Design innovators are bringing new life to Beijing's Dashila'r, Sun Yuanqing reports.

While in Beijing, you can't get more local than Dashila'r. Here you can take a stroll along the hutong, taste the most authentic Beijing snacks before watching a shadow play in a courtyard theater.

Located southwest of Tian'anmen Square near Qianmen Gate, Dashila'r became one of Beijing's most prosperous business areas during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and remains one of the largest hutong communities in the city.