About South Gong and Drum Lane (Nanluogu Xiang)(3)

6. Dangdi Shijian (The Local Time)

Dangdi Shijian (The Local Time) is a café located at No.1, Nanluogu Xiang. Sitting here and through the window, one can see Gulou Dongdajie (the East Street of the Drum Tower). The café is a small traditionally Chinese wooden structure with an attractive herringbone roof. You may be difficult to tell what its charms are, but you cannot drag yourself away from it. We can put it in this way that it looks like a house that will give you a sense of safety though a gust of wind may carry some broken tiles away from its roof.

7. Xijuting (or Hutongr) Entering Xijuting, you will feel as if you are staying in the old Beijing streets and hutong for the numerous photos of old buildings and lanes. Its guest area is partitioned by the colorful decorations of the miniatures of "god of kitchen", which may arouse visitors' great novelty and curiosity. If visitors show their interest in DIY, "Hutongr" may offer you with an opportunity to make a cup of on-site ground coffee in person. And then, you can have a taste of "Deep Hutong" coffee, which share much in common with the coffee offered by "Hutongr": It seems insipid when one first tastes it, but he will feel surprised for its soft taste and pleasant color.

8. Dongtang Inn In its strict sense, Dongtang Inn is not a youth hostel but a private inn only taking the business mode similar to the former. The inn is featured by a low price, simple registration formalities and a big-family atmosphere. The Dongtang dinning room next door to the inn is actually the inn's cafeteria and café, where backpackers can have simple food and hot drinks and travelers' guide in English. Backpackers may rent a bike from the inn for sightseeing or in search for snacks with old Beijing flavors. In addition, there is a variety of activities elaborately worked out by the inn owner to let visitors experience an original life style of Beijing hutong residents.

9. Sandglass Cafe One will feel at home when staying at this cafe. It has a narrow entrance, small lounge, simple bookshelves, green tea and timeworn keyboard, which remind one of the remote times. Obviously, the sandglass was associated with the time. The sight of this dark brown cafe, red sofas, red curtains and an old organ in it always bring back our memory of a musical lesson in childhood. Coffee served here is pure in taste and worth its price, especially Cappuccino made by the owner himself, which one has no choice but to have a taste. The inn puts up a folk ballad singing at each weekend.

10. Hongrenfang Bar Hongrenfang Bar lies cater-cornered to "Guoke" bar. There is a brown gate to the bar with a pair of copper lion-like handles. It is said that half a year is spent on its decoration, which shows that the owner had attached great importance to the internal design and decoration. Its internal decorations are characterized by the Chinese classic style, with an emphasis on the "Union between Heaven and Earth", an ancient concept about Chinese architecture. The soft gauzes afloat inside reveal the tastes of foreign countries under dim lighting.

(travelchinaguide.com/ebeijing.gov.cn)