedia; China Bound) - **Yuan** — laid out under the Yuan dynasty with the capital Dadu — more than 740 years ago (source: Visit Beijing; English Wikipedia) - **8 m** — width of the lane (source: Visit Beijing; Chinese Wikipedia) - **Hunchback** — its Ming-era nickname: the middle of the lane is higher than both ends (source: Chinese Wikipedia) - **c. 1750** — when the lane took its current name, “South Gong and Drum Lane”, under the Qing (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia) - **2016** — the lane gave up its national 3A tourist rating and stopped admitting tour groups to ease crowding (source: Xinhua; Chinanews) - **2012** — Nanluoguxiang metro station opened on Line 6; Line 8 followed in 2013 (source: English Wikipedia) - **No. 13** — Houyuan’ensi Hutong — the writer Mao Dun’s former home, now a museum (source: Visit Beijing; The Paper) - **No. 13** — Yu’er Hutong — the painter Qi Baishi’s former home (source: Visit Beijing; The Paper) - **Nos. 35–37** — Mao’er Hutong — family home of Wanrong, China’s last empress, before she married Puyi (source: Chinese Wikipedia; China Bound) - **No. 77** — Chaodou Hutong — gate of Prince Sengge Rinchen’s mansion (source: Visit Beijing; China Bound) > **The main lane is the shop window, not the whole story** On weekends, holidays and most evenings the 787-metre lane is shoulder to shoulder, with queues at the snack stalls. Come on a weekday before 10:00 — or walk the main lane briskly and turn off into the side hutongs. A hundred metres from the crowd it’s quiet, and the old mansions, carved gates and courtyards are all down there. ## 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](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-drum-and-bell-towers) and the lakes at [Houhai](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/houhai-lake), 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](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-hutongs) 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. ## How to get to Nanluoguxiang by metro 1. From Tiananmen Square, walk to **Qianmen** station at the south end of the square (Lines 2 and 8). Bags are X-rayed at every metro entrance. 2. Ride **Line 8** north four stops — Wangfujing, Jinyu Hutong, National Art Museum — to **Nanluoguxiang**. No changes; about half an hour door to door. 3. Take **Exit E**, which comes up right at the lane’s south entrance. If it’s jammed, Exit F is close by. 4. Walk north. Without stopping, the whole lane takes about 15 minutes; with shops and detours, an hour or more. It ends at Gulou East Street. 5. From the [Lama Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/lama-temple), take Line 5 to **Dongsi** and change to **Line 6** for one stop west to Nanluoguxiang. 6. From Houhai, it’s one stop on Line 8 from **Shichahai**, or about 10 minutes’ walk east along Di’anmen East Street. 7. By taxi or DiDi, show the driver **南锣鼓巷南口** (south entrance). Cars aren’t allowed on the main lane during the day, so you’ll be dropped at the junction. ## 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? | | Main lane | Houyuan’ensi Hutong | Yu’er Hutong | Mao’er Hutong | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What’s there | Snacks, cafés, bars, souvenirs | Mao Dun’s former home | Qi Baishi’s former home | Empress Wanrong’s family gate, Keyuan garden | | Where | 787 m north to south | East side, near the north end | West side, towards the south | West side, towards the south | | Can you go in? | Yes, 24 hours | Tue–Sun, free | Tue–Sun, free | No, street view only | | Crowds | Heavy, worst in the evening | Light | Light | Light — it’s residential | 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. ## Before you go - [ ] 南锣鼓巷 saved in Chinese for a taxi - [ ] Offline map — Google Maps is blocked in China without roaming or a VPN - [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay working with my foreign card - [ ] A few small yuan notes - [ ] Going on a weekday morning or afternoon, not Saturday night - [ ] Museums closed on Mondays — planned for Tue–Sun - [ ] No wandering into private courtyards ## Beijing’s shopping streets and markets compared Every shopping street and market in Beijing rated by YesGo. - [Wangfujing Street](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/wangfujing-street) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Nanluoguxiang](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/nanluoguxiang) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, open 24 hours ## Lama Temple to the lakes in half a day The Lama Temple in the morning, the metro to Nanluoguxiang and its side lanes, the drumming at the Drum Tower around midday, then Houhai at dusk. