{"id":974,"date":"2015-03-20T01:00:50","date_gmt":"2015-03-20T01:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/stories\/9-things-to-do-in-sanlitun-beijing\/"},"modified":"2022-07-11T17:25:17","modified_gmt":"2022-07-11T17:25:17","slug":"9-things-to-do-in-sanlitun-beijing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/stories\/destinations\/9-things-to-do-in-sanlitun-beijing\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Things to do in Sanlitun, Beijing\u2019s liveliest neighbourhood"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By Eva Sogbanmu &#8211;<\/p>\n<p>A trip to Beijing wouldn\u2019t be complete without a wander around <a title=\"Sanlitun Beijing Hotels\" href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/Sanlitun-Hotels.d6160345.Travel-Guide-Hotels\" target=\"_blank\">Sanlitun<\/a>, one of the city\u2019s most vibrant neighbourhoods. In the 1950s the area, situated in the north east of the city, became the diplomatic centre of Beijing with many embassies and foreign legations moving in. As a result, the district has been a magnet for foreigners and tourists and became famous for its bar scene in the 1990s.<\/p>\n<p>These days, some of its less salubrious drinking establishments have disappeared and the area is dominated by the massive Taikoo Li shopping, dining and entertainment complex. But despite the inevitable march of modernisation, there remains a genuine buzz.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a guide to getting the most out a stroll around the streets of Sanlitun:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>1. Opposite House<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Start at the swanky\u00a0Opposite House\u00a0hotel on Sanlitun Road, the place to see and be seen in Beijing. It\u2019s the inn of choice for visiting celebrities and its bars and restaurants are the unofficial headquarters of the city\u2019s creative set. The dramatic foyer \u2013 a six-storey atrium \u2013 doubles up as showcase for contemporary Chinese art. The rooms are luxe minimalist, each with a well-stocked mini bar.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There\u2019s also a choice of Japanese, Chinese, Italian and modern European restaurants, as well as a nightclub. You may never leave.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Taikoo Li<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Connected to the Opposite House via the basement is Taikoo Li north mall, which houses a swathe of fabulous boutiques. For high rollers, there are pricey designer stores such as Balenciaga, Isabel Marant and Lanvin. There are also some more affordable, quirky boutiques such as\u00a0Brand New China, which stocks cool local designers. For a post shopping pick-me-up, pop to Colibri, a bright and airy caf\u00e9 serving delicious coffee and cupcakes.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3752\" src=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sanlitun-beijing-city.jpg\" alt=\"sanlitun-beijing-city\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><em>Photo: CC2.0 by\u00a0<a class=\"owner-name truncate\" title=\"Go to Banalities's photostream\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/richardsummers\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-track=\"attributionNameClick\" data-rapid_p=\"26\">Banalities<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>3. Greyhound Cafe<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When it\u2019s time for lunch, head to the\u00a0Greyhound Caf\u00e9\u00a0where they serve tasty Thai street food in a hip, contemporary space. For a healthier choice, there\u2019s\u00a0Moka Bros, a popular new spot that has wholefood salads and vitamin-packed smoothies on the menu.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>4. Sanlitun Road<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the mood for some pampering? Then take yourself to the 3.3 mall on Sanlitun Road. Walk straight past the snooty shop assistants who staff the numerous high-fashion boutiques and go straight to the fifth floor. There, at Lily\u2019s Nails, you can indulge in a fabulously relaxing and affordable mani-pedi.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>5.\u00a0Belita Jewelry<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The tiny store is owned by a Californian designer who describes her range as \u201ca mix of sleek, contemporary and bohemian style.\u201d With so many beautiful, hand-made silver pieces set with semi-precious stones, it\u2019s almost impossible to leave empty-handed.<\/p>\n<h2>6. Yashow Market<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yashow Market on Workers\u2019 Stadium North Road is a Beijing institution that has long been a magnet for bargain-seeking tourists. However, its four floors of clothes, shoes, accessories, electronics and much more are currently closed for refurbishment. Locals are hopeful that its gritty, authentic atmosphere won\u2019t entirely disappear with the current facelift.<\/p>\n<h2>7.\u00a0The\u00a0Bookworm Caf\u00e9<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">For a more edifying experience, head to another Beijing institution just across the road. The\u00a0Bookworm Caf\u00e9 \u2013 a bookshop, restaurant and venue all rolled into one \u2013 is a favourite among local and foreign intellectuals and hosts an annual literary festival attracting top authors from all over the world. It\u2019s worth popping in simply to soak up the highbrow atmosphere over coffee and a croissant.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3753\" src=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/bookworm-cafe-beijing.jpg\" alt=\"bookworm-cafe-beijing\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><em>Photo: CC2.0 by\u00a0<a class=\"owner-name truncate\" title=\"Go to Stephen Walli's photostream\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/stephenrwalli\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-track=\"attributionNameClick\" data-rapid_p=\"26\">Stephen Walli<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>8. Beijing Nightlife<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Any trip to Sanlitun has to be rounded off by experiencing its nightlife. Start the evening by working up a thirst at Transit restaurant, a stylish spot serving delicious \u2013 if tongue-numbingly spicy \u2013 Sichuan fare. Weather permitting, head to Migas rooftop bar for cocktails amid a stunning view of the neighbourhood. To round off the evening, saunter over to Swing Bar for more drinking and dancing. Thanks to its popular Filipino band blasting out retro tunes, the place is usually packed to the rafters.<\/p>\n<h2>9. Snack Trucks<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And the best way to end a night out in Sanlitun? Act like a local and stop off at one of the many snack trucks that dot the side streets. Try a\u00a0<em>chuanr\u00a0<\/em>(meat kebab) or\u00a0<em>tang er duo\u00a0<\/em>(fried sugar cake) if you dare.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">[button style=&#8217;blue&#8217;\u00a0url=&#8217;https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/vc\/cheap-flights\/singapore-to-beijing-sin-to-pek\/&#8217; icon=&#8217;entypo-flight&#8217; fullwidth=&#8217;true&#8217;] Flights from Singapore to Beijing[\/button]<\/p>\n<p>[button\u00a0style=&#8217;blue&#8217;\u00a0url=&#8217;https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/Sanlitun-Hotels.d6160345.Travel-Guide-Hotels&#8217; icon=&#8217;entypo-flight&#8217; fullwidth=&#8217;true&#8217;]Where to stay: Sanlitun Hotels [\/button]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><em>Feature Image:\u00a0By\u00a0<a class=\"owner-name truncate\" title=\"Go to ahenobarbus's photostream\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ahenobarbus\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-track=\"attributionNameClick\" data-rapid_p=\"26\">ahenobarbus<\/a>\u00a0under <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\">CC2.0 license<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Chinese capital is not just about politics, smog and bad traffic. Anyone who\u2019s lived there knows that it is one of the most dynamic, culturally rich cities in the world. And for the canny tourist, there\u2019s much to explore and enjoy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":975,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[70,228,25],"tags":[202,229],"authors":[150],"class_list":["post-974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia","category-china","category-destinations","tag-beijing","tag-sanlitun","authors-eva-sogbanmu","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Things to do in Sanlitun - Beijing Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A travellers guide to the top things to do and places to check out in Sanlitun, a vibrant neighbourhood in Beijing, China.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/stories\/destinations\/9-things-to-do-in-sanlitun-beijing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Things to do in Sanlitun - 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