Yandai Xie Street
Yandai Xie Street
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Beijing's oldest commercial street, just a block off pretty lake Houhai, is lined in traditional-style stone buildings that house charming souvenir and handicraft shops.
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The area
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How to get there
- Shichahai • 4 min walk
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4.5
203 reviews
Excellent
82
Very good
98
Average
20
Poor
3
Terrible
0
ceetom1
California484 contributions
Nov 2019 • Couples
Visited here in November before it got too cold. Came here after visiting the nearby drum and Bell towers, so there was enough to see in the neighborhood. There were places to eat and window shop with a nice easy vibe (NOT too crowded but by no means empty). There is a nearby lake where we saw tourists getting a ride in a covered bike by locals.
Written 9 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ramseytraveller
Ramsey, NJ159 contributions
Sept 2013 • Couples
From the Bell and Drum Towers walk south down the right hand side of Di'an Men Wai Street, take the first right (it is a small pedestrian alleyway) to enter Yandai Xie Street. This vibrant street has a variety of shops and places to eat. At the end of the street you will be at the Silver Ingot Bridge which is at the intersection of 2 lakes. There are numerous "sit down" restaurants and bars lining the lakes. I was there originally in the late afternoon and unfortunately very few of these restaurants were open then. This is however a great place to return to in the evening. You can rent a boat to cruise the lake or hire a rickshaw to take you around. The scenery is wonderful for picture taking here.
Written 28 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Phrym
Dasmariñas, Cavite, Philippines70 contributions
July 2018 • Solo
This little street is just a few meters away from the Drum and Bell Towers and the hutong areas.
I went here on two occasions during the day and during night time. I'd preferamd suggest this place to to cap your day to relax and refresh as there are small bars, restos and coffee shops. Night time is has less tourist junkets so you get to admire the little shops as you walk through.
There is an old post office that is still in service, and the lake is offers boating activities. There are bars that have live music and the place has a festive atmosphere at night. Photobugs will surely love doing nightscapes here.
Shopkeepers here are not pushy and mostly welcomes with a smile And some do speak english. Souvenirs here area bit cheaper than in other tourist areas.
Beware that there are touts offering men girly bars, they can be quite annoying.
Overall, a really nice place to visit and do so after dusk.
I went here on two occasions during the day and during night time. I'd preferamd suggest this place to to cap your day to relax and refresh as there are small bars, restos and coffee shops. Night time is has less tourist junkets so you get to admire the little shops as you walk through.
There is an old post office that is still in service, and the lake is offers boating activities. There are bars that have live music and the place has a festive atmosphere at night. Photobugs will surely love doing nightscapes here.
Shopkeepers here are not pushy and mostly welcomes with a smile And some do speak english. Souvenirs here area bit cheaper than in other tourist areas.
Beware that there are touts offering men girly bars, they can be quite annoying.
Overall, a really nice place to visit and do so after dusk.
Written 26 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eyal R
Tel Aviv, Israel31 contributions
Aug 2018 • Friends
You can find nice bars here, some have live singing band. We had nice evening drinking beer and listening to local music, . Although, it was more expensive then other places
Written 1 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joyce M
43 contributions
Feb 2018 • Solo
I loved walking or biking around this area when I was living in Beijing in my twenties. The quiet Hutongs and old courtyards told the tales of regular Beijing residents’ daily sorrows and joys, also hiding family histories that could trace back hundreds of years. Yan Dai Xie Street is among these old alleyways and had been a commercial street of many traditional brands and stores. On my last visit I found many interesting shops, traditional clothing, teaware, traditional music instruments and Chinese handcraft. There were also traditional Beijing snack food, such as deep fried sticky rice cake with red bean paste filling, a childhood favorite. In the antique shops some of the owners loved to chat about old Beijing tales. At the end of the street you would see the Shichahai lake zigzagging toward the Bells and Drums towers. The shopping experience and the scenery themselves would worth a daylong visit. However, if you go with a local you would get a lot more. I bought a fine-bone dragon tea mug for hubby at about $40 CND, probably could have paid less if I knew how to bargain like a local but still felt very happy about the purchase because you could find this kind anywhere else.
Written 12 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SOH KIEN PENG
Singapore, Singapore9,291 contributions
Nov 2014 • Couples
My wife became infatuated with this shopping street when we visited this lane while on exploration of the Hutong area near the Bell and Drum Tower and the and the Sichaihai scenic lakes area. It was a gem and I personally like the ancient ambience tinted with the modern shopping taste.
The Smoking Pipe Street (Yandai Xie Street in Chinese) was only 232 m long. The shape of the street also looks like a smoking pipe. This street was in existence since the Qing Dynasty days and it was so named because there were many smoking pipe stores along this street.
The British Imperialists were the ones who bombarded Guangzhou and forced Qing China to open her ports to opium trade and `annexed' Hong Kong for the next 100 years. The smoking pipes stores during those days serviced the opium addicts as a result of the proliferation of the opium trade.
Back to the alleys, I personally enjoyed the relaxed and quiet atmosphere along this street. We came across a wedding couple coming here to have their wedding photographs. The bride attired in bold red traditional Chinese costume while the bridegroom in smart western suit. With the ancient teahouses as background, the couple really looks gorgeous in their poise. The street was not crowded unlike the Chinatown in Singapore.
The street was also studded with bronze sculptures of the olden days rickshaw, the post boxes of the Qing Dynasty but the street was wide and there were modern restaurants running in the ancient buildings. My wife particularly like the souvenir shops selling embroidered scarfs and other traditional items which she chose as gifts for the neighbors and friends. She enjoyed the little shopping moving from one shop to another. And she told me that the price here was reasonable and in fact cheaper than many other shopping areas.
