I will be in Beijing for 5 days in October and have booked The Red Lantern Inn which is in the Xicheng district, I really want to stay in a Hutong, while in Beijing, it has been a long standing dream of mine.

A friend decided to join me, after Korea, for the Beijing part of my trip.

My friend is now having a severe anxiety attack because someone told her that the area is absolutely not safe to walk in at night.

Could one of you please tell me whether or not I am being foolish staying there.

Two words to say to your friend: 'utter' and 'rubbish'.

You can wander anywhere at all you like in Beijing at absolutely any time of night, and your biggest fear will be tripping on uneven paving, stepping into an uncovered manhole, or bumping into a low-hanging wire.

For all Beijing's other problems, the chances that you will be a target for assault at night are as near zero as makes no difference.

Peter N-H

Thank you Peter. I truly appreciate your response. My friend claims that I am fearless, which is not true. However I am not governed by fear, when traveling and I felt it was more than OK to stay there.

Just yesterday I spoke with my daughter who is living in Beijing. As we prepared to say goodbye at about 11:30 pm her time, friends knocked on her door -- she is living in a dormitory -- and they all decided to go out. This triggered motherly comments from me, of course, about safety, self awareness, and all the things that mothers talk about, even with a self-aware 20-year old child.

She assured me that she feels much safer in Beijing late at night than she does here in Boston-Cambridge. She goes all over the city alone as (well as with friends), using the subway alone in comfort, for instance. She is not ethnic Chinese either so stands out.


I hope that you go and find lovely hutong accomodations.

Not sure from whom your friend got her info, please tell her the Xicheng area in Beijing is so safe that nowhere in NYC can compare to it. Enjoy the Red Lantern Inn, it looks delightful.