Located beside popular Sanlitun in northwest Beijing, 147-hectare (363-acre) Shichahai (Shíchàhǎi, 什刹海) is made up of three lakes: Houhai (Hòuhǎi, 后海), Xihai (Xīhǎi, 西海) and Qianhai (Qiánhǎi, 前海). Once the prosperous northern starting point of the Grand Canal during the Yuan Dynasty, the financial boom from trade wound down in the Ming Dynasty and Shichahai gradually made the transition into a leisure and entertainment destination.

Nowadays, the area is host to art and tourism festivals and is a government-protected historical and cultural area.

Tourists will find a wealth of historical structures here including Prince Gong's Mansion (Gongwang Fu), Prince Chun's Mansion (Chunwang Fu), the Former Residence of Mei Lanfang (a long-ago famed opera star), the Former Residence of Song Qingling and Guanghua Temple.

Visitors can stroll around the lake's three sections, cross 1,000-year-old bridges, and meander around locals' traditional residences, with their hutongs and courtyards. They are well preserved and relatively intact, making the Beijing of long ago feel a palpable reality.< /p>

Beihai Park and the Drum Tower, both nearby, along with Shichaihai make for a good day of Beijing site seeing.

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