The Houhai Lake area is one of Beijing’s most popular places to visit for both locals and visitors. The area is made up of three lakes, Qianhai, Houhai and Xihai, and manages to offer history, charm and fun in equal measures. Spend at least a day and an evening getting to know the area, partaking in outdoor activities and sampling the nightlife scene.
Begin exploring with a hair-raising tour by pedicab through the surrounding narrow streets, or hutongs as they are known locally. Over the past 200 years, everyone from monks to celebrities have built mansions and temples in the small lanes that weave around the lakes. Admire the unique architecture and historical value of old buildings such as Jin Si Tao, Prince Gong's Mansion, the Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling and Guang Hua Temple.
Enjoy some outdoor activities Houhai-style. Join elderly locals as they do gentle exercise on the machines along the lake, take to the water in a pedalo or rent a bicycle for a lakeside ride. Be sure to watch out for ambling pedestrians, as Houhai thrums with people day and night, especially places such as the Silver Ingot Bridge.
While Houhai Lake area is at its most popular in the summer months, winter offers different types of outdoor fun. When the lakes freeze over in January and February, people take to the ice in all manner of contraptions. Try ice skating or opt for something quirkier with ice biking, chair sleds or ice bumper cars.
The nightlife in the Houhai Lake area is legendary in Beijing. Some 120 karaoke and dance bars pump out music, their neon lights shimmering on the lake’s surface. Head out after dark to mingle with locals, sample Chinese beers and dance to well-known pop songs.
A plethora of buses stop at Beihai North Gate stop, which provides access to the Houhai Lake area. The area is open to the public year-round. Patrons tend to start filling the bars from 8 p.m. onward.
