MuseumNanluoguxiang, the Lama Temple & the Eastern Hutongs
SHIJIA HUTONG MUSEUM · SHIJIA HUTONG BOWUGUAN
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Nanluoguxiang, the Lama Temple & the Eastern Hutongs · 39.917°N 116.416°E
FreeClosure day
Beijing's first hutong museum (2013), in the two-courtyard home of the writer Ling Shuhua at 24 Shijia Hutong — the lane that produced the forerunner of Tsinghua University and the Beijing People's Art Theatre. A 1:100 model of the whole hutong with 130 courtyards, a sound archive of 70-odd vanished street cries and pedlars' rattles, and rooms restored to 1970s-90s Beijing life. Free, no booking for individuals, closed Mondays and over lunch — the one place in the district that explains what you are looking at when you walk the lanes.
EntranceLine 5 Dengshikou, Exit C, then 500 m east along Dengshikou St into Shijia Hutong; or Line 2/6 Chaoyangmen, Exit G, 700 m
Last verified 2026-09-11
How to book
Walk in; no online booking described. Group bookings by phone are mentioned on platform listings — the number we had is on a page that no longer loads, so ask at the gateNot independently verified — check official channels before you go
Beat the crowds
Never crowded; school groups on weekday mornings. Note the lunch closure — arriving at 12:10 means a two-hour wait.
Language
Bilingual panels in the main rooms; the sound archive is Chinese only — our assessment from the exhibit, not a museum statement (and it is the point). Volunteer guides in Chinese at posted times.