Zhao Meilin
Reading Beijing's living history
Based in Beijing, China.
Beijing culture writer on Forbidden City throne halls, 798 galleries and the courtyard stages where Peking opera still runs.
Latest stories
Yonghegong & Wudaoying, Beijing: incense, coffee and a lived-in hutong
A north-east Beijing corner where a great Tibetan monastery, a Confucian academy and a quietly stylish hutong street still share the same daily rhythm.
Wudaokou, Beijing: the student quarter that eats, studies and stays up late
Between Tsinghua and Peking University, Wudaokou is Beijing at its most practical and most alive: a noisy, international district of cheap grills, 24-hour cafes, student bars and campus days out.
Wangfujing, Beijing: the city’s most practical first base
A walkable, bright central district where Beijing’s imperial core, major museums, heritage restaurants and full-price malls sit within a few blocks.
Sanlitun, Beijing: rooftops, duck and the city after dark
Beijing’s most cosmopolitan square kilometre is all glass courtyards, late-night rooftops and embassy-zone polish — a district that lives for shopping, drinking and staying out late.
Qianmen & Dashilar, Beijing: where old commercial China still haggles, steams and sells
A walk through Beijing’s merchant quarter, from Qianmen’s polished front window to Dashilar’s time-honored counters, duck houses and renovated hutong lanes.
Gulou & Beiluoguxiang, Beijing: Drum Towers, Courtyards and Late-Night Beer
Old Beijing still sets the hour here, but the lanes off Gulou East Street now run on coffee, craft beer and small-room music.
Guanyuan & Xicheng Lakes, Beijing: Water, Willows and Old Beijing
A slow, watery corner of Xicheng where canal history, halal roast meats, hutong lanes and lakeside bars still share the same shoreline.
Chaoyang CBD, Beijing: glass towers, sky bars and the city’s sharpest modern address
Beijing’s most corporate district is also its most vertical: come for the skyline, the subway hub and the serious dining, stay for the view from above.
798 Art District, Beijing: Factory Bones, Gallery Light
Beijing’s best-known art district is still a working industrial shell at heart — a place where Bauhaus sheds, Mao-era slogans and serious contemporary galleries share the same weathered rooflines.
Every story is signed and dated, and follows our editorial standards.