Houhai is a lake and its surrounding district in central Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

, one of the three parts of Shichahai

Shichahai

Shichahai is an historic scenic area consisting of three lakes in the north of central Beijing in China. They are located to the north-west of the Forbidden City and north-west of the Beihai Lake. Shichahai consists of the following three lakes: Qianhai , Xihai and Houhai...

. In recent years it has become famous for nightlife because it is home to many popular restaurants, bars, and cafes.

The area is especially popular with foreign tourists visiting Beijing, but is also often visited by the expatriate

Expatriate

An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...

 community and younger locals.

The Former Residence of Soong Ching-ling

Former Residence of Soong Ching-ling

The Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling is a museum in the Shichahai area of Beijing and once was the last residence of Soong Ching-ling, the wife of Sun Yat-sen and later the Honorary Chairman of the People’s Republic of China...

is located in the Houhai area.

External links

• New York Times: Houhai Market
• TripAdvisor: Back Lakes (Hou Hai) "This area of Beijing contains some of the most extensive old hutong neighborhoods and the three lakes of Xihai, Houhai and Oianhai."
• Illustrip: Interactive and printable map of Houhai