Bars, restaurants and shops line the streets of the Sānlǐtún (三里屯), also often referred to as the Sanlitun Entertainment Area, Sanlitun Embassy Area and, tellingly, the Sanlitun Bar Street.

Long a favorite among expats, travelers and budget tourists, Sanlitun restaurants and bars stay open late, and a number of shops cater to international tastes. It's not the cheapest Beijing neighborhood for a night out or a shopping spree, but there's a little bit of everything on offer within the area on either side of the north-south Sānlǐtún Lù (三里屯路).

The Liangma River (Liàngmǎ Hé, 亮马河) and Liàngmǎ Hé Lù (亮马河路) form the northern boundary of the Sanlitun Embassy Area, which is home to some of the swankier eateries. Running south for about 1.5 km (1 mi), the bars cluster around Sanlitun Lu between east-west streets Dōngzhímén Wài Dàjiē (东直门外大街) and Gōngrén Tǐyùchǎng Běi Lù (工人体育场北路), just east of Worker's Stadium. A lower-key set of bars and pubs sit to the south on Sānlǐtún Nán Lù (三里屯南路)

During the day, the shopping is excellent, with a range of choices from tiny alleyway bargain spots to upscale boutiques to the massive five-story Ya Show Clothing Market (Yǎxiù Fúzhuāng Shìchǎng, 雅秀服装市场) on Gongrentiyuchang Bei Lu between Sanlitun and Xīndōng Lù (新东路) to the west—home to not only clothes but also bolts of silk and other fabrics, shoes and bags, watches, jade, pearls and almost anything else you'd expect to be able to haggle over in Beijing.

Check out alleyways and side streets, where you'll often find the best deals and most surprising finds. Most vendors and restaurant staff speak enough English to do basic business. Bargain vigorously and be wary of fakes.

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