Shichahai — the trio of interconnected lakes (Qianhai, Houhai and Xihai) just northwest of the Forbidden City — is perhaps the most atmospheric corner of old Beijing, where willow-lined water, centuries-old hutongs, a beautiful princely mansion and a famous lakeside bar street all sit side by side. By day it’s serene: locals fish and practise tai chi, rickshaws weave through the alleys, and you can take a boat out on the water or wander the most authentic hutongs in the city. By night, Houhai Bar Street lights up with music and lakeside drinking. The lakes are free and open 24/7, boat rentals run roughly April–October for around ¥60–120, and in winter the frozen lake becomes a beloved ice-skating playground. This guide covers what to do by day and night, the boats, the hutongs, Prince Gong’s Mansion, and how to make the most of Beijing’s loveliest lakes.
Shichahai is my favourite place to feel the soul of old Beijing — it blends nature, history, local life and nightlife in one walkable area, and it rewards both a lazy afternoon and a lively evening. This guide covers the day-time pleasures (boats, hutongs, Prince Gong’s Mansion, Yandai Xiejie), the after-dark bar scene, the seasonal highlights including winter skating, how to get there, and the questions visitors ask. Come for the willows and the water by day; stay for the lanterns reflecting on the lake by night.
Shichahai & Houhai at a glance
- What: three connected lakes (Qianhai, Houhai, Xihai) ringed by historic hutongs, northwest of the Forbidden City.
- Cost: free, open 24/7; boats ~¥60–120, Prince Gong’s Mansion ~¥40.
- By day: boating, hutong walks, Prince Gong’s Mansion, Yandai Xiejie, Silver Ingot Bridge.
- By night: Houhai Bar Street — live music, lakeside bars, lanterns on the water.
- Winter: the frozen lake becomes an ice-skating and ice-sled playground.
- Nearest metro: Shichahai (Line 8, Exit A1) or Beihai North (Line 6).
- Time needed: half a day, or a full day into the evening.
Shichahai by day
The daytime appeal of Shichahai is its rare blend of water, willows and living history. The lakes were once part of the imperial water system, and their banks have been a leisure spot for Beijingers for centuries. Today you’ll find locals fishing, swimming in summer, playing chess, and exercising along the shore — it’s a genuine community space, not just a tourist sight. Stroll the lakeside paths under the willows, cross the historic Silver Ingot Bridge (Yinding Qiao) that separates Qianhai and Houhai, and dip into the surrounding hutongs, which are among among the most authentic and best-preserved in all of Beijing. The pace is unhurried and the scenery genuinely beautiful, especially in spring when the willows turn green and in autumn when the trees turn gold and reflect in the still water.
Boat rides on the lakes
From spring to autumn, getting out on the water is the quintessential Shichahai experience. You can rent pedal and electric boats or hop on a small ferry (roughly ¥60–120 depending on type and duration), drifting past the willows and courtyard houses with the Drum Tower rising beyond. It’s wonderfully relaxing and a little surreal, and the view of old Beijing from the water — courtyard rooftops, swaying willows and the distant silhouette of the Drum Tower — is one you simply won’t get anywhere else. In the evening, a boat out on the lit-up lake, with the bar-street lights shimmering on the water, is especially romantic.
Prince Gong’s Mansion
Tucked into the hutongs west of the lakes, Prince Gong’s Mansion (Gong Wang Fu) is the best-preserved princely residence in Beijing — an 18th-century mansion with exquisite halls, courtyards and one of the finest classical gardens in the city. Once home to the corrupt Qing official Heshen and later a Qing prince, it offers a glimpse of aristocratic life and a beautiful and far less crowded counterpoint to the great imperial palaces. Admission is around ¥40, and it’s well worth an hour or two.
Yandai Xiejie (Skewed Tobacco Pouch Street)
This charming, slightly crooked little lane running off the lakes is one of Beijing’s oldest commercial hutongs, lined with teahouses, antique shops, snack stalls and craft stores. It’s more atmospheric and manageable than the bustle of Nanluoguxiang, and it leads handily toward the Drum and Bell Towers. A lovely place for a slow browse, a cup of tea and a snack on the way to the towers.
