what to do? I'm trapped in these alleys in Beijing and can't come back
In the previous article about Autumn in Beijing , I said:
I used to be addicted to walking on the streets in Shanghai, and was whetted by the small shops under the plane trees; but after visiting the alleys in Beijing, I felt that this addiction can be transferred.
The quality of Beijing's Hutongs is on par with that of Shanghai's streets. Both are easy to stroll around, but their atmospheres are different. The former is foreign-style, while the latter is down-to-earth.
Later, when I thought about it more carefully, I discovered that Beijing’s hutongs and Shanghai’s roads actually have a lot in common. For example, they are all based on historical streets and have spawned many interesting shops.
The surrounding area itself is a residential area, and you can catch a glimpse of the rich atmosphere of life from time to time. For example, the old man is sitting at the door basking in the sun, the students are riding their bicycles back from school, and the parents are following the children wearing red scarves home.
After discovering these commonalities, I realized what I loved most about the sense of conflict in hutongs.
The new things in this time and space collide with the buildings from a hundred years ago. The objects and characters in them all have a fatal attraction.
Hutongs in Beijing can be roughly divided into two categories. One is youthful, and the other is pure old Beijing.
Representatives of younger Hutongs are Wudaoying and Guozijian Street. The ones that maintain their original character are, for example, Liulichang Hutong, Yangmeizhu Street, and the alley near Houhai.
Because there are so many interesting alleys in Beijing, I am a bit anxious to finish this article. This article will mainly talk about the alleys near the Lama Temple. The next article will talk about the alleys near the Forbidden City.
Wudaoying Hutong
I visited Wudaoying Hutong on both weekends and weekdays, and they were completely different. It is relatively quiet on weekdays, and although there is no shortage of people in restaurants and cafes, there are no queues. However, weekends are completely different.
On the weekend, I even watched a #ContemporaryYouthPhotographyAwards here, and the winner was a kitten.
Let’s take a look at what places in Wudaoying Hutong are worth looking at, worth drinking, and worth spending money.
estuary
"Haikou" is a bookstore that opened not long ago and has now become the traffic driver of Wudaoying Hutong.
When I walked to the door, it was clear that I liked the style of this bookstore. The bookstore is small, so every book that can be put on the shelf is a high-quality product.
Recently, I have been wanting to read the dialogue between Xiang Biao and Wu Qi, "Using Yourself as a Method," and I happened to see it here, which made me like this bookstore more and more.
Why is there a bookstore here? The glass door at the entrance has clearly written: This alley is very good, and a bookstore would be even better.
Because it is called "Haikou", the design everywhere in the store echoes the name. It seems that when we enter the bookstore, we have all turned into fish🐟🐟🐟, maybe a salted fish.
"Welcome to uncharted waters."
"Friends who are paying, please come to the shore."
There is an irregular glass wall in the store, and the words printed on it hit me: Most people are willing to do anything to avoid real thinking.
Although the overall design is more popular, people can find their favorite books here, drink a cup of coffee quietly, and What's more, the environment is beautiful, and meeting these points is enough reason to linger there.
Metal Hands
Coffee shops and alleys are the best set of CPs.
Almost the best coffee shops in Beijing can be found in the alleys. Most of the coffee shops that can survive here for a period of time are quite reliable.
Metal Hands is a popular cafe from Beijing to Shanghai. You can often see Metal HandsMetal Hands when walking around in different alleys in Beijing. Just like Manner in Shanghai, it is a familiar friend on the street corner.
But the difference is that Metal Hands will be positioned one level higher than Manner. On Wudaoying Hutong, which is not long in itself, there are two Metal stores. One has a green front door, and the other has an old alley color.
The opening story of Metal Hands is quite magical. Originally it was just a place for roasting beans, selling beans, and training baristas. Later, after the founder read Bei Dao's "The City Gate Opens", he opened the door to accept customers. Greet curious guests one after another with cups of coffee.
MetalHands is the only mainland cafe to be ranked among the top 50 coffee shops in the world.
On non-weekends, the business here is so good that there is no room to sit, but there is no need to wait for a table. Although it is crowded, the feeling of being immersed in the aroma of coffee in a small space with strangers is quite good.
When the weather is nice, you can order some coffee and drink it calmly in the alley, as if you have become old Beijing.
In addition to sitting in the small shop, you can also sit at the door or in the alley next to it. There is also a glass sunroom hidden in the innermost part. In the sunroom, people are chatting about history and philosophy. Drinking coffee here can also supplement Knowledge.
The overall taste of this coffee is dark roasted, with a strong taste and a longer aftertaste.
I ordered a mini latte. The latte was delicate and beautiful, but after a few sips, the latte disappeared and the beauty disappeared in an instant. Fortunately, the fragrance of coffee and milk was soothing.
School
I wonder if you have watched "Summer of the Band"? School is often mentioned in the program. School is a place worth going many times for music.
When everyone talks about Beijing rock music, or even Chinese rock music, they can't avoid School because it is the paradise of rock music.
The school is closed during the day and welcomes guests, but the three broken basses on the door can make people feel that this place is not simple.
In the past, Penicillin and the Hedgehog Band from Lexia were regular guests here.
There is a saying that goes like this: "Society is in a mess, you can only go to school." It seems that this is a place where workers can heal themselves.
The walls inside are covered with photos of various bands that have performed here, and each face looks unique.
You can experience very primitive underground culture here. The stage inside is so small, but it is very popular; the door decoration is so simple, but the rock and roll spirit is very strong. The School really needs to be felt with your heart.
Picture from: City Pictorial
The prices of drinks here are very conscientious. The boss said that the supplier raised the price once before, and then the selling price increased by 5 yuan, but the other prices have not increased.
Picture from: cutydiandian
“Don’t leave too early, it’s only exciting after 11 o’clock.”
If you want to buy tickets for the performances here, you can buy them online or onsite. However, it is recommended to buy tickets online, as popular bands are difficult to buy.
WakeMeUp Coffee
I walked into this coffee shop because there was a little cat under its logo. Of course, to make sure I didn’t want to make any mistakes, I took a look at Dianping. The rating was 4.6 or above, and I thought I could go in and have a drink.
There is a white space inside and outside the store, and the color will not give people a sense of pressure.
The shop owner manages the shop alone on weekdays, but friends come over to help him on weekends. The shop owner is a very Buddhist person. When there are many people, he will take the initiative to tell customers how long they have to wait. If the waiting time is long, he will also suggest customers to try other coffees (of course, it is not ruled out that some people just want to queue).
Because I want to make every cup of coffee carefully, the owner said Don’t be in a hurry when making coffee. If you are anxious, you will not be able to enjoy the process of making coffee, and the taste will not be good.
It’s quite rare to maintain such a coffee-making mentality. This coffee essence is tested on a cup of dirty beans. You can choose between medium roast, roast and dark roast. The collision between milk and hot coffee is a bit strong, and the rich coffee cream carries the aroma of milk, which makes your mood brighter after drinking it.
You can flip through a magazine while drinking coffee, there is Cereal on the wall.
Two girls who came to the store at the same time were worried about having nowhere to eat lunch, so the barista recommended them the "Soup Kitchen" in the alley. The coffee shop is really a place where people can feel the warmth of life, especially that A treasure shop that is not very popular yet is "Wakemeup Coffee".
And the hand brew here is worth drinking, such as the "Guatemala" hand brew, which is a pot of ice brew. It tastes very concentrated, with a little bit of acid in the bitterness, and the more you taste it, the more fragrant it becomes.
Jianchang Hutong
I used to love watching Arrow Factory videos. When their team was first established, it was in the small bar of Arrow Factory. Maybe it’s because of the company that makes the video that I have a better impression of this alley.
At the end of Wudaoying Hutong, you can enter Jianchang Hutong. The obvious change is that the noisy world has become quiet.
I once saw a report on Jianchang Hutong on Vice, in which a guy from Slovakia said something insightful and funny: I think the Wudaoying Hutong in the north is too pretentious, and the Imperial College in the south is too commercialized. The Jianchang Hutong sandwiched between them is the real flavor of old Beijing Hutong.
Walking in this alley, you can catch a glimpse of old men leisurely basking in the sun, alley cats staring at me, an "invasive species", with appraising eyes, and returning families buying food, riding bicycles in the alley with a gust of wind. Pass……
The interesting shops in Jianchang Hutong are all hidden deep, and their doors are relatively low-key. It takes a little digging to discover a new world. What impressed me the most was a new Chinese dessert shop and a vintage shop.
Cell vintage store
Although the sign on the door of this store is small, it makes people want to step into this mysterious place.
After stepping into it, you may not believe that this is a vintage store at first, and may even think it is a place that collects junk items. But as soon as you look in the windows on both sides, the world is completely different.
The decoration of vintage stores is both ins style and very vintage style. The aesthetics of many items are exaggerated. It is still a bit difficult for ordinary people to control the clothes in the cell. However, there are also some styles that are relatively close to the people and can be worn daily.
You can find second-hand models from CDG and yohji here. I feel that the prices here are on the high side, but the operating costs of opening a store here are high.
After entering the store, the little brothers and sisters in the store will greet you warmly. It’s normal not to find something you like. Shopping for something in a vintage store is always a matter of fate.
You have to plan your time to go to this store, as it's easy to get shut down. It's closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and sometimes it's not open to the public temporarily.
Proterozoic
Like Cell, Yuangu also operates in a very low-key manner. I walked in with curiosity about the name and found that it was a quiet small shop with a new Chinese style decoration, which made it feel like home.
This place reminds people of a Japanese movie "Everyday is a Good Day". There is an irregular pool in the courtyard, which has its own fairy atmosphere. The tables and chairs in the shop are all made of solid wood, and there are Zen clothes for sale on one side. It is very It's relaxing.
小红书@黄小仙
The old saying doesn't mean "don't eat from time to time". All the food here also satisfies this rule. Recently, it happened to be on the winter menu, and the names are: Beginning of Winter, Heavy Snow, Light Snow, Winter Solstice, Xiaohan... I rushed here to eat Beginning of Winter, Quite interesting.
Image from: elkierighthere
Desserts from other seasons all have distinctive seasonal characteristics. They are simple and artistic in shape, light in taste and not greasy, making them comfortable to eat.
In addition to eating desserts, you can actually stay here. The guest rooms are named according to the seasons of "spring", "summer", "autumn", and "winter". It's quite fun to think that you can stay in winter in summer.
Guozijian Street is the only remaining ancient street in Beijing with four archways. In the Qing Dynasty, Guozijian Street was called Chengxian Street. The latter name can be seen on the archway now.
Compared to the first two alleys, there may not be as much food and drink here, but when it comes to home furnishings, this one is top-notch.
There is a "Lost and Found" designed by Shuhei Aoyama, and opposite it there is a high-end "Fanji Parlor". In addition, there are also some shops selling exquisite handicrafts.
What makes me feel amazing is:The service attitude of almost every store on this street is excellent. The clerk will not forcefully sell anything, but will follow your interests and slowly tell you about the items inside. story. Regardless of whether there is a deal or not, the face remains unchanged.
The residents living there are quite leisurely. When walking along the street, in addition to the eye-catching shops, what you see in front of you is a warm #OLDBeijingLifeIllustration#.
The shops on this street are full of quality. Maybe there is furniture hidden here that you will use for a lifetime, and clothes that you will wear for a lifetime. If you don’t believe me, I won’t show you.
Lost & FoundLost & Found
Many years ago, I watched an interview with Shuhei Aoyama. At that time, he roughly said: In Beijing’s hutongs, you can often see chairs placed by residents in public areas. They are like connections between neighbors. In urban communities, such a phenomenon is almost difficult to see.
There is this sense of warmth between neighbors in his design.
After visiting the lost and found center, I really wanted to kneel down to Shuhei Aoyama. He transformed a small alley room into a living room, bedroom, study room, and dining room. Every corner of the room can be taken out and appreciated like a work of art. It’s so pretty!
Shuhei Aoyama added a loft to the design, which not only makes the space look larger, but also allows for more functional partitions. Different green plants always appear just right on the cabinets, beside the sofa, and in the living room, contrasting with the color of the wooden boards, which is very eye-catching.
It was still autumn when I went there, and there were warm persimmons on the dining table by the window, along with brown tables and chairs. It was so friendly both visually and psychologically.
When the sun shines in, people want to stay here, read a book, or meditate in such a space. A friend said that she bought a desk here and has been using it for 7 years. The more she uses it, the more she likes it.
A space can actually represent the inner world of a designer. This is the second place I have been to designed by him (the first was Aranya's one-way space), and I have become a loyal fan of Shuhei Aoyama.
Oh, and there’s this little easter egg hidden on the roof. You have to walk to the other side to see it.
Fanji living room
Opposite the lost and found is Fanji's living room. Speaking of it, it is also driven very low-key. The small logo is placed on the brick wall of the alley. It is not obvious at all. You have to get closer to see it clearly.
Before entering the Fanji Living Room, you need to walk into a small entrance hall. Hanging on the wall are some of the star products in the Fanji Living Room, such as the Iceberg Sofa.
Without sincerity, you can't walk into Fanji's living room.
The wooden door used here is a push-pull wooden door. At first, the wooden door cannot be opened if it is pushed lightly. If it is pushed harder, the door still cannot be opened. At this time, many people will give up entering, thinking that it is closed to visitors. In fact, with a little more effort, this fantasy world will open to you.
In addition to the large furniture, there are also many handicrafts wrapped in a halo of ingenuity, such as wooden tableware and bowls and chopsticks; cute little dolls made of felt; high-end aromatherapy... all small items that can be taken away with you.
Walking inside is the large home area. All the furniture is low-key and not noisy, waiting for someone who really understands it to take it away.
The store clerks are busy pretending to have one-on-one interactions with customers, so just browse quietly by yourself.
Every piece of furniture displayed here has its own personality, and there is no sense of catering. Just like the chair in the sun in the picture, its inner os seems to be: Do you like to sit or not? If you sit here, we will bask in the sun together. If you don't come, I will enjoy the sun alone.
The window view of the courtyard is also very exciting. This is probably the dream house of many people.
In addition, there is no blind spot here. No matter which direction you look, you can find an interesting corner.
Haobai Store
When I walked into the Haobai store, the first sigh I made was: Wow, it’s so white! I asked a few friends who had been there, and they all said that their first reaction was the same.
There are two or three sanitation aunties resting at the entrance of the Haobai store. The bright orange and red colors on their bodies form a sharp contrast with the white background of the store.
Every cup in the cup display area is pure white, which is eye-catching.
Recently, there was a ginkgo cup that just arrived. The pure white cup body has natural texture, and delicacy and simplicity coexist in it. And when you put it under the light, the middle is a little transparent, which is so cute.
In addition, there are many pure white clothes here, all made of environmentally friendly materials. The store clerk told me that its philosophy is to encourage everyone to wear one piece of clothing for a long time, drink from the same cup for many years, and everything they buy must be of high quality.
There are also many items for little babies here, which are really healing to look at, and the materials are quite gentle to the touch.
Beiluoguxiang
After visiting Guozijian Street, you can walk through Chejiandian Alley and enter Beiluogu Alley. Nanluoguxiang is reserved for tourists, while Beiluoguxiang belongs to locals.
The yellow leaves here were beautiful half a month ago, but now it is estimated that the yellow leaves have been blown away by the wind.
In addition to hiding a lot of local daily life, you can still encounter many interesting shops if you just walk around Beiluogu Alley.
Zero waste no packaging store
Everything here is eco-friendly. From the green color at the entrance of the store, you can tell that this place makes people feel light. Indeed, if humanity wants to be sustainable in the future, it must think about how to live in a more environmentally friendly way.
The green door and red windows are simply Christmas colors.
The environmentally friendly items in the store cover all aspects of people's lives, from dish towels to canvas bags, there are quite a variety of them, and they all look pretty good.
Moreover, these environmentally friendly items are not expensive, with scented candles priced in the tens and toothbrushes sold in the tens, most of which are within the reach of ordinary people.
The proprietress and her husband previously filmed a documentary "THE BULK HOUSE", which recorded their zero-waste life and caused a craze on the Internet at the time.
The proprietress said that she and her husband produce very little garbage when they stay at home for a long time, and they are committed to reducing the burden on the earth.
The space on the second floor is a place for exchange of idle items. You can bring the things you don’t need with you, or you can choose the items you like and need among the old things to let the life of the old things flow.
French Mini Supermarket Plus
Although it is called a small French supermarket, the layout does not make people feel French style, but very down-to-earth. But the cabinet full of foreign wine has an internal smell.
This store is said to be owned by the largest liquor distributor in Beijing. It sells a lot of imported liquor, so the prices are quite reasonable.
You can buy wine and take it home or drink it in a hotel, or you can drink it directly in the supermarket. The structure here looks a bit like a bar, with a small bar still remaining.
Because sometimes there are people playing piano in the store, so I take advantage of the opportunity to drink. I feel like I paid the supermarket price for drinks, but I still experience the feeling of a livehouse. I feel secretly happy. It’s a good place to sit and chat with friends.
The aunt at the cashier is also very interesting. She drinks while paying and is the most relaxed cashier I have ever seen.
Wine is the main character, and some cheeses, sausages, and steaks are also sold here. There are many niche delicacies that cannot be found in big supermarkets.
VOYAGE COFFEE
VOYAGE COFFEE, like Metal Hands, is a well-known coffee in Beijing. The store's facade is also a bit simple. The signboard placed casually next to a small broken chair is quite personal. "Casual" is its style.
