Gulou

Neighborhoods in Beijing

"Gulou, which means “Drum Tower,” is dominated by Gulou Dongdajie, the area’s main commercial thoroughfare. There you can find all sorts of hip shops, diverse restaurants, and nightlife options. At the west end of the main street is the actual Drum Tower and Bell Tower. These structures, while they appear small in stature today, dominated the skyline of Beijing within just the last century. When the weather and air are nice, the open square between the two structures is used by locals for roller skating, kite flying, singing, or playing board games.This neighborhood is hutong-heavy (hutongs are narrow lanes that made up the residential gridwork of Beijing for centuries and are usually constructed with grey brick). Visitors should get off the main drag and away from the crowds to explore the hutong and get an idea of what the city was like when siheyuan (traditional courtyard homes) were the primary dwelling." - MATADOR_NETWORK