Eight Great Alleys

Eight Great Alleys

• Once a red-light district, the “-” of Beijing from the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty to before the liberation.

Attraction Introduction

The Eight Great Alleys were once synonymous with Beijing’s pleasure quarters, the “-” of the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty to before the liberation. Nowadays, the original brothel buildings have long been converted into residences and commercial shops, and visitors can only stroll through the hutongs’ siheyuan courtyards to vaguely sense the ambiance of those times.

The Eight Great Alleys are located north of West Zhushikou Street and south of Tieshuyexie Street, running from west to east in the following order: Baishun Hutong, Yanzhi Hutong, Hanjiatan, Shaanxi Lane, Shitou Hutong, Wangguangfu Xiejie, Zhujia Hutong, and Lishamao Hutong. In fact, what locals referred to as the “Eight Great Alleys” did not exclusively mean these eight streets, but generally referred to the area around Dashilan outside Qianmen. Outside these eight alleys, there were nearly a hundred large and small brothels scattered across other hutongs. However, the brothels in these eight alleys were mostly first- and second-tier establishments, and the “quality” of the courtesans was relatively high, which is why they became so well known.

Address: West Zhushikou Street, Xicheng District, Beijing

Type: Themed Neighborhood

Recommended Visit Duration: About 2 hours

Opening Hours:

Open all day

Ticket Information:

No admission fee.