For many visitors today, Shichahai is a place of quiet pleasures — where an evening stroll reveals glowing sunsets, hidden alleyways and glimpses of old Beijing. But its calm beauty is the result of decades of restoration.
More than 80 years ago, celebrated Chinese writer Lao She immortalized the area in his essay Thinking of Beiping, describing "willow-lined embankments, blooming lotus, dense reeds, waterfowl and the deafening chorus of cicadas." Were he to return today, he would likely recognize much of the landscape he once captured in words.
Not long ago, however, Sichahai was better known for crowded nightlife, commercial streets and blaring bar music. In recent years, restoration projects have revived its lakes, wetlands and historic surroundings. Birdsong has replaced loudspeakers, wetlands have returned to the shoreline, and wild ducks once again paddle across cleaner waters.
The revival is more than environmental. It has restored the atmosphere of one of modern Chinese literature's most cherished settings while creating a richer experience for residents and visitors alike.
Straddling Beijing's Central Axis and the Grand Canal system, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, Shichahai has shaped the city's history for centuries. Once the northern terminus of the Grand Canal, its interconnected lakes welcomed grain ships from southern China to the imperial capital.
