Gulou and Nanluoguxiang 鼓楼和南锣鼓巷
Photo: Jason Lee Wong
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The center of hip Beijing, set amongst characterful hutong neighborhoods
Noteworthy for: Its hipster shops, quiet cafes and rooftop bars - oh, and the most famous area of hutongs in the city.
Word to the wise: When you're in the alleys, if you see the character 拆 ('chai') painted on the walls of buildings, take a second look; the building is lined up for demolition.
Once one of many clusters of hutong neighborhoods around the city, the vibrant alleys surrounding the drum tower now make up pretty much the only remaining area of authentic, 'old Beijing' life. Confusingly enough, the main road stretching east of the drum tower - right down to and including Beijing's signature hutong Nanluoguxiang - is the epitome of the hip new Beijing.
You'll be forgiven for being tempted by the rooftop bars, cafes, restaurants and boutiques that are the meeting point for the fashionable Gulou crowd. But take time to explore - and possibly get lost in - the tick network of alleys that lead off the main roads. Here you'll catch a glimpse of community life as it was all over Beijing, before the push for modernization began in the 90's.