Providing a service that lies somewhere between lending library, coffee shop, and restaurant and bar, its originality and useful service for the Beijing English language book reading community is invaluable. With high-ceilinged rooms and a simple open plan layout, just sitting and soaking up the atmosphere in the café is a pleasure. The walls of the rooms are lined with ceiling to floor bookshelves; all volumes can be taken out and returned using a library system afforded to members who pay a very reasonable sum of just 300 RMB a year. Membership also gets you a 10% discount on the menu and cheaper access to the Bookworm’s many events. Given that many books are difficult to get hold of in China the Bookworm is a godsend to the veracious reader. The drink and food menus are comprehensive and fairly sophisticated, suiting the tastes of upwardly mobile clientele. The Bookworm is one of the favorite venues of visiting authors to hold readings; these are often packed out affairs, with a wide cross section of local and expat visitors – check their website for upcoming events. The Bookworm isn’t just a coffee shop/bar/restaurant – it’s a Beijing institution. And they have a Chengdu and Suzhou branch as well.

There are quite a number of Tibetian ornamental displays at the entrance of this cafe which attracted me to enter this place (because I have long wanted to visit Tibet but have not had the opportunity). The boss (there is no waiter in his cafe, only the boss and his brother minding the place) is from Tibet and speaks fluently in Mandarin and English. Perhaps this is Tibetan culture, they looked a little stern. However I liked the open roof top seating area on the second floor. They serve authentic Tibetan tea at RMB25~250ml (tastes like cereal milk tea) and Tibetian beer (5% alcohol, tastes a little sour and resembles Russia\'s non-alcoholic wheat drinks) at RMB15~150ml. They also serve "illy" coffee, Qingdao Beer~costs RMB15. Lights snacks are also available.

And many shops, cafes and bars are opened there. Café Alba is one of the popular café there.Cafe Alba is the perfect place to relax with a book in one hand and a cup of well-brewed coffee in the other. If it’s a strong cup of coffee and friendly ambience you’re looking for, then you’ve definitely found the right spot. What’s more, Alba also offers a delicious range of freshly prepared food, including sandwiches and a mouth-watering range of desserts. Try their homemade apple tart, or their delicious ice-cream. The cafe also offers free wireless internet, so taking your laptop and lounging in the cafe’s intimate settings for a few hours is also a viable option.

Introduction

Blink and you'll miss the opening in the faux-adobe wall of the Nali Patio, where two Frenchmen from Britanny have imported their local street food to Beijing. With only four or five outdoor tables in the warm weather, most patrons have to eat and run like at the city's typical jianbing (Beijing pancake) stalls. The lucky few, however, can while away the afternoon with cider or Pastis.

There are savory crêpes such as the Bretonne and the Salmon crêpe, which are perfect for a light meal. They also serve paninis and waffles if you're looking for something heartier. Dessert crêpes include the obligatory Nutella, bananas and whipped cream. For something different try the flambéed Crêpe Suzette with Grand Marnier.

Introduction

Founded in 2009 in Nanluoguxiang, the tiny café, bar and live music venue encourages quietly the city's local talent with tribute nights to the classic rock gods whose posters and photos adorn the walls.

Backed by record label and design studio Rockland, Sixtynine Impression Music & Coffee (69 Cafe for short) only jumps out if you're looking for it, with a black doorway leading into an alley, marked with white records making the 69 logo.

The space inside is limited, which is fine for most of their events, where local singer-songwriter types play a set of covers of classic artists like Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Lou Reed and Radiohead. But when they invite someone like Snapline or Carsick Cars' frontman Zhang Shouwang to the stage, you'd better plan to turn up early or you won't make it through the door.

But what makes 69 Cafe great is its laid back atmosphere and homey, cozy design. Crammed with classic rock memorabilia and comfy couches, it's easy to while away the afternoon hours, or catch an experimental band on the weekend. Most shows start around 9pm and will set you back RMB20, so it's an easy night of quality music in the heart of bustling Nanluoguxiang.

