Walking Tour 2

Back Lakes Ramble

Start: Huitong Ci (metro: Jishui Tan, 218, exit B).

Finish: Mei Lanfang Guju, west side of Qian Hai (metro: Jishui Tan, 218, exit C).

Time: 4 hours.

Best times: Any time between 9am and noon.

Worst times: Mondays, when some sites are closed. Weekends can also be crowded.

There is, quite simply, no finer place to walk in Beijing. The Back Lakes area (Shicha Hai) is composed of three idyllic lakes -- Qian Hai (Front Lake), Hou Hai (Back Lake), and Xi Hai (West Lake) -- and the tree-shaded neighborhoods that surround them. Combined with other man-made pools to the south, these lakes were once part of a system used to transport grain by barge from the Grand Canal to the Forbidden City. Prior to 1911, this was an exclusive area, and only people with connections to the imperial family were permitted to maintain houses here (a situation that seems destined to return). A profusion of bars and cafes has sprung up around the lakes in recent years, providing ample opportunities to take breaks from your walk.

Beyond the lakes, stretching out to the east and west is the city's best-maintained network of hutong. Many families have lived in these lanes for generations, their insular communities a last link to Old Beijing. The energetic (or those with bikes) may wish to combine this stroll with stroll no. 4, "Lidai Diwang Miao and Huguo Si".

Begin at a park just outside the Jishui Tan metro station (exit B) along the south side of the busy Second Ring Road at:

1. Huitong Ci

This ancestral hall cum Buddhist temple dates from the Ming, but little of antiquity remains. The point of visiting is to climb to the top for a view of the road ahead. The nearest lake is Xi Hai, followed by Hou Hai and the spires of the Bell Tower (to the left) and Drum Tower.

Retrace your steps, turn left as you exit the park, and then left again to follow Ban Qiao Tou Tiao as it snakes around the side of Xi Hai. Cross busy Desheng Men Nei Dajie (set to be transformed into a 50m-wide [164-ft.] thoroughfare during the life of this book), and take the next left turn to follow the north side of Hou Hai to:

2. Former Residence of Soong Ching-ling (Song Qingling Guju)

Located at Hou Hai Bei Yan 46, this former imperial palace is where Soong Ching-ling (1892-1981), middle daughter of famous Bible salesman Charlie Soong and wife of Sun Yat-sen, spent most of her later life. While her family became leading supporters of the Guomindang (Nationalists), Soong Ching-ling steered a more neutral course, displaying some measure of sympathy for the Communists only after her husband's death in 1925. Mao later rewarded her with this house (admission ¥20/$2.50; open daily 9am-4:30pm). China's last emperor, Henry Puyi, is said to have been born on this site. On weekends, there's a risk of being trampled by soon-to-be-wed brides in their finery.

Turn left and continue southeast along Hou Hai Bei Yan to the:

3. Exercise Yard

On the right-hand side of the road, stretch your limbs and meet some locals. There's table tennis on offer, and Beijing's hardiest swimmers take the plunge from here -- year-round! Joining the swimmers is not recommended: There's a reason they wash themselves so quickly when they get out. Just south of here is a picturesque former royal residence, Chun Qinwang Fu.

Continue along the lakeshore, take the second left, and immediately turn right into Ya'er Hutong. On your left is:

4. Guanghua Si

A Buddhist temple dating back to the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), this complex originally comprised over 20 buildings. Only a few of the buildings remain. In residence are at least 20 monks, many from southern China. China's last known eunuch, Sun Yaoting, was caretaker of the temple for 2 decades, and died here in 1996. Admission is allowed on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month, when the temple is filled with locals praying for the success of their latest business ventures.

At this point you can make an optional detour eastward to the:

5. Drum Tower (Gu Lou)

This vaguely trapezoidal building (admission ¥20/$2.50; open daily 9am-4:30pm) with its bright yellow tile roof is the most conspicuous structure north of the old Imperial City. Skip the "free Tibetan Culture Exhibit" on the first floor (essentially an overpriced fake antiques market) and go around back to the steep set of stairs that leads to the upper chamber. From here you can survey the Back Lakes and take in tremendous views of the old Tartar City, set against the jagged-tooth backdrop of urban Beijing.

Walk south on Di'an Men Wai Dajie and take the first right onto Yandai Xie Jie, home to some of Beijing's trendiest bars and cafes. Bear left until you reach:

6. Yinding Qiao (Silver Ingot Bridge)

This white marble bridge, which marks the boundary between Hou Hai and Qian Hai, has stood here for centuries, although the latest version is the work of modern masons (1984). Standing on this bridge in the 18th century, the Qianlong emperor could see as far as the Western Hills, and he deemed it one of the Eight Great Views of Beijing. Air quality has dropped since, but there's plenty of entertainment below the bridge, where the rowboats of romantically minded oarsmen bump bows.

Cross the bridge and turn right. Take the winding road along the southwest shore of Hou Hai past a jumble of cafes, bars, and shops, and stop for a bite or a paddle :

Take a Break--Turn left before you cross the bridge, immediately on your left is an impressive four-story structure. This is Nuage, which delivers pricey but heavenly Vietnamese cuisine amid delightful colonial ambience. If the weather is fine, aim for a seat on the rooftop.

If you're not sufficiently rested, turn left as you exit and hire a rowboat or a "duck boat" (yazi chuan) and go for a paddle around the lake for about ¥50 ($6) per hour. In winter, pull on a pair of ice skates for only ¥20 ($2.50).

Cross the bridge and turn right. Continue northwest as the road leaves the lakeshore, taking a sharp left turn at a wide intersection into Liuyin Jie. Keep to the left side and you'll soon come to:

7. Prince Gong's Mansion (Gong Wang Fu)

The most lavish of the courtyard residences in the Back Lakes is located at Liuyin Jie 17 (admission ¥20/$2.50; open daily 8:30am-4:30pm). Inside is one of the city's most spectacular gardens, a combination of pavilions and rockeries perfectly arranged to make it all seem larger than it really is. You're only seeing part of the picture -- the original complex, built by the corrupt eunuch Heshen (said to have been Qianlong's catamite), was even larger. More extravagant buildings, built entirely from the rare nanmu (cedar), are housed in the National Arts Research Institute (Zhongguo Yishu Yanjiuyuan) next door.

Turn left as you exit, continue past the touts to turn right at a T-junction. On your right, you'll soon pass another prince's mansion, Qing Wang Fu. This spectacular residence is occupied by the army, so there's no chance of admission. Cross Desheng Men Nei Dajie, and on your right is:

8. Mei Lanfang Guju

This is the superbly preserved courtyard residence of Beijing opera's most eminent star, Mei Lanfang. Much is made of Mei joining the CCP, but a meticulous portrait of Guan Yin painted by the actor (displayed in Exhibition Hall 2), suggests he learned a new tune when the Communists came to power. Most intriguing is the exhibition of postures and hand gestures that Mei produced while at the height of his powers in 1935. Specific postures and hand gestures used to convey shyness, dozing, and mild surprise hint at the intricacies of the art form.

Winding Down--Turn left as you exit, and continue straight to rejoin the lakes at Qian Hai. On your right is Lotus Lane, which sports Starbucks, Kosmo, and bars with silly names like Sex and Da City. We recommend you continue on to Yinding Qiao to find Hutong Pizza.