Where to start visiting Shichahai in Beijing? How to visit Shichahai in Beijing?

Shichahai is located in the central urban area of ​​Beijing. It is also a famous tourist scenic spot. You can visit the mansions of senior officials and the alleys with Beijing characteristics. It is very suitable for walking and strolling. If you are tired, you can also take a rickshaw to experience the old human-powered rickshaws and learn some stories about old Beijing from the old rickshaw drivers. Shichahai is a very large place, so where is the best place to start?

Where to start visiting Shichahai in Beijing

Take Exit B of Jishuitan Subway Station, and on the right is the Guo Shoujing Memorial Hall and the West Sea Entrance of Shichahai.

It is recommended to go north from the west bank of Qianhai, pass Shichahai Sports School, Guo Moruo's former residence, then go west, pass Prince Gong's Mansion and turn north, you can visit Prince Gong's Mansion Garden on the east side of the road. Then go north to Houhai, visit Song Qingling's former residence, go east along the north bank to Yinding Bridge, go to Baimixie Street for lunch, then go east across Houmen Bridge to see the Bell and Drum Tower in the distance, and then go to Nanluoguxiang. Beihai Park is just south of Shichahai Road.

How to visit Shichahai in Beijing

There are two ways to play here. One is to go deep into a certain scenic spot, and the other is to wander around the alleys casually, take a tricycle or walk.

In terms of scenic spots, there are palaces and gardens, former residences of celebrities, historical sites on the central axis, and temples with a long history. Some require tickets, while others can be entered directly. First, I recommend Prince Gong's Palace and Garden, which was once the residence of Heshen and later owned by Prince Gong Yixin. It is extremely well preserved and takes 2-3 hours to visit, or even longer.

The second is the former residence of Song Qingling, formerly the Prince Chun's residence. There are also the former residences of Guo Moruo and Mei Lanfang. Others include the Bell and Drum Tower Museum on the central axis. You can see the Bell Tower and Drum Tower separately, which were originally the places where Beijing City told time. Huitong Temple and Guo Shoujing Memorial Hall are also worth visiting.

Shichahai in Beijing is very large, and it consists of three water bodies: Qianhai, Houhai and Xihai. The hutong tour mainly goes around the hutongs around Qianhai and Houhai. Different rickshaws can go around in a large or small circle depending on the price. The route of the tricycle is the regular hutong route, and you can see the core hutongs. If you take a tricycle, the driver should be able to tell you something, such as where someone's former residence is and their stories.

If you want to walk through the hutongs, it is also a good choice. Now you can no longer see the Western Hills from Yinding Bridge, but the old brands at the bridgehead are still there. You can go there to taste the Kaorou Ji and Baodu, and then walk around Yandaixie Street, or go out of Yandaixie Street and visit the snack shops near the Bell and Drum Tower, Yao Ji Fried Liver Shop, etc., and walk around the old hutong under the Bell and Drum Tower.

Walking along the lake is also an option. The water system of Beijing's inner city is connected to the Grand Canal. At Wanning Bridge, you can see the stone-carved water beasts of the past. They are real ancient monuments, carved very vividly. The free Fire God Temple is next to Wanning Bridge, so you can visit them together. Shichahai is also very close to Nanluo, but you don't have enough time to visit all of them in one day.

How much is the Shichahai Ice Rink ticket?

Tickets are 60 yuan on weekdays and 80 yuan on weekends.

You can skate, play ice sled, ride an ice bike, etc., with no limit on the number of times and time, and you can play with all kinds of cars.

There are also storage lockers inside, a few dollars an hour.

The nearest subway is Line 6: Beihai North Station Exit B

Opening hours: 8:30-16:30, you can come early to take pictures when the sun is good!

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The Jinsitao area is a chessboard-style traditional residential area in Shichahai, Beijing, with many mansions and houses of various shapes in the hutongs. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, many dignitaries and celebrities have lived in the hutongs and their surrounding areas, and each hutong has a rich cultural connotation. For example, the North and South Guanfang Hutongs, the tour guide will tell you that this was the official defense of the Qing Dynasty, where many officials of all sizes lived. The Qing Dynasty emphasized that Manchus and Han people could not intermarry, and Manchus married Manchus. This is a Manchu mansion, and every family is an official.