They're stocked with the usual Tiger and Tsingtao beers for RMB20/bottle, with a few imported brews around RMB40. They also have a selection of standard cocktails and mixed drinks (RMB30-45), and some intriguing zodiac-themed drinks (RMB45-60) which we didn't try for fear of blue curaçao.

Beijing Graceland Yard is a themed courtyard hotel which has the features of the Zen culture, for the hotel is altered from Zhengjue Temple which has 500 years of history with oriental taste. You cannot only experience the traditional Chinese and folk cultures as you enter the hotel, but also experience the fresh and elegant Zen culture, as if you have entered the Walden Lake’s environment in spite of the bustling city environment. The hotel is locate between Houhai Lake and Gokokuji Temple, only 10 minutes by foot from Shichahai. You can drink, dance, enjoy the beautiful attractions, and experience the charms of Beijing at night.

Take Bus No. 22 at Qianmen, get off at Xinjiekou South, and walk for 150 meters to Zhengjue Hutong on the east of the road.

The Ancient Music Center is located in Zhihua Temple, which was once the family home of a powerful eunuch responsible for imperial rites and ceremonies. Musical performances here are currently by appointment, but regular events are planned. Using period instruments, the musicians play pieces used in Ming dynasty rituals and compositions designed to help monks memorize Buddhist scriptures. Do visit the west hall of the main courtyard: it features Beijing's only Ming dynasty octagonal wooden pedestals. The woodcarvings are intricate and exquisitely fluid. Admire the beautiful latticework on the ceiling and the serene Buddha sitting underneath. The faded colors lend a subtlety that's missing from other temple adornments. See also "Zhihua Temple."

Think of it as the Stratford-upon-Avon of China. Cao Xueqin wrote the fourth and final of China's four classic novels, Dream of the Red Chamber, also occasionally translated as A Dream of Red Mansions or Story of the Stone. Cao was born into a Manchurian noble family (although the family was ethnically Han) that over time fell into decline. In his novel, Cao traces the amorous adventures of Jia Baoyu and his two love interests, Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai. Over the course of the novel, the Jia family suffers a similar fate as Cao's. An entire sub-school of Chinese literature, dubbed "Redology," picks apart the text and its various inconsistencies in the same way that Shakespearean works are constantly read, analyzed and dissected.

Cao was originally from Nanjing but settled in Beijing after his family's decline. The house is neither red nor a mansion. For one interpretation of the novel's courtyards, visit Grand View Garden in Xuanwu District.

No hyperbole here: this temple is home to the biggest bell in China. The bronze giant is 6 meters tall, weighs 46.5 tons and is adorned with 230,000 characters of Buddhist scripture. It is rung for prosperity on New Year’s Eve and during the Spring Festival. The temple also features a complete set of Ming style chimes and, in the museum in the rear, well preserved Song and Yuan dynasty bells.

For RMB 100, musicians will give command performances. Don’t feel limited to classical Ming compositions, which the attendant described as “a little depressing”: they will perform anything from Beethoven’s ‘Für Elise’ to ‘Happy Birthday.’ CDs are available to enjoy the good vibrations at home

Is it a courtyard hotel you want to stay at now? Is it a boutique hotel to stay at now? Duge Courtyard Boutique Hotel is the one that satisfy your wish.

It is a small hotel tucked away in the small lanes near the latest trendsetters hotspot – Nanluoguxiang in Dongcheng District of Beijing. It is quirky, welcoming and bursting with bright colors. Experience the traditional courtyard living at its finest in the refined, elegant surroundings of Duge. Each of the 10 rooms and suites follows a different theme. All the Duge’s 10 uniquely suites and rooms are open directly onto the inner courtyards, are fully equipped with every comfort and amenities to offer guests a warm welcome and a comfortable stay at any time of the year.

Take Bus No. 90, 104, 108, 113, 201, 612, 758, 11, and get off at Jiaodaokou South Station.