Bars, restaurants and shops line the streets of the Sanlitun (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 Sanlitun Lu.

The Liangma River and Liangmahe Lu 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 miles), the bars cluster around Sanlitun Lu between east-west streets Dongzhimenwai Dajie and Gongrentiyuchang Beilu, with a lower-key set of bars and pubs on Sanlitun Nanlu, running parallel to Sanlitun Lu to the west, just east of Worker's Stadium.

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 Yashou Clothing Market (on Gongrentiyuchang Beilu between Sanlitun and Xin Donglu 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.