The Joy of Six: Chaoyangmen

This month, we’ve checked out all the stops on Line 6 to tell you about the gems that you shouldn’t wait to discover in our station-by-station Going Underground special.

SELLING POINT
If you’re traveling from further east, Chaoyangmen is the first stop where you
can dip into Beijing’s hutongs – and all that the alleyways offer to please your
taste buds.

BREAKFAST
It’s not exactly a leisurely morning stroll, but Chaoyangmen Nanxiaojie offers
happy snacking to start your day off right: baozi, huoshao, guotie and any other
dough-and-meat based combination you care to mention.

LUNCH
Leave the subway via Exit H and cross the nearby footbridge to the north side
of Chaoyangmennei Dajie to Dongsi Minfang Restaurant, whose sesame
paste pancakes and fish-head-and-pancake stew are highly recommended.
Alternately, you could head north on Chaoyangmen Nanxiaojie, where Qin Tang
Fu has noodles galore, not to mention some tasty roujiamo sandwiches.

DINE
At the south end of Dongshuijing Hutong, Lotus Garden and Dianke Dianlai
are the area’s higher-end options. The former offers fancy dim sum, while the
latter delivers award-winning set meals of Yunnan cuisine in a pleasant
courtyard. For something completely different, leave the station by Exit A
and walk east down Chaoyangmenwai Dajie for excellent udon at Marugame
Seimen.

SNAP
It’s not an alien spaceship, and there’s not much to do besides gaze at its curves.
But Galaxy Soho’s sweeping lines and eerily bright lights, visible at night from
all around, make for some fun photography. Instagram has the evidence.

This article originally appeared on page 14 in the February issue of the Beijinger.

Photo: Lova