Yandaixie Street

Located in the Xicheng District not far from Shichahai, Yandaixie Street is one of the oldest streets in Beijing. It’s a street of contrasts, blending the ancient Beijing with the modern city it has become today. Various shops and cafes cater to locals and visitors from far and wide, who explore the street on foot or by rickshaw.

Yandaixie Street got its nickname, Tobacco Pouch Street, due to the huge popularity of tobacco and subsequent tobacco shops during the Qing Dynasty. Most of the shops in Yandaixie Street are situated on sidesteps and have large wooden tobacco pipe symbols at their entrances. Some even say that the shape of the street itself resembles a tobacco pouch.
The original ancient architectural styles found on Yandaixie Street, along with its historical and cultural significance, saw the street named one of China's Historical and Cultural Streets by the Ministry of Culture in 2010.
  

Practical Info

To reach Yandaixie Street, take one of the many buses bound for the Drum Tower and then walk south down Di'an Men Wai Street. Yandaixie is the first street on the right.