A capital oasis

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-10 10:41

No Name Bar, according to many expats, was the first bar in Beijing's Shichahai area.

It is found on the northeastern corner of Yinding Bridge, a landmark that connects Qianhai (front lake) and Houhai (rear lake).

On even the hottest summer days, there is a breeze when one passes the narrow street in front of the bar facing Qianhai Lake, where weeping willows sway.

Pedicabs ferry tourists and locals ride bicycles while the music and neon lights at night make it look like a big party.

It was completely different in 2000, according to the owner of No Name, Bai Feng, when he first opened up.

"There were no shops or bars at all," he says. "Kao Rou Ji Muslim Restaurant was here, but had no business, and looked miserable. All the buildings along the lake were residential. The dominant color was gray."

Arrived in Beijing in 1986, he is a graduate from the Central Conservatory of Music.

He was the mastermind behind the documentary Grandpa Jing and His Old Customers, which was inspired by the life of people living in Houhai. It is critically acclaimed and adapted into an award-winning film, The Old Barber.

In 2000, he searched around Houhai for lodgings. What is now No Name Bar was formerly one of a line of residential buildings, from which the owner sold steamed buns and noodles. A friend suggested Bai should open a bar and caf.

"It was a hit on opening and has been popular ever since," he says. In the spring of 2002, Bai planted two vines in front of the gate, which now cover almost the entire facade. They bloom pink and purple in spring.

Bai's big boost came in 2003. Previously, the Sanlitun area was more popular, but the SARS epidemic broke out and people preferred open spaces.

"In 2003 there was a sharp increase in the number of bars because people wanted to be outdoors. Houhai was very busy that year," Bai says.

That's when the government started supporting development of the area and it became recognized as a popular bar district.

According to the Houhai Commerce Association, there are more than 200 bars and restaurants around the lakes and in the surrounding area.

The Lotus Market, Kong Yi Ji Restaurant, Xiao Wang's Home Restaurant, and Hutong Pizza, are some of the most popular choices. The peak season is from March to October, while winter and spring are low seasons.

With the growth of bars and restaurants came competition. Bai says the area once "lost control" as businesses opened up and shut down.

"There was a lot of uncertainty, a bit like the 'Warring States' period in Chinese history.

"The streets were full of people soliciting, often viciously, because of competition. Music was too loud and some of the older customers stopped coming," Bai says.

"Now, Houhai has endless stores that compete fiercely against each other. Bar goers enjoy freedom of choice and the serenity of the lakeside. They don't like too much noise, or soliciting. But many people just don't realize that."

"My concept of Houhai is of a leisurely, comfortable and relaxing waterside haven, with orderly management that is suitable for long-time prosperity."

The Beijing Olympics saw the opening of further venues in the area, which affected No Name. The global financial crisis has also reduced the flow of foreign clients. It used to be known as a secluded bar without a sign, but this year signs were hung on the eastern and southern walls in order to attract business.

Bai says it is difficult to say whether the changes have benefited locals. Rents have gone up and though former residents earn more money it is no longer peaceful.

"Not everybody likes to measure life with money," Bai says.

He is amazed at the changes in the area over the past nine years and has just finished making a film documenting six of these years.

"Shichahai is an extension of what was an imperial garden (Beihai Park)," Bai says. "It is also a rare waterside haven in the capital city of modern China."

Bai, who now spends more time in Beihai Park than in Houhai, working on an imperial calligraphy museum, admits that Houhai has a special place in his heart.

Just 60 years ago Shichahai was a dock that helped transport grain to the capital and now it's a bar area, Bai says, adding it will change again.

"I witnessed the perfect times of Houhai," he says. "It is not perfect now, but it's like flowers in a dream. Eventually, it'll become what everybody wants it to be."