1. Ma Ke’s hidden showroom
If someone decided to shrink 798 and drop it behind the National Art Museum of China, you’d end up with C&C Park. This achingly hip former print factory isn’t just home to Meridian Space (with its fixie bikes, urban courtyard and café perfect for morning coffees) – but a huge surprise in the form of Chinese fashion designer Ma Ke’s showroom.
Hidden behind an oversized door, this epic gallery space will make your jaw drop when you realize the extent of it. The designer to the stars is known for her painstakingly handcrafted clothing and sustainable products. Her quirky, rustic Beijing space is a full on tribute to that philosophy…
Ma Ke Gallery 77 Meishuguan Hou Jie (first door on left as you enter the compound), Dongcheng district 东城区 美术馆后街77号 (Gallery open to all but showroom is by appointment only, so call 5753 8089 ahead of time).
2. Yishu 8
Just northeast of the Forbidden City, hidden behind rows of trees lies Peking’s old Sino-French university. Founded in the 1920s, this impressive building is now a contemporary art gallery and event space open to all, that happily still promotes cultural relations between China and France. With its myriad stylishly decorated rooms and delightful courtyard it makes a gorgeous detour from the hustle and bustle of nearby Nanluoguxiang.
Yishu 8 20 Donghuangchenggen Beijie, Dongcheng district 东城区东皇城根北街甲20号 (6581 9058; www.yishu-8.com)
3. 1901 Café
We always have a little chuckle to ourselves when we see cafes and restaurants proudly proclaiming ‘Since 1991’ on their signage. We’re tempted to stand outside and slow hand clap them. Nevertheless, there is a café in leafy Xicheng district that’s genuinely old – 115 years old to be exact. A former dormitory for the Catholic priests working in nearby Beitang Cathedral (another hidden gem), this beautiful, three-storey cafe still has its original plaster mouldings, fixtures and staircase. Lively, homely and with good coffee to boot, we can’t recommend a visit enough.
1901 Cafe 101 Xianmen Dajie, Xicheng district 西安门大街101号 (6616 0335)
4. Fayuansi
Have you ever played a practical joke on someone and it backfired horribly? Then you’ll know exactly how Emperor Qianlong felt when he went to this Buddhist compound for their annual vegetarian feast in disguise. Despite (to this day) being a famously tolerant temple, the abbot back then was pretty hot on manners, so when the incognito emperor slapped down his chopsticks after finishing his meal, he was unceremoniously booted out. With roots on this site dating back 1,370 years, this still-practicing temple is one of our favorite places to get away from it all and hang out with the monks.
Fayuan Temple 7 Fayuansi Qianjie, Xicheng district 西城区法源寺前街7号 (6353 4171)
5. The Mao mural in the hutongs
Few Mao-era murals remain in Beijing’s hutongs; even our favorite Lao Feng painting on Fuxue Hutong has been recently concreted over. But one or two still remain – you just have to know where to look. Perhaps the most hidden, but most rewarding when you finally spot it, is inside the doorway of No.65 Dongsi Shisitiao. Go take a look…
65 Dongsi Shisitiao, Dongcheng district 东四十四条65号
6. Hidden huochezhan hotpot
Few places are as surprising as this hotpot restaurant. Like finding treasure at the center of a maze, happening upon it as you stumble through the gritty hutongs behind the Beijing Railway Station at night is something of a thrill. A tiny doorway at the end of a dimly lit alley signals you’re in the right place. Peek your head in and you’ll discover a whimsical, homely courtyard serving one of the classiest copper pot huoguo we’ve ever seen. The hotpot water is Nongfu Spring for starters – and the suanmeitang (sour plum juice) is to die for.
Zhong Yi Xuan 34 Qing Ping Hutong, Dongcheng district 众宜轩老北京铜锅涮肉(建国门店) (Tel: 133 1131 6623).
7. Duanqiruifu Apartments
Most folks drive right past this grand old building at Zhangzizhonglu, but venture in (with confidence), walk behind the main clock tower and you’ll discover the tumbledown Republican-era complex of your dreams. Still inhabited, this enormous building’s apartments are more akin to the ones in Shanghai’s former French Concession than those found a block away from Dongsishitiao. Be a little daring and venture inside a few, up the staircases and into the buildings and you’ll find all manner of ramshackle gorgeousness. When you’re done why not grab a drink at Peanut Café in the compound’s south east corner, another insider secret.
3 Zhangzizhong Lu, Dongcheng district 张自忠路3号段祺瑞执政府旧址院内
8. Bai Family Mansion
No one wants to feel like a tourist – or do they? When we make the effort to get out to this jaw-dropping restaurant on Suzhou Jie we’re more than happy to buy into the gimmick. You’ll feel like you’ve entered a fairytale (or stumbled onto a movie set) the moment you step into the grounds of this sprawling (35,000sqm) 17th Century Prince’s mansion. In summer, being able to dine at the stone tables dotted between the lakes, pavilions, rockeries and winding paths is a treat not to be missed. Oh and did we mention you’re waited on hand and foot by staff in full Qing dynasty costume…?
Bai Family Mansion 15 Suzhou Jie, Haidian district 海淀区苏州街15号 (6265 8851).
Want to know where all the hidden stuff’s at? Why that’s our speciality! Just ping us an email at [email protected] and we’ll help you plan an off the beaten track trip you’ll remember for years to come. Or why not try our Beijing Time Chase, in collaboration with Beijing Sideways, which incorporates a few of the venues featured here.