Overview
The quarter housed Manchu bannermen from 1718, and the courtyard houses along the lanes keep that scale even after heavy restoration. Wide Alley holds the teahouses and courtyard restaurants, Narrow Alley the bars and boutiques, Well Alley a bar street and a small museum wall. It is busy but never as dense as Jinli.
Highlights
Sit for tea in a courtyard on Wide Alley — bamboo chairs, a covered cup, refills included, and the ear-cleaners working the tables. Sichuan opera excerpts play at several venues in the evening. Come on a weekday if you can; weekend afternoons fill the lanes end to end.