The Joy of Six: Huayuanqiao

This month, we’ve checked out all the stops on Line 6 to tell you about the gems that you shouldn’t wait to discover in our station-by-station Going Underground special.

SELLING POINT
Situated in the shadow of the old CCTV spike, on the edge of the sprawling campuses of Capital Normal University (CNU), Huayuanqiao is probably associated more with academia than anything particularly extracurricular. But its proximity to the student district has its own benefits; after all, students keep a tight grip on the purse strings.

EAT
Located 300m north of Exit A is CNU’s northeast campus, which explains the high volume of eateries providing regional fare at heavily discounted prices, and the small collective of foreign restaurants including San Shi Teppanyaki (RMB 168 all-you-can-eat) and Algrammofono Italian. For even more options, keep heading south to Hangtianqiao from Exit D. Niushiniu Grill offers authentic Korean BBQ and other traditional cuisines.

GET MUSICAL
It would be grossly misleading to suggest Huayuanqiao has a bustling nightlife scene, but students need their downtime too. If you are looking for a place to show off your good voice, choose Windsor KTV (200m north of Exit C). The rooms are clean with new equipment, and the price is surprisingly reasonable. If your performance inspires you to upgrade your home karaoke setup, pick up new speakers at Supersonic HIFI Store a little further south.

TEST-DRIVE
Exit C is surrounded by car dealerships: Toyota and Lexus. A 10-minute walk south from Exit D, there is a trendy furniture store called QM. You may be a long way from Ikea, but if you’ve been wanting to try out a new sofa, this is the place.

This section of our Cover Feature originally appeared on page 12 in the February issue of the Beijinger.

Photo:Lova