Tea and humor go down well

Cafes in the hutong on Bell and Drum Tower Street are popular with tourists, but for locals it is one particular teahouse - the Kinglake.

They can be seen sitting around wooden and plastic tables sipping their favorite drinks, engaging in crosstalk and watching TV broadcasts of the Olympic torch relay.

"My granddaughter will welcome the relay on the streets of Beijing later. It is pity I am too old for that," 72-year- old Li suzhen said.