The Joy of Six: Caofang

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
The end of the line is your gateway to the East.

DRIVE
Longyuan Golf Club is cheaper than playing in town or heading all the way out to Shunyi – even accounting for the “black cab” you’ll have to add to the subway fare. It’s only a couple of kilometers from the station and the cabbies that we spoke to quoted us a very reasonable “80 kuai?” starting offer for Sanlitun, before admitting, “It would be cheaper and quicker for you to get the subway.” The golf club has a driving range so you can save yourself a walk, along with that cash.

EAT
Fuel up first at the Jingyu Lijingyuan shopping center across from the station. If you’re a sucker for robots (and who isn’t?), the conveyor belt at Hot Pot Lamb will not disappoint. Nor will the RMB 38 price tag for all-you-can-eat. There’s plenty of competition for the dining dollar out here. Chain Chinese restaurants are in abundance, with the largest Shaxian Xiaochi (aka Pac Man Dumplings) we’ve ever seen, practially a flagship store based on its size. There’s more hot pot at Xiao Du Chaffy Dish and solid fare at Goody House. This is a great place to eat your way around China, in a corporate kind of way.

SHOP
“The wind blows right through, it’s no place for the old” could well have been written about a cold night in Caofang but fear not, there is warmth to be found here. It comes in the form of Tahiti Shop, a cheeky little boutique that stocks what might best be called bijou bric-a-brac. We fell in love with the teddy bear that guards the door but there were other, more-easily-transportable-on-asubway things to buy. Ideal if you need to buy something for the friend who has everything.

This article originally appeared on page 18 in the February issue of the Beijinger.

Photo: Lova