NLGX 南锣鼓巷

Nanluoguxiang or NLGX or 南锣鼓巷 just east of Houhai 后海 is an 800m long street filled with hip shops, coffee lounges and bars. Apparantly it's been around for 800 years and was a residential area for officials during Ming and Qing dynasties.

I spent the better part of a sunny sunday just strolling around up and down the street.


Some locals just chilling outside, they do that a lot here...walk around any hutong 胡同 (traditional Beijing neighborhood) and you will see Beijingers young and old (usually older) just hangin' around outside chatting. Recognize my shadow?


Traditional chinese molassas candy blown into weird shapes and animals. I remember when I first visited China at the age of 7 a guy like this made me a stick of candy in the shape of a phoenix.


Here's what NLGX looks like on a sunday...


Xiaowais 小外 sitting on the side of the street acting like locals and loving the attention, there must have been 20 ppl taking pics of them.


Interesting door design I came across


Watch out for flying bikes!


Typical view of a houtong 胡同 alley, it's fun to just wander in and out of these streets.


A funny little t-shirt shop


Same shop at 6pm


Apparantly Beijing's smallest bar....just 12 square meters, i couldn't fit