Houhai

The Houhai lake in Beijing at night

Strolling the Houhai lake

Not to be confused with the Houhai in Fujian or Guangdong.

Houhai (Chinese: 后海; pinyin: hòu hǎi; literally: "Rear Lake") refers to a lake and its surrounding neighborhood in Xicheng District of central Beijing, China. Houhai is the largest of the three lakes, along with Qianhai (lit. the "Front Lake") and Xihai (lit. the "Western Lake"), that comprise Shichahai, the collective name for the three northern-most lakes in central Beijing. Since the early 2000s, the hutong neighborhood around Houhai has become known for its nightlife as many residences along the lake shore have been converted into restaurants, bars, and cafes. The area is especially popular with foreign tourists visiting Beijing and is also often visited by the expatriate community and the younger generations of locals.

The Former Residence of Soong Ching-ling and Prince Gong Mansion are both located in the Houhai neighborhood.

Access

Beijing Bus routes 5, 60, 90, 107 and 204 stop at the Drum Tower, just east of Houhai. The nearest subway station at Beihai North on Line 6 is about half a kilometer west of Qianhai. To reach Houhai, subway riders must walk north along the shore of Qianhai to Houhai.

Images

Houhai lake
A stone bridge across the lake

External links

New York Times: Houhai Market
TripAdvisor: Back Lakes (Hou Hai) "This area of Beijing contains some of the most extensive old hutong neighborhoods and the three lakes of Xihai, Houhai and Oianhai."
Illustrip: Interactive and printable map of Houhai

Coordinates: 39°56′28″N 116°22′44″E / 39.94111°N 116.37889°E / 39.94111; 116.37889

Old city of Beijing

Subdivisions	Inner City Outer City Imperial City Forbidden City

Fortifications and towers	Yongdingmen Gate Zhengyangmen Gate Zhonghuamen Tiananmen Gate Deshengmen Gate Bell and Drum towers

Forbidden City	Meridian Gate Gate of Supreme Harmony Hall of Mental Cultivation Hall of Supreme Harmony Hall of Central Harmony Hall of Preserving Harmony Palace of Heavenly Purity Hall of Union Palace of Earthly Tranquility Gate of Divine Might

Imperial gardens, temples and offices	Jingshan Park Beihai Park Zhongnanhai Taimiao (Imperial Ancestral Temple) Zhongshan Park Confucius Temple Guozijian Beijing Ancient Observatory Beijing Zoo Old Summer Palace Summer Palace Fragrant Hills Jade Spring Hill Temple of Heaven Temple of Earth Temple of the Sun Temple of the Moon Xiannongtan (Temple of Agriculture)

Temples and gardens	Shichahai Yonghe Temple Fayuan Temple White Cloud Temple Zhenjue Temple Miaoying Temple Wanshou Temple Temple of Azure Clouds Badachu Dongyue Temple Guanghua Temple Tanzhe Temple Wofo Temple Big Bell Temple Bailin Temple Guangji Temple Fahai Temple Changchun Temple Zhihua Temple Yunju Temple Tianning Temple

Mosques and churches	Xuanwumen Cathedral Xishiku Cathedral Xizhimen Cathedral Wangfujing Cathedral St. Michael's Church Niujie Mosque

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