🖌️ Liulichang Street | Beijing’s Artistic & Literary Haven 🇨🇳📚🎨

📝 1. Overview
Liulichang Street (琉璃厂文化街) is Beijing’s legendary antiques and culture street, long celebrated as a gathering place for scholars, calligraphers, painters, and poets. Located just southwest of Tiananmen Square, this stone-paved street preserves the elegant feel of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, lined with restored traditional buildings housing art supply stores, rare bookshops, seal carving studios, and tea houses. If you’re seeking a calmer, more cultured corner of the capital, Liulichang offers a beautifully preserved stroll through China’s literary soul.

🌟 2. Highlights
🖌️ Calligraphy & Ink Shops – Get lost in brushes, rice paper, and inkstones—perfect for art lovers
📜 Antique Bookstores – Browse collections of old texts, reprinted classics, and woodblock prints
🔮 Seal Engraving Studios – Watch or order your own personalized stone seal (印章)
🖼️ Chinese Painting Galleries – Find original works or prints by both famous and emerging artists
🏯 Traditional Architecture – Gray-tiled roofs, wood lattice windows, and carved signs evoke historic charm
🍵 Cultural Tea Houses – Relax with a pot of tea while surrounded by books and scrolls
🎭 Occasional Street Performances – Traditional music or brush calligraphy demos on holidays/weekends

💡 3. Tips
📸 Best photo spots:
📷 Ornate storefront signs with golden Chinese characters
📷 Artists painting in studio doorways
📷 Elegant courtyards behind open shops—many are free to enter
🎟️ Free to explore; some shops may charge for workshops or performances
🎨 Great for thoughtful souvenir shopping—look for personalized calligraphy scrolls or handmade brushes
🕐 Best visited in the afternoon (1–5 PM) when most shops are open
🧥 Perfect year-round; shady in summer, romantic in winter

🍽️ 4. Nearby Eats – Top 3 near Liulichang

1. Jinfang Snack Shop (金方小吃)
   🥟 Traditional Beijing snacks like douzhi (fermented mung bean drink), jiaoquan (fried rings), and sugar hawthorn
   📍 Near the east entrance of Liulichang
   🕒 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
   🎭 A cultural experience in itself
2. Liulichang Teahouse
   🍵 Elegant teahouse with antique decor and peaceful atmosphere
   📍 Mid-street on Liulichang West
   🕒 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
   📚 Often hosts poetry readings or quiet calligraphy sessions
3. Beijing Pie House
   🍽️ Northern-style meat pies and hearty local dishes
   📍 Near the south gate of Hepingmen
   🕒 10:30 AM – 9:00 PM
   🚶 10 min walk

🍽️ 4B. Sub-Zone Picks – Recommended Spots by Area
📚 East End (Near Hepingmen)
Beijing Xinhua Bookstore – Huge selection of Chinese literature
Yidege Ink Studio – 150+ years of ink-making legacy
Seal Carving Shops – Customize your own name seal
🖼️ West End
Antique Galleries – Browse calligraphy and brush paintings
Quiet Courtyards – Many have benches for rest and contemplation
Tea Houses – Great for cooling off and enjoying the atmosphere

🚗 5. Access
📍 From Tiananmen or Qianmen
🚶 ~15 min walk southwest
🚇 Subway Line 2 to Hepingmen Station (Exit C2) → Walk 5 min
📍 Local Travel
🚶 Entire street is walkable (~700 meters)
🚲 Explore surrounding hutongs by bike
🛏️ Stay in a nearby courtyard inn for a culturally immersive visit

Liulichang Street is where ink meets imagination—a poetic alley of brushes, scrolls, and silence, perfect for creatives, collectors, and quiet wanderers seeking the refined spirit of Old Beijing.