Houhai () is a lake and its surrounding neighborhood in

Xicheng District Xicheng () is a district of the city of Beijing. Its cover the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road; the eastern half is Dongcheng District, Beijing, Dongcheng District), and has 1,106,214 inhabitants (2020 Census). It ...

of central

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. Houhai is the largest of the three lakes, along with Qianhai 'Front Lake' and Xihai 'Western Lake', that comprise Shichahai, the collective name for the three northernmost lakes in central Beijing. Since the early 2000s, the hutong neighborhood around Houhai has become known for its nightlife as many residences along the lake shore have been converted into restaurants, bars, and cafes. The area is especially popular with foreign tourists visiting Beijing and is also often visited by the

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. The term often refers to a professional, skilled worker, or student from an affluent country. However, it may also refer to retirees, artists and ...

community and the younger generations of locals. The Former Residence of Soong Ching-ling and Prince Gong Mansion are both located in the Houhai neighborhood.

History

The artificial lake of Houhai was built during the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...

, and formed part of the ancient waters of the dynasty. The area was gentrified by the Yuan, and was exclusively reserved to the royal family. Built in the Yuan winter capital of Dadu, today it is located in the center of

facing the

Forbidden City The Forbidden City () is the Chinese Empire, imperial Chinese palace, palace complex in the center of the Imperial City, Beijing, Imperial City in Beijing, China. It was the residence of 24 Ming dynasty, Ming and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasty L ...

and today is renowned as a place of relaxation for Beijingers, and for its nightlife. The street network of Houhai was also created during the Yuan dynasty. The Yuan's long Nanluogu Lane is considered one of the oldest hutongs in Beijing, located in one of its oldest neighborhoods. Many buildings are very old, and exhibit the traditional Beijing architectural features.

Access

Beijing Bus routes 5, 60, 90, 107 and 204 stop at the Drum Tower, just east of Houhai. The nearest subway station at Beihai North on Line 6 is about half a kilometer west of Qianhai. To reach Houhai, subway riders must walk north along the shore of Qianhai to Houhai.

Images

File:Houhai3.jpg, The Houhai lake in Beijing at night File:Houhai4.jpg, A stone bridge across the lake File:HouHaiRestaurant.jpg, Houhai from a restaurant on the west shore File:Houhai Lake in winter 4.jpg, Houhai Lake in winter

References

External links

New York Times: Houhai Market

"This area of Beijing contains some of the most extensive old hutong neighborhoods and the three lakes of Xihai, Houhai and Oianhai."
Illustrip: Interactive and printable map of Houhai
Tourist attractions in Beijing Landforms of Beijing Lakes of China Geography of Beijing Xicheng District {{Beijing-geo-stub