3. Nanluoguxiang

Located several kilometers north of the Forbidden City and just east of Houhai Lake is Nanluoguxiang (NLGX), an 800-meter long North-South alleyway filled with cafes, bars, and shops all designed in classical Chinese 'hutong' style. Nanluoguxiang has a history of over 800 years. Once a flourishing commercial street during the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), the NLGX area became a popular residential area for government officials and elites during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties.