Houhai

The Houhai lake in Beijing at night

Strolling the Houhai lake

Houhai (Chinese: 后海; pinyin: hòuhǎi; lit. 'Rear Sea') refers to a lake and its surrounding neighborhood in Xicheng District of central Beijing. Houhai, the lake, is the largest of the three lakes, along with Qianhai (lit. the "Front Sea") and Xihai (lit. the "Western Sea"), 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 Station 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

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  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