Houhai by night: the bar street
As the sun sets, Houhai transforms. Houhai Bar Street was one of the first places in Beijing to develop a bar culture, and it remains a defining part of the city’s nightlife — a string of bars wrapping around the lake, ranging from rowdy live-music venues blasting cover bands to mellow, candle-lit lakeside lounges. You can sit outdoors with a drink and the lake view, listen to a live band, or simply stroll the illuminated shore as lanterns and neon reflect on the water. It’s lively, undeniably touristy and a lot of fun, though drinks cost more than elsewhere in the city and the hard-sell from touts can be intense at the busier venues — pick a quieter spot away from the main cluster for a more relaxed drink. For the wider after-dark scene, see our Beijing nightlife guide.
The surrounding hutongs
The lanes around Shichahai are some of the most authentic in Beijing — a maze of grey-brick courtyard homes where real life carries on alongside cafés, guesthouses and small shops. This is prime territory for a hutong walk or a rickshaw tour: the Shichahai rickshaw station is the city’s best-regulated rickshaw operation, with uniformed, numbered drivers and clearly set routes and prices that take in Prince Gong’s Mansion, a local courtyard for tea, and the lakeside lanes (see our hutong rickshaw guide for prices and tips). Wandering on foot is just as rewarding and free — duck into the side lanes and you’ll find quiet courtyards, old doorways and the unhurried texture of old Beijing that has all but vanished elsewhere. To go deeper, pair this with our hutong walking tours.
Getting there and combining your visit
Take Line 8 to Shichahai station (Exit A1), the closest, or Line 6 to Beihai North. The area connects beautifully with the rest of old Beijing: Nanluoguxiang is a short walk east, the Drum and Bell Towers sit just to the north, and Beihai Park adjoins to the south. A perfect old-Beijing day runs from Nanluoguxiang through the towers to Shichahai, finishing with sunset drinks on the lake. The full network is in our Beijing subway guide.
The history of the lakes
Shichahai’s story goes back over 800 years. The lakes were once the northern terminus of the Grand Canal, the vast waterway that linked Beijing to southern China, and in the Yuan dynasty this was a bustling commercial harbour where grain barges unloaded and merchants gathered — the origin of the area’s old shops and the crooked little lane of Yandai Xiejie, which once sold the long tobacco pipes that gave it its name. As the imperial city grew, the lakes became a scenic retreat for aristocrats and officials, who built mansions and gardens along the shores; Prince Gong’s Mansion is the grandest survivor. The name “Shichahai” references the ten Buddhist temples that once stood around the water. Through the Qing dynasty and into modern times, the lakes remained a beloved leisure spot for ordinary Beijingers, and that continuity — a place enjoyed in turn by canal merchants, Qing princes and today’s skating families alike — is exactly what gives Shichahai its layered, lived-in charm. Understanding that you’re walking beside a former canal harbour turned imperial pleasure ground adds real depth to a stroll here. For the broader context, see our Beijing hutongs guide.
A self-guided day-into-evening route
Here’s how to experience the best of Shichahai across a single day. Late morning: arrive at Shichahai station and walk to the lakeshore, getting your bearings with a stroll along Qianhai under the willows. Midday: visit Prince Gong’s Mansion while you’re fresh, allowing 60–90 minutes for the halls and garden. Early afternoon: wander the hutongs west and north of the lakes — or take a regulated rickshaw tour — and dip into Yandai Xiejie for a snack and a browse, crossing the Silver Ingot Bridge on the way. Late afternoon: rent a boat and drift on the water as the light softens, or simply find a lakeside bench. Evening: settle into a lakeside bar for sunset and the lantern-lit reflections, with live music if you fancy it. It’s a wonderfully varied day that moves from history to nature to nightlife without ever leaving this compact, beautiful district.
If you’d rather link it into a wider old-Beijing circuit, start the morning at Nanluoguxiang and the Drum and Bell Towers, then drift down to Shichahai for the afternoon and evening — the three sit within easy walking distance and together make the definitive old-city day.
Shichahai through the seasons
Few places in Beijing transform so completely with the calendar. In spring, the willows bud and the lakeshores turn a fresh, lush green. Summer brings boating, lotus blooms in the shallows, and balmy evenings on the bar street — though it’s also the busiest and most humid time. Autumn is arguably the most beautiful: from mid-October into early November, the ginkgo trees in the surrounding hutongs blaze gold, and the crisp air makes for perfect walking and boating. Then comes winter, when the lake freezes solid and Shichahai reveals its most local face — Beijingers flock to skate, push ice-sleds and slide across the surface beneath the bare willows and the distant Drum Tower, a scene that feels as though it has stepped straight out of an old scroll painting. Each season is worth visiting for a different reason; if you can, time your trip to catch the autumn gold or the winter ice. See the best time to visit Beijing for more.
