Sanlitun

Sanlitun (Chinese: 三里屯; pinyin: Sānlǐtún; literally: "three li village") is an area of the Chaoyang District, Beijing containing many popular bar streets and international stores. It is a popular destination for shopping, dining and entertainment.

The area has been under almost constant regeneration since the late 20th century as part of a city-wide project of economic regrowth. It currently houses many bars and clubs popular with both locals and foreigners as well as international brand-name stores such as Uniqlo, American Apparel, Apple Inc. and Adidas. It is notable for housing the largest Adidas store in the world. In recent years, the Taikoo Li Sanlitun (三里屯太古里) shopping mall has become a popular destination for locals and foreigners alike.

Prior to 1949, the Beijing Legation Quarter was the center of diplomatic activity in the capital. After the foundation of the People's Republic of China, the government wanted to move the diplomatic district outside the inner city. Sanlitun was chosen as the area where foreign legations and embassies were to be reallocated in the late 1950s. The area was called Sanlitun to designate its location from Dongzhimen gate (), with tun meaning 'locality' and san li meanings 'three li' (a li is 0.5 km), so that the name means "locality 1.5 km away (from Dongzhimen Gate)".

Sanlitun began to grow when, along with the economic reforms of the late 1970s and early 1980s, bars serving expatriates and later locals began to open. International hotels introduced the first bars, but in the 1990s, standalone establishments appeared. Accounts differ over which was the first bar in Sanlitun, with one author crediting the Cat Cafe in 1995 while another names Frank's Place, which opened in 1990.

...
Wikipedia