A low-key walk through the planned Yuan-era hutong grid of Dongsi: a black-tiled Ming temple, the Lumicang granary lane, Shijia Hutong and its museum, and the Dongsi Hutong Museum in a three-courtyard house.
Best time: Tuesday to Saturday morning (both hutong museums close on Mondays; the Dongsi Hutong Museum also closes on Sundays) and avoid 12:00-14:00, when they close for lunch.
The route, stop by stop
- 1Zhihua Temple
Ming temple built in 1443, with black roof tiles and an old ritual music tradition. 40 min
- 2Lumicang Hutong
The hutong the temple stands in; walk it west towards Chaoyangmen South Street. 10 min
- 3Shijia Hutong Museum
Beijing's first hutong museum at No. 24, the former home of writer Ling Shuhua: scale models of the hutong and courtyard life. 45 min
- 4Dongsi Mosque
Old mosque on Dongsi South Street, seen from the street. 5 min
- 5Dongsi Sitiao (Dongsi Hutong Museum)
Dongsi Hutong Museum at No. 77, a restored three-courtyard house once the local police station; then walk on through the parallel Dongsi hutongs. 45 min
- 6Dongsi Batiao
Another of the parallel numbered Dongsi hutongs; end at Dongsi Shitiao station (Line 2). 15 min
More walks in Beijing
- Central Axis north: Jingshan to the Drum and Bell Towers
- Shichahai lakes loop: Yinding Bridge, Yandai Xiejie and Houhai
- Nanluoguxiang side hutongs to the Lama Temple
- Qianmen, Dashilar and Yangmeizhu Xiejie to Liulichang
- Temple of Heaven at 7 am: east gate to Circular Mound
- Beihai to Jingshan at sunset
- Summer Palace: East Palace Gate, Long Corridor and Seventeen-Arch Bridge
- Niujie and Fayuan Temple: the Hui quarter and Xuannan hutongs
- 798 Art Zone and 751 D-Park
- Ming City Wall Relics Park to the Ancient Observatory