We came here twice. On our first time here, we were staying in a hotel at Andingmen and took the subway and alighted at Guloudajie subway station which was only a station away. On the second visit, we came here by bus from our hotel at the vicinity of Tiananmen Square and we took a public bus here. Bus no. 5, 82 and 60 ply and stop at the bus stop in front of the Drum Tower Station and the Smoking Piping Street is just around the corner.
You can visit the Bell and Drum Tower, explored the Hutong neighborhood, dropped by the Houhai or Sichaihai area and at the same time visit this Yandai Xie Street. It is really nice and relaxed ambience here. The music played by the eateries and restaurants here is soothing and relaxed not like the blasting rock music for the youngsters and expatriate from the bars and pubs at the Houhai area. Do visit here if you want to buy something reasonably priced but at the same time very traditional Chinese souvenirs.
The Smoking Pipe Street (Yandai Xie Street in Chinese) was only 232 m long. The shape of the street also looks like a smoking pipe. This street was in existence since the Qing Dynasty days and it was so named because there were many smoking pipe stores along this street.
The British Imperialists were the ones who bombarded Guangzhou and forced Qing China to open her ports to opium trade and `annexed' Hong Kong for the next 100 years. The smoking pipes stores during those days serviced the opium addicts as a result of the proliferation of the opium trade.
Back to the alleys, I personally enjoyed the relaxed and quiet atmosphere along this street. We came across a wedding couple coming here to have their wedding photographs. The bride attired in bold red traditional Chinese costume while the bridegroom in smart western suit. With the ancient teahouses as background, the couple really looks gorgeous in their poise. The street was not crowded unlike the Chinatown in Singapore.
The street was also studded with bronze sculptures of the olden days rickshaw, the post boxes of the Qing Dynasty but the street was wide and there were modern restaurants running in the ancient buildings. My wife particularly like the souvenir shops selling embroidered scarfs and other traditional items which she chose as gifts for the neighbors and friends. She enjoyed the little shopping moving from one shop to another. And she told me that the price here was reasonable and in fact cheaper than many other shopping areas.
We came here twice. On our first time here, we were staying in a hotel at Andingmen and took the subway and alighted at Guloudajie subway station which was only a station away. On the second visit, we came here by bus from our hotel at the vicinity of Tiananmen Square and we took a public bus here. Bus no. 5, 82 and 60 ply and stop at the bus stop in front of the Drum Tower Station and the Smoking Piping Street is just around the corner.
You can visit the Bell and Drum Tower, explored the Hutong neighborhood, dropped by the Houhai or Sichaihai area and at the same time visit this Yandai Xie Street. It is really nice and relaxed ambience here. The music played by the eateries and restaurants here is soothing and relaxed not like the blasting rock music for the youngsters and expatriate from the bars and pubs at the Houhai area. Do visit here if you want to buy something reasonably priced but at the same time very traditional Chinese souvenirs.
Written 18 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alienandbear
Daly City, California, United States153 contributions
Aug 2013 • Friends
There are a few interesting shops here.
The Tao Ran shop with the different figures...a lot of cute stuff can be purchased there.
You'll want to come here to do a little bit of shopping or just drinking some tea and chilling out after Hou Hai.
Pleasant little street.
Summary-
Bathrooms Have to go inside one of the cafes or tea places
Interesting small things to buy here
Come here after Hou Hai
The Tao Ran shop with the different figures...a lot of cute stuff can be purchased there.
You'll want to come here to do a little bit of shopping or just drinking some tea and chilling out after Hou Hai.
Pleasant little street.
Summary-
Bathrooms Have to go inside one of the cafes or tea places
Interesting small things to buy here
Come here after Hou Hai
Written 10 September 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JH Lim
Singapore, Singapore95 contributions
Oct 2019 • Friends
Relatively short and interesting street with lots of souvenir shops, some cafes and etc. Not much walking space, especially so with the amount of people.
Written 9 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Naomi W
Hong Kong, China50 contributions
May 2019 • Friends
I get there with my friend in Saturday.
Found some nice Cafe nearby the subway station.
In the avenue, there are quite a number of special shops from tea shops, cosmetic shop, silversmith, snacks shop and else.
There are bar and restaurant along the lake side as well while I visited there in the early afternoon and not yet open by that time.
Found some nice Cafe nearby the subway station.
In the avenue, there are quite a number of special shops from tea shops, cosmetic shop, silversmith, snacks shop and else.
There are bar and restaurant along the lake side as well while I visited there in the early afternoon and not yet open by that time.
Written 4 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Becky Becks
Singapore, Singapore51 contributions
Dec 2018 • Couples
Maybe cos it was a quiet evening but the shops feels very touristy too. its quite a short walk,not too big of a place.
Behind this street is hou hai . An area with water in the middle. Nice walk and can take photos. When you walk there at night there are loads of live music bars which we thought was quite different as they have an open glass concept for you to view the live music from outside and of cos there will be people asking you to go in. its an eye opener!
I actually enjoyed nanluoguxiang more to this place.
Behind this street is hou hai . An area with water in the middle. Nice walk and can take photos. When you walk there at night there are loads of live music bars which we thought was quite different as they have an open glass concept for you to view the live music from outside and of cos there will be people asking you to go in. its an eye opener!
I actually enjoyed nanluoguxiang more to this place.
Written 17 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are there shops selling brass Buddha statue?
Written 24 August 2018
I am so sorry - I wish I could answer your question with an affirmative “yes”, but I can only say “maybe.” I saw antique shops along the street but I didn’t go in.
Written 25 August 2018
Hey are there any recommendations on affordable nice places to eat here? Thanks!
Written 19 May 2017
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