Shichahai also the ten-temple lake, is a scenic area consisting of three man-made lakes, Qianhai ("Front Sea" Lake), Houhai ("Rear Sea" Lake) and the lesser-known Xihai ("West Sea" Lake), once formed part of a system of waterways that fed into the Imperial Capital lakes in the north of Beijing. Shichahai is surrounded by the majestic historic interest and scenic beauty and remnants of old-style Beijing residences like Hutong and Courtyard. It. covers a large area of 146.7 hectares.

Shichahai was the terminal point of the Great Canal during Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368), which was a main reason for its prosperity. In the period of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), when the channels no longer as smooth as they used to be, Shichahai changed from a bustling hub to a place of leisure where people could stroll around to have fun at the vast scenery. Many governmental officers, celebrities, monks and nuns chose to build mansions, temples and nunneries in Shichahai in the last 200 years for enjoying a recreational life. Thus there are many historical buildings were built here like Gong wangfu (Prince Gong's Mansion, Chun Wang Fu (Price Chun's Mansion), the Former Residence of Song Qing Ling, the Former Residence of Mei Lan Fang (the well-known Peking Opera master) and Guang Hua Temple.

The word "hutong" in mandarin means street, lane and alley, and is in fact the passage formed by lines originates from the word "hottog" which means "well" in Mongolian. There are about 3,000 Beijing hutong, including Nanluogu Xiang at Jiaodaokou in Beijing's Dongcheng District and hutong around Xicheng's Shichahai area. Shichahai is also one of the best place to view well-preserved hutong and siheyuan. They are not reproductions but real. All that owe to their intransigence and fighting spirit toward retaining their particularly attractive way of life through a number of efforts to replace it. Those houses are normally have one or more courtyards surrounded by a surprisingly large, single story residence, originally a big family with many generations living together. Designed according to long-held principles, each residence has its main rooms facing south toward the sun and heat, eastern and western "wings" and "reverse-positioned" rooms located on the north side. Taller, brighter and better ventilated than the other areas, the main accommodations are reserved for the family head. Younger family members and their children occupy the wings, while the reverse-positioned spaces are used as family activity rooms. Visiting hundred-ages of Hutongs by pedicab has become a popular activity for visitors from China and abroad.

There are also two Old Brands in Shichahai. One is Kao Rou Ji, a restaurant selling roast meat, which has a history of over 150 years. The other is Bao Du Zhang, which has sold cooked tripe of sheep for four generations.

Shichahai is close to Drum Tower and the north gate of Bejhai Park, visitors can rent tandem bicycles to take a round tour.