Olympic Games Sites and Hutong Half Day Tour

Overview

Tour Type: Exclusive Private Tour

Vehicle: Car or Van

Operates: Daily

Departs: 8:00am or 1:30pm

Returns: 12:00am 5:30pm

Duration: Approx. 4 hours

Pick-up: Your midtown Hotel

Tour Highlights

Take a car tour of the east section of Ping'an Avennue

Walk along Shichahai Lake Area

Walk on the Yandaixiejie Street

Stop and view Drum Tower and Bell Tower ( including entrance to Bell Tower )

Stop and view Bird Nest and Water Cube

Tourist Attraction Description

Ping'an Avenue - Literally means " Long Peace Road". It is also called the second" Chang'an Avenue, a main artery in Beijing. It is a 7 km long from Guanyuan Bridge on the western 2nd Ring Road through to Dongsishitiao Bridge on the eastern 2nd Ring Road. It used to be an old and narrow street. After reconstruction and renovation, the street was reopened to the public on August 28, 1999. It has turned into a Ming and Qing style street. You will see many old courtyards, former palaces.

Shichahai Lake Area - Shichahai" literally means "ten temple lakes". Shichahai Lake is also the name of three connectd lakes - Qian Hai Lake, Houhai Lake and Xihai Lake. The Silver Ingot Bridge ( Yinding Bridge ), a narrow channel joining Qianhai Lake and the Houhai Lake, the hub of Shichhai area with surrounding quiet hutongs. Shichahai area still has the ambience of an ancient city, despite its modern setting.

The lakeshore is packed with young people chatting, drinking and generally relaxing as wood pigeons coo overhead. In recent years it has become famous for nightlife because it is home to several popular restaurants, bars, and cafes.

Yandaixiejie Street - Yandai Xiejie ( Tobacco Pipe Lean Street ), a quaint 800-year-old hutong located directly north of Yinding Bridge between Qianhai and Houhai in the Shichahai area and the south of the Drum Tower, used to be well-known for sellers of long-stemmed pipes, hence the name. Now, it is a street lined with numerous antique stores and trendy bars.

Drum Tower and Bell Tower - The Bell Tower and Drum Tower is located at the north end of Dianmenwai street. They are a group of ancient buildings at the north end of the central axis from south to north in the ancient capital of Beijing. With a long history, they were once the time-keeping Centre in the capital of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

Bird Nest and Water Cube - At the Bird's nest (the Beijing National Stadium), Usain Bolt of Jamaica broke the world record by winning both the 100 and 200 gold medals at the Olympics; at the Water Cube (the National Aquatics Centre), Michael Phelps of America makes history with 8 Gold Medals in Beijing.