Defu Alley
Defu Alley is in the north of Xiangzi Temple Avenue of South Gate of Beilin District of Xi'an City. In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it used to be a part of the imperial city. The alley is full of ancient flavor. The grandiose stone archway with three openings, the pseudo-classic architectures in neat arrangement，and the footpath paved with large pieces of bluestone, have made this place become a new scene of the ancient city.
As an inland city and time-honored ancient capital located in central China, Xi’an retains many historical sites and traditional folklores where western culture has had a greater impact compared to other coastal cities. Since the 1980s, visitors from all over the world have brought ideas to improve the city’s vigor at night. Defu Alley, literally meaning virtue and fortune, is 272 meters long (297 yards) and has a bend in the middle, which is fairly unique in Xi’an as a majority of roads are straight. It was once a dark and narrow street unknown to the public, until it was transformed in 1995 into the bar street today. With the combination of ancient oriental culture and modern western styles, it has a tea-house called ‘Chrysanthemum in Blossom’ and bars with western names such as Flanders and ‘George’. It has become the most exotic and exciting place in Xi’an.
Walking from Fenxiang, you can enter Defu alley from the north passing under a stone archway with the Chinese name of the alley engraved upon it. As you continue down, the blue stone flagging underfoot, you can’t help but notice how historical and modern architecture collide. The buildings all have antique style in pavilion shape, standing only two to three stories high. They have beautiful and unique doors and windows. At night, hundreds of neon and twinkling lights bring everything to life. At the southern end near Han Xiangzi Temple (Xiangzimiao), there is another traditional stone archway inscribed with four Chinese characters ‘De Fu Tian Di’, describing the special and tasteful niche that Defu alley provides when evening comes, here becomes a paradise for urban passers to kill away their time. It has become the street with the strongest “exotic flavor” in the traditional culture zone.
Fubaoge Tea-house
Specialties: Fubaoge is a first-class tea-house in Defu alley. It is a five-story classical Chinese building. The inside is decorated with simple but distinctive traditional Chinese style. It is a place not only for tea and chat, but also for entertainment and is famous for the performance of cross talk (a comedy act involving two people)
Location: No. 66, Defu alley (near Fenxiang alley)
Average cost per person: CNY 50
Old Henry's
Old Henry'sSpecialities: This is not a large establishment but is very popular in Defu Alley. The great joy in this bar is the wonderful band performances.
Average cost per person: CNY 85
Specialties: A very quiet bar, ideal for relaxing and chatting. The coffee and Chinese teas are all good.
Opening Hours: From 8:00 am to 4:00 am of the next dawn
TIPS
Basic info
Address: North side of Xiangzi Temple of South Gate of Beilin District of Xi'an
Opening time: Open all day
* Note: You will have a better experience if coming in the evening, the lights on the street are amazing.
Transportation
By bus:
1. Take bus No. 184, 501, 706 or 707 and get off at Fenxiang Station. Then walk towards west for around 2 minutes.
2. Take bus No. 11, 12, 46, 221, 600 or 603 and get off at Nanmen Li Station. Then walk towards west for around 3 minutes.
By subway:
Take Subway Line 2 and get off at Yongningmen (Yongning Gate) Station. Get out from Exit A2. Walk towards north for around 7 minutes.
By taxi:
It costs about CNY 11 from the Xi’an Railway Station to this scenic area.
