Guijie — written 簋街 (Gui meaning an ancient bronze food vessel, despite the pun on 鬼 for 'ghost') — is Beijing's most famous late-night food street. The 1.5-kilometer strip runs east along Dongzhimen Inner Street, lined with red lanterns and 150+ restaurants whose specialties are spicy crayfish (麻辣小龙虾), hotpot, lamb skewers, and Sichuan-style numbing fish (烤鱼). The atmosphere peaks between 10 PM and 2 AM, when the broader Beijing food scene shuts down — Ghost Street stays open till sunrise. Heaters and outdoor tables run all year. Most-recommended classics: Hu Da Restaurant (胡大饭馆) for crayfish (queue for 30-60 min even at 11 PM), Yang Wan Lou (羊万楼) for lamb skewers. Cash + Alipay/WeChat Pay; almost no foreign card acceptance here. The reverse name origin: in Qing times this street had a morning produce market that left it deserted by day and ghostly-quiet at night — hence the pun.

Address

Dongzhimen Inner St, Dongcheng District, Beijing

东城区东直门内大街

Highlights

Hu Da Crayfish (胡大饭馆)Most-famous crayfish; expect 30-60 min queue even on weeknights
Spicy Crayfish (麻辣小龙虾)Beijing's defining late-night dish; messy, hands-on, glorious
Open Past MidnightMost of Beijing closes by 11 PM — Guijie runs till sunrise
Hotpot + BBQ + Numbing Fish150+ restaurants; not just crayfish — sample the breadth
Cash / Alipay OnlyForeign cards almost never accepted here; bring RMB