Streets of Beijing: Going to Dongzhimen Raffles City 来福士诚

东直门 Dongzhimen (东直门; 東直門; pinyin: Dōngzhímén; lit. 'East Straight Gate') was a gate in the old Beijing city fortifications. It is now a commercial center and transportation node in Beijing. Dongzhimen (东直门), which means "East Gate" in Chinese - the area was originally the location of the East Gate of the wall surrounding old Beijing - is a popular residential area for expatriates wanting to live close to downtown, without necessarily paying the premium housing prices they'll pay a little closer to the heart of the city... though there are still plenty of luxury accommodations here to spare, too. The 2nd Ring Road currently links with two roads which eventually become the Airport Expressway and China National Highway 101. A new flyover, and a new express road connects directly with the Airport Expressway. The Beijing subway network has an interchange station at Dongzhimen, where Lines 2, 13 and Capital Airport Express connect. Line 13 has its eastern terminus at Dongzhimen Dongzhimen also has an extensive public bus hub just outside the Dongzhimen station. Buses numbered greater than 800 start from a long-distance bus station area, which serves a wide range of locations inside and outside of Beijing. This includes special buses to the Great Wall and long-distance buses to the mountains and caves north of Beijing and smaller suburban districts such as Pinggu. Raffles City, Ginza Mall, East Gate Plaza, and other large shopping malls with a variety of shops and stores. Guijie ("Food Vessel Street"), also known as "Ghost Street" because the Chinese character gui (簋) sounds similar to the Chinese for "ghost", actually has much more to do with food than it does with spirits - its 150 or so restaurants up and down the street are open nearly 24 hours, and see some of their busiest hours by night. It's located right in the heart of Dongzhimen  Dongzhimen offers an especially good selection of conveniences, with its numerous shopping malls, coffee shops, and proximity to similar offerings in downtown. Ghost Street promises you'll never be hungry, no matter what hour of the day or night your tummy starts rumbling, either. Ghost Street West of Dongzhimen is Guijie (簋街), or "Food Vessel street" (Dongzhimen Inner Street). The character for Gui (簋) refers to a round-mouthed bamboo basket for food. The name is frequently mistaken for a similar-sounding word, meaning "ghost", so some refer to the street as "Ghost street". The street stretches for over one kilometer, and 90% of the commercial shops in the street house more than 150 eateries. Nearby areas Connecting to the east of Dongzhimen is Dongzhimen Outer Street, which connects with the Northern Diplomatic Area and ultimately to the 3rd Ring Road as well as the National Agricultural Exhibition Hall. 1.5 km from Dongzhimen lies the nearby Sanlitun (三里屯) bar street, commonly frequented by the expat community located in the heart of Beijing's North Diplomatic Area. .