Ghost Street

Red lanterns, traditional courtyards, hundreds of restaurants along the street… This is Guijie Street, Beijing's famous eating street, known to locals as "Ghost Street". Eating on Ghost Street is about more than food and drink, it's a way of life for many Beijingers.

Tucked behind Beijing's Inner Dongzhimen Street, "Ghost Street" stretches 1,442 m from Dongzhimen cloverleaf junction in the east, to Jiaodaokou East Street in the west. Along the street there are more than 150 shops, including 100 restaurants, making it one of the most unique streets in Beijing.

The name of the street is said to derive from Beijing's old "Ghost Fairs". These fairs mainly sold groceries, vegetables and fruit ran from late at night until dawn. The traders' kerosene lamps formed a ghostly sight from which the name "Ghost Fair" derived.

Later, the Commerce Commission changed the Chinese characters of "Ghost Street" into "Gui Jie". The pronunciation is the same but the meanings are completely different. Gui refers to a round- mouthed food vessel with two or four loop handles in ancient China. This name weakens the ghostly overtones and enhances the eating character of the street.

What Guijie presents is beyond the normal dining experience. It has become the microcosm of the nightlife and food culture in the capital of Beijing. Beijingers are obsessed with Guijie for the reasons below:

The charm of the character gui, the pronunciation of which in Chinese is the same as the word for ghost, adding a touch of suspense and mystery to the street's atmosphere.

The temptation of the "spicy peppery little lobster," a dish of lobsters fried with a lot peppers and chilies.

Many dishes deeply loved by those belly-gods. Besides "spicy little things", spicy crabs, scorpions and stewed red mutton are all specialties first invented and popularized in Guijie Street.

Favorable prices, for instance, a meal in Guijie with several friends, including a dozen of beers and scores of lobsters will only set you back about 100 yuan.

The most vivid reflection of nightlife in Beijing. Guijie Street's 100 restaurants serve a great diversity of dishes, including Sichuan, Shandong and Canton dishes, as well as snacks, barbecue, and ethnic minority dishes, making it a favorite spot of night owls.

A cradle of friendship and love. New friends and new lovers find themselves melting into each other, along with all the other people as soon as they go to Guijie Street. Rolling up their cuffs, grabbing for lobsters with both hands and shouting loudly, they come closer to each other by getting rid of their every day masks.

The most Chinese way for dining. You never need to worry about interference when eating in Guijie Street, as other people are too busy shouting and laughing while they eat to pay any attention to you. Guijie Street fits Chinese people's dining style. Businessmen with accents from all over the country may make deals occasionally, acquaintances meet by chance, people swill beer, scoff lobsters, shout and boast as much as they like.

A place shows the most equality. In Guijie Street, one, no matter how “big a star” he or she is, have to sit outside waiting his or her turn just like everyone else. There are no privileges in this street.