The entrance to Yandaixie Street at Di'anmen Outer Street is a convenient path to Houhai for visitors to explore the drum and bell towers.

By Angela Pruszenski

Historic shopping areas such as Xidan and Wangfujing have boomed into huge, international shopping mall neighborhoods, but some ancient shopping streets in Beijing have stayed a little closer to their historical roots. Designated by the Ministry of Culture and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage last year as the capital's second "China's Famous Historical and Cultural Street" (after Guozijian near the Lama Temple), Yandaixie Street has undergone change and renovations, but still retains some of its old appeal.

Yandaixie Street rose to prominence during the Qing Dynasty (1636-1911) as the place to buy tobacco. Originally named Guo Lou Xie Street, the shopping street earned its new name, meaning "Tobacco Pouch" Street not only for its products, but also its shape.

The 232-meter-long alleyway connects Di'anmen Outer Street with Xiao Shi Pai Hutong and Yaer Hutong next to the Houhai Lake. Yandaixie Street's intersection with Di'anmen Outer Street is wider than the rest of the alley, like the opening at the bottom of the pipe. From there, the street runs northwest until it intersects with hutongs near Houhai and connects with a small bridge, resembling the mouthpiece of a pipe.

Despite its history, the street today only hosts one or two tobacco and pipe shops. The modern incarnation of the old alley is home to a variety of shops with products ranging from quirky, China-themed gifts to sweet treats, and even a few of those run-of-the-mill souvenir stores so popular around Houhai.

Near the Houhai entrance is the One-Creative Chinese Gift Shop, which is two floors of China-themed gifts that are anything but ordinary. Many products are eco-friendly or hand-made and the accompanying pictures of various parts of China make the store seem as much a museum as a shop.

Another standout on the street is the Cocoa Ballet Chocolate Art Salon, where visitors can satisfy their sweet tooth with a variety of chocolate treats for sale or cool off with some gelato. Cocoa Ballet is just one of several options for gelato on this street.

Elsewhere is a store full of China-themed postcards and notebooks, serving as a fine alternative for small souvenirs when the usual China-themed merchandise won't do.

Of course, no ancient Beijing street would be complete without a nearby temple; Yandaixie Street has one all its own: the Guangfu Daoist Temple. First built in 1459, and later served as the Department of the Central Daoist Registry. The temple underwent extensive rebuilding in the late 1800s and was renovated from 2007-2008.

Yandaixie Street serves as a convenient and attractive connection for visitors walking between the old drum and bell towers and Houhai. The street's atmosphere is refreshingly low-key, an escape from the other shops and restaurant-bars around Houhai with the fanatical souvenir hawking and bar staff trying to lure visitors.

The street may no longer be its original self, but the variety of shops and renovated exteriors in the traditional style make Yandaixie Street an interesting destination for visitors seeking remnants of Old Beijing