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/lama-temple) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥25, booked in WeChat 2. [Nanluoguxiang](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/nanluoguxiang) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, open 24 hours 3. [Drum and Bell Towers](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-drum-and-bell-towers) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥30 for both towers 4. [Houhai Lake and Shichahai](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/houhai-lake) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free ## Don’t confuse Nanluoguxiang, Nanluogu Xiang and Nanluogu Hutong are the same lane, 南锣鼓巷. **Beiluoguxiang** is a separate, quieter lane north of Gulou East Street. The metro station sits at the south end, not halfway along. For a wider walk through the old neighbourhoods, see our Beijing hutongs guide. ## Tips - 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 ### Is Nanluoguxiang worth visiting? Yes, if you’re near the Drum Tower or Houhai anyway: walk the lane, then explore the side hutongs. It isn’t worth crossing the city just for the souvenir strip. ### Is Nanluoguxiang free? Yes. It’s a public street with no ticket or booking. You pay only for food and shopping; Mao Dun’s and Qi Baishi’s former homes are currently free too. ### What are Nanluoguxiang’s opening hours? The lane is open 24 hours. Shops and cafés trade roughly from 10:00 to 21:00–22:00, bars later. ### Which metro station is closest to Nanluoguxiang? Nanluoguxiang station on Lines 6 and 8, right at the south end of the lane. Exit E brings you out at the entrance. ### How do I get to Nanluoguxiang from Tiananmen Square? Take Line 8 from Qianmen station, four stops north to Nanluoguxiang, with no change. Allow about half an hour. ### When is the best time to visit Nanluoguxiang? A weekday before 10:00 or in the early afternoon. Evenings, weekends, the Spring Festival and Golden Week (1–7 October) bring the biggest crowds. ### What should I eat at Nanluoguxiang? Zhajiangmian noodles, Beijing yoghurt, tanghulu and lüdagun. Main-lane snacks are pricier — the side hutongs are better for a proper meal. ### Is Nanluoguxiang good at night? It’s at its liveliest after dark, with lanterns, bars and live music, but also at its most crowded. Most shops close around 22:00. ### How long do you need at Nanluoguxiang? About an hour for the main lane with a snack, 90 minutes to two hours with the side hutongs and museums. Add the Drum Tower and Houhai for half a day. ## How we checked Length: Visit Beijing gives 787 m, Chinese Wikipedia 786 m and English Wikipedia about 800 m; we use 787 m. Visit Beijing’s English attraction page says “over 1 kilometre” and “800 years” — that contradicts the same portal’s main article and Wikipedia, so we don’t use it. Free 24-hour access is from Visit Beijing; shop hours aren’t published officially, so “10:00 to 21:00–22:00” comes from guidebooks and is marked checking. Exit E for the south entrance comes from several guides; Wikipedia lists the exits but not where they lead. Mao Dun’s former home: Tue–Sun 9:00–16:00, free, no booking (Visit Beijing, 03.2026); The Paper (08.2025) gives last entry at 15:30, Visit Beijing at 16:00. Qi Baishi’s former home: The Paper (08.2025) says Tue–Sun 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:00, free; Visit Beijing’s English article (07.2025) mentions a 5-yuan ticket and Ctrip lists no closing day — marked checking. The daytime ban on cars and pedicabs on the main lane dates from 2016 (Xinhua); we didn’t confirm the current hours. The “hunchback” origin of the name is from Chinese Wikipedia only. Sources disagree on the year of the UN award to Ju’er Hutong, so we leave it out, as on our hutongs page. ## Sources - Visit Beijing (official Beijing tourism portal): Nanluoguxiang article (07.2025), attraction page, articles on former residences and the lane (03.2026) - English and Chinese Wikipedia: Nanluoguxiang, 南锣鼓巷, 帽儿胡同, 菊儿胡同, Nanluogu Xiang station; Wikidata Q9529545 - Xinhua and Chinanews (04.2016): 3A rating dropped, tour groups suspended - The Paper (08.2025): hours and entry for Mao Dun’s and Qi Baishi’s former homes - China Bound (07.2026) and travel guides (Wanderin China, Ruqin Travel, China Discovery) — Exit E, best time, unofficial - YesGo China notes: paying with foreign cards --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.