Beijing 2018 - Nan Luo Gu Xiang
I take back what I said about The Forbidden City. This takes the crown for being the most crowded place in Beijing! Nan Luo Gu Xiang is one of the hottest attractions in Bejing right now. It is also one of the oldest Hutongs in the city, having existed for over 800 years since the Yuan Dynasty. When we went there just after lunch, it was chock-a-block with people. This used to be a traditional street, but most of the houses here have been converted into commercial outlets – shops, cafes, restaurants, etc. The street is around 800m long. Most people seem to come here just to walk around and people-watch. There are supposedly a number of very authentic Shiheyuans along the street, but it is very difficult to look past the gaudy commercial displays. It is not hard to see the attraction. The crowd is definitely part of the main draw, providing plenty of people-watching entertainment. It is kind of like a theme park for lovers of shopping and cafe hopping. There are some shops worth ch
