Wudaokou

Wudaokou (zh-cp|c=五道口|p=Wǔdàokǒu), literally in Chinese the fifth level crossing of the Jingbao Railway, is a neighborhood in the Haidian District of North West Beijing. It is around 10 km from the center of Beijing, between the fourth and fifth ring roads, and has good public transport links including a station on Line 13 (the CityRail line) of the Beijing Subway. It became a commercial center in Haidian during the 1950s following the establishment of schools. Until as recently as 2001 the area consisted mainly of Hutong neighborhoods and late 1960s apartment blocks, but major development has erased many of these old structures, replacing them with luxury apartments and science parks.

Wudaokou is close to a large number of universities and research institutes, including Beijing Language and Culture University, Peking University, Tsinghua University and the China University of Geosciences, and as such has a large student population. Wudaokou is also known for its large number of international students, especially Korean students. Wudaokou's popularity as an international student area is reflected in its large number of bars and nightclubs (including Bar Loco, Lush and Propaganda), which generally offer cheaper prices than many similar clubs in more central areas, such as Sanlitun.

See also

* Koreatown

External links

* [http://www.atthewu.com At the Wu] An informational site about the Wudaokou area, in English and Chinese.
* [http://www.ran81.com/beijinginfo.php Fran's Wudaokou Information Page] A site providing you with all you need to know to live in Wudaokou area in Beijing