Beijing: Bamboo Garden Hotel (Zhúyuán Binguan) (Hotel)

Location map and nearby properties

Author tip

The hotel is set down a historic hútòng (narrow alley) a few minutes from the Drum and Bell towers. The bars and restaurants of Houhai and Qianhai Lakes are a five-minute walk south. Pop into the Bed Bar (tel: 8400 1554; 17 Zhangwang Hutong) for drinks and Café Sambal (tel: 6400 4875; 43 Doufuchi Hutong) for Malaysian food in modish surrounds; both are a few minutes walk from the hotel.

How to get there

• Bamboo Garden is a Chinese traditional courtyard with rich historical and cultural details. It is said to be residence of An Dehai, a well-known feudal eunuch in Tongzhi and Guangxu years of Qing Dynasty. Later it was the residence of Sheng Xuanhuai who was minister of postal service and foreign affairs in Qing Dynasty. After the liberation, it became the residence of Chinese Vice-President Dong Biwu from 1950 to 1955. In 1982 the garden was rebuilt into a characteristic and classical style hotel and completely retains all the original outward appearance of Ming and Qing dynasties. It is called “Bamboo Garden” as its courtyard is densely wooded with bamboo groves, which appears peculiar in the north. Walking around the garden, you can see the well preserved classical architectures from Ming and Qing dynasties. Pavilions, corridors, rockeries and fountains are embellished with varieties of exotic flowers and rare plants, and birds sing here and there, producing a lively picture. Sin