Practical tips
- Come for both day and night if you can — the daytime serenity and evening buzz are completely different experiences.
- Use the regulated Shichahai rickshaw station rather than freelance drivers, and confirm the price and route before boarding.
- Choose a quieter bar away from the main cluster for a relaxed lakeside drink; the busiest venues can be pushy and pricey.
- Visit Prince Gong’s Mansion earlier in the day, before it gets busy and before you tire.
- Wander the side hutongs on foot — the free, unstructured exploring is some of the best in Beijing.
- Bring cash and your phone for boats, bars and snacks (WeChat Pay/Alipay accepted widely).
- Mind residents’ privacy in the residential lanes — these are real homes.
Where to eat and drink around the lakes
The Shichahai area is one of the best places in Beijing to combine sightseeing with eating and drinking. Beyond the lakeside bars, the surrounding hutongs hide everything from old-Beijing snack shops and copper-pot mutton hot pot houses to trendy courtyard cafés and craft-beer taprooms — the Gulou hutongs just to the north are particularly rich for food. Historic restaurants near the lakes, some over a century old, serve traditional Beijing dishes, and Yandai Xiejie is dotted with teahouses and snack stalls for a daytime nibble. For a memorable meal, you’re a short walk from some of the city’s best hutong food and within reach of a classic Peking duck dinner. In short, you never need to go far from the water to eat well here, by day or night.
A nice rhythm is to graze lightly during the day — a snack on Yandai Xiejie, a teahouse stop — then settle into a proper dinner in the hutongs as evening falls, before drifting to the lakeside for a drink. Because everything clusters so tightly around the lakes, you can let the day unfold without much planning, simply following your appetite and the light.
Shichahai & Houhai FAQ
What is there to do at Houhai?
By day: boating on the lakes, walking the authentic hutongs, visiting Prince Gong’s Mansion, browsing Yandai Xiejie, and crossing the Silver Ingot Bridge. By night: the Houhai Bar Street with live music and lakeside bars. In winter, ice skating on the frozen lake.
Is Shichahai free to visit?
Yes — the lakes and hutongs are free and open 24/7. Boats cost around ¥60–120, and Prince Gong’s Mansion charges about ¥40. Bars and restaurants are extra.
Can you ice skate on Houhai in winter?
Yes — when the lake freezes solid (typically December to February), Houhai becomes a popular ice rink where you can rent skates or ride an ice sled, a wonderfully local winter experience.
Is Houhai Bar Street worth it?
It’s lively and atmospheric, especially for a first taste of Beijing nightlife in a scenic lakeside setting. Prices are higher and the touts can be pushy at the busiest bars, so choose a quieter spot for a relaxed drink with a lake view.
How much time should I spend?
Half a day covers the lakes, a boat ride and Prince Gong’s Mansion. To enjoy the hutongs and stay for the evening bar scene, give it a full day into the night.
Is Shichahai good for families?
Very. The boats, the open lakeside paths, the rickshaw rides and — in winter — the ice sleds are all a hit with children, and the area is flat, walkable and full of snacks. Daytime is the best time for families, before the bar street gets going in the evening. See our Beijing with kids guide for more family-friendly ideas around the city.
What’s the difference between Qianhai, Houhai and Xihai?
They’re the three connected lakes that make up Shichahai. Qianhai (the front lake) is closest to the Drum Tower and the busiest; Houhai (the back lake) is the largest and the heart of the bar scene; Xihai (the west lake) is the quietest and most local. The Silver Ingot Bridge marks the divide between Qianhai and Houhai.
The bottom line on Shichahai & Houhai
Shichahai is old Beijing at its most charming — willow-fringed lakes, the city’s most authentic hutongs, a beautiful princely mansion, and a famous bar street, all in one walkable area. Spend the day boating, wandering the lanes and visiting Prince Gong’s Mansion, then stay for sunset drinks as the lanterns light up the water. Come in winter for the magical frozen-lake skating. However you do it, Shichahai is the place that best captures the romance and the everyday rhythm of the old city at once.
Combine it with nearby Nanluoguxiang, the Drum and Bell Towers, and adjoining Beihai Park. For the full picture, see the Beijing hutongs guide, and plan your trip with the complete Beijing travel guide.
