Caochang 9th Alley

Step into Caochang Jiu Tiao and time-travel to old Beijing! This 300-meter alley hides century-old courtyard houses with grey-tiled roofs, where the aroma of fermented mung bean juice drifts from family-run shops. Come at golden hour to photograph ivy-clad brick walls, then grab skewers of candied hawthorns – that crackling sugar glaze is pure nostalgia.