Houhai Lake is hardly known for its hip and happening boutiques – but one woman plans to change all that.
Yes that’s right. She may be pintsized, but Guo Yang Yang is a lady on a mission. Thanks to her great connections (and the help of a small group of creative luxury lovers), Lotus Lane is going to get a BIG makeover in the next 18 months.
Noisy, neon-lit bars on the southwest of the lake such as ‘Buffalo’ and ‘Sex and da City’ (gah) will slowly be replaced by more thoughtful spaces, the first of which is already making a subtle impact.
Meet the Guanfu Museum Shop (we admit it’s not the catchiest title) – an ultra-stylish café and boutique Beijing can truly call its own.
Wooden counters and black-and-white-tile floors are always a good look (think Harrod’s Food Hall), raising the chic factor by the power of ten the moment you walk through the glass front doors. And with its selection of genuine Buddhist antiques (prayer beads, necklaces, statuettes) and contemporary souvenirs and gifts, this shop is a winner if you’re looking for something local, artisanal and beautifully packaged.
Another great reason to stop by is the café on the second floor, where you can enjoy a shot of Segafredo espresso coffee whilst admiring the gorgeous, toy-town views of the lake from the window.
The pricing isn’t choke-on-your-dumpling-outrageous either. While on our visit we encountered gifts ranging from 50RMB (handmade soaps) all the way up to 15,000RMB (antique bracelets), the majority of the merch was under 500RMB.
Some of our favourite items included the truly stylish, tailor-worthy rolls of printed fabric (around 90RMB/metre), pastel coloured traditional Chinese pastries and the small-but-perfectly-formed hand-painted ceramic teacups. Those little handmade soaps aren’t bad either, coming in scents from Green Tea to Jasmine, and all boasting ‘Made in China’ loudly and proudly on the front. Finally!
Guanfu Museum Shop No.51-17 Dianmen Xi Dajie (just north of Starbucks at the lake), Xicheng District. Open 10.30am-11pm daily (winter); 10.30am-midnight daily (summer).
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