In my China living time, something would never be forgetted. The templeside house hostel was one of them. Although the hostel is famous on the internet now, I still want to mention its website www.templeside.com, since it gave me such a beautiful unmoveable memory.

Extremly clean bathroom, very affordable rates, relaxing garden-like courtyard, warm neighborhood, friendly staff, beautiful heritage old Si He Yuan house in Hutong(narrow alley) , and fantastic super downtown city center location , the Templeside house hostel really impressed me with its original old Beijing residents’ lifestyle.

Since most Beijing youth hostel just like modern western-style buildings, I felt nothing new. But when I found the templeside house,  things became different.  I bet people who love to find real Beijing can be satisfied fully. Wandering in the long and puzzling labyrinth-like hutong, greeting with lovely neighbors, chatting in the no-roof courtyard with a beer in hand (it is so odd to see some courtyard with a roof, since it breaks the rule of the Chinese Fengshui , which emphasizes the touching communication among the earth, sky and human being), hearing the whistle from swiftly flying-by doves……the Templeside house could give you “a glimpse of what life in the city is really like”.

Hidden behind the busy street of downtown Beijing, the hostel is so quiet and calm. It is located in the best part of the largest preserved hutong area of the city and with easy access of all transportation terminals. That is the real city center. It is less than 3 kilometers to all major sites of Beijing including Tian'anmen Square, Forbidden city, Beihai Lake, Hou hai bar area and Xidan business area. Buses and subway trains are so convinient. Most strikingly, I was so lucky to bump into the hostel's promotion period, in which I was offered a free airport pick up and free tour of a historical Buddhist temple and hutong!