A place that everyone likes does not need excessive external decoration.
Because of its high popularity, it is hard to find a seat here from two to three o'clock in the afternoon.
Of course, it is recommended to go at two o'clock. When there are not many people, you can sit quietly by the window drinking coffee and basking in the sun. It is so comfortable, like a lazy kitten.
Be sure to drink the hand brew here. Recently, I have also been practicing hand brewing. Even if I use the same coffee beans, the taste will change due to the water temperature, brewing time, and the mood of the person who brews.
Picture from: snack food kabu
You can choose your own beans for the hand-brew here. The three types of beans represent three roasting levels of coffee. Among them, "Red Cherry" and "Black Forest" are the most picked hand-brews. There are also seasonal hand-brews.
If you are visiting this area, Yonghe Temple is definitely a place you cannot miss.
Yonghegong is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Beijing. It is said that praying here is very effective. As long as you buy a ticket of 25 yuan, you can go in to worship Buddha or visit, and you will be given a bundle of incense for free.
But I suggest you tell the window aunt that you only need 3 incense sticks, which is more environmentally friendly. The fragrance is not too much, but the heart is sincere and spiritual.
The Yonghegong temple building itself is very beautiful. At this time, I couldn't help but feel envious of Buddha and Bodhisattva. I lived in such a beautiful temple and felt peace and joy in the center of Beijing.
The recent Ginkgo biloba in Yonghe Temple should make everyone unable to help but take out their mobile phones to take pictures. The large swaths of yellow are so bright that it makes people's hearts When I went there, the leaves were still half yellow and half green, and I thought it was very moving at the time.
You can also eat candied haws on a stick at the entrance of Yonghe Temple. I personally tested it and it tastes good. The price is reasonable under today’s price system. Ordinary hawthorn candied haws go for 10 yuan per bunch.
You can also stop by to visit the Ditan Park mentioned in the previous article. It is only a ten-minute walk from Yonghe Temple.
There is also a bookstore that I love very much
Want to share it with everyone
I have always liked the platform DuoZhuYu. Not only can I find many good books, but I can also buy my favorite ones at 20-30% off the regular price.
It is an online second-hand book recycling trading platform. It has now opened physical stores in Beijing and Shanghai, and the Shanghai one is still under construction. Duomaoyu has very strict requirements for the recycling of second-hand books. First of all, they cannot be fake books. After recycling, the books will be cleaned, disinfected and repackaged.
This is a place where you can slowly hunt for treasures. When I walked in, I had no intention of buying a book, but after staying there for 10 minutes, I felt like I was possessed by a poison. I was attracted to this book and wanted to read that book a few times. .
In the end, for 88.8, I was able to buy 4 books + a canvas bag jointly made by DuoChaoYu and Cotton Times, which was full of happiness. Even though I thought about packing such a heavy book into my suitcase and bringing it back, it was still too heavy to bear.
It is highly recommended that friends who have not used it too much to catch fish can try it again. If you don’t read the books at home or have read them, and feel there is no need to keep them, you can sell them by catching more fish, so that they can have a new life in the hands of the next reader.
What I like most is the magazine section downstairs. The second-hand price of a single copy of "Zhiri" is only a dozen yuan, which is a no-brainer to buy (I don't mind if I get a used book, but I think it is very interesting).
In addition to books, DuoZhuYu also has some other second-hand items, such as clothes and scarves, each of which has its own unique story.
In Duozhuoyu physical stores, many books are not available online. Although the location here seems remote, in a film industry park beside the Tonghui River, you can reach SKP in 10 minutes' walk.
After all, where there are many fish, there is happiness. It is De ja vu.
There will be kittens walking nearby at the door of Duozhayu, lazily acting cute in the sun. I can’t help but want to rua~ Here is the cat movie↓
The above cat pictures are from: Sai Ni Ya
🍂🍂🍂
Visiting the alleys can bring energy to people. This energy is not brought by consumption, but when you see that every store is exciting, the people in the alleys live leisurely, and the young people are full of energy. In these scenes, you will gain a mood to live more seriously.
Now I am planning my next trip to the alleys. This time I have included the stories of autumn in the alleys. I want to bring the fun of the alleys in spring, summer and winter to everyone in the future.
That’s it for today’s alley walk. With the power of my eyes and feet, I may be limited in the stores I can visit. If you have any alley treasures, remember to share them with everyone.
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