Exploring Beijing’s Houhai North Bank: A Waterfront Street of Concentrated History

In our previous visit, we walked through Ya’er Hutong. Today, let’s explore its immediate neighbor: Houhai North Bank (Houhai Bei Yan). These two lanes are back-to-back neighbors. Emerging from the narrow passageways of Ya’er Hutong, you’ll see the waterfront with willows brushing the shore
—That’s Houhai North Bank.

It’s not a standard hutong alley nor a broad avenue, but more like an extension of Ya’er Hutong towards the water, historically shaped by the expansion of Prince Chun’s Mansion.

Shichahai consists of three water bodies: Qianhai (Front Sea), Houhai (Back Sea), and Xihai (West Sea). Houhai North Bank, as the name suggests, is the road running along the northern shore of Houhai. It’s a scenic and historically rich path with many stories from west to east.

 From Princely Gardens to Former Residences

Walking from west to east along Houhai North Bank, you first encounter a very significant site
—Soong Ching Ling’s Former Residence (No. 46 Houhai North Bank). Originally, the garden of Prince Chun’s Mansion, Soong Ching Ling lived and worked here from 1963 until her passing in 1981. It is now open to the public.

The courtyard is vast with ancient trees. There is said to be a 500-year-old pagoda tree (Sophora japonica), which Soong Ching Ling named the “Phoenix Pagoda Tree” because its shape resembles a phoenix spreading its wings. The garden features living water channeled from Houhai, creating a very elegant environment.

The story of Prince Chun’s Mansion is even more complex. This estate has had many identities throughout history: it was first the residence of Mingzhu, later became the villa of the infamous corrupt official Heshen, then served as Prince Cheng’s Mansion, before finally being converted into Prince Chun’s Mansion during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty. Prince Chun Yixuan was a crucial Qing prince
—his son was the Emperor Guangxu, and his grandson was the last emperor, Puyi. Today, the former princely mansion houses the State Administration for Religious Affairs.

Incidentally, Ganlu Hutong, which connects to Ya’er Hutong, also has its history: Wang Jingwei once plotted to assassinate the Qing Dynasty’s regent prince there.

Ancient Temples, Doctors, and Modern Mansions

Continuing along, at No. 23 Houhai North Bank, you’ll find Dacang Longhua Temple. This temple was first built during the Ming Dynasty and later served as the family temple of the Regent Prince Zaifeng during the Qing Dynasty. Today, it has an unexpected identity—it is now the Beihai Kindergarten. The uses of historical buildings have interestingly transformed with the times.

Next door at No. 24, once the housing for the stewards of Prince Chun’s Mansion, was purchased in 1950 and allocated to the renowned medical expert Dr. George Hatem (Ma Haide). Dr. Hatem was a Lebanese-born American who, introduced by Edgar Snow, went to Yan’an and later made significant contributions to China’s public health, particularly in eradicating venereal diseases and combating leprosy. He lived in China for over half a century, including nearly 40 years on Houhai North Bank, becoming a true “old Beijing resident.” It’s said he often visited his friend Soong Ching Ling, who lived nearby.

Adjacent to the modern bar area stands a newly built luxurious mansion gate (No. A17 Houhai North Bank), reportedly owned by a world aluminum magnate. Next to it is Nanshu Fang (No. 15 Houhai North Bank), whose name differs by only one character from the “South Study” (Nanshufang) in the Forbidden City, which is quite interesting.

From Princely Enclave to Fashionable Leisure District

Moving past these profound historical courtyards, the atmosphere gradually becomes livelier. East from Nanshu Fang, you enter the famous bar and cafe district of Houhai, stretching all the way to the Yinding Bridge.

Imagine this area once clustered with princely mansions—high walls, deep courtyards, inaccessible to ordinary people. Today, it’s lined with fashionable bars and cafes bustling with young people and tourists. The progression of time has left clear marks on this road.

Interestingly, despite the dramatic visual changes, a certain intrinsic spirit seems to persist. I observed a scene at a new community exercise area on Houhai North Bank: an elderly person was completely focused and exercising leisurely, undisturbed by the surrounding bustle. This perhaps embodies an aspect of old Beijing’s hutong culture: maintaining one’s own pace and peace of mind regardless of external changes.

Houhai North Bank is like an open-air historical corridor. Along this short riverside road, you can see:

•  The grand shadow of an ancient princely mansion (Prince Chun’s Mansion)
• The tranquil homes of modern notable figures (Soong Ching Ling’s and George Hatem’s former residences)
• The changing roles of religious architecture (Dacang Longhua Temple becoming a kindergarten)
• And the vibrant contemporary urban life (the bar and cafe district)

It perfectly illustrates the layered history of Beijing: the new overlays the old, but the old stories never truly disappear. They simply continue to exist in different ways, residing within the bricks and mortar and in people’s memories. Next time you visit Houhai, slow down and take a walk along the north bank to feel this unique charm of intertwined time and space.