Leo Courtyard lies on the northern side of Shaanxi Lane which is one of old Beijing's Eight Lanes. On the blue-gray front wall, its original name of Shang Lin Xian Guan is inscribed. The building was built during the late Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty, and has a history of more than 300 years.

The two-storied hotel, built in a wood-brick construction, is a well-preserved Siheyuan with two courtyards. The carved railings, painted corridors, and the court-style lights will remind you of the busy and prosperous lifestyle of the past. The hotel is famous for two women who used to live there - Sai Jinhua and Xiao Fengxian.

In the late Qing Dynasty, the building was used as a brothel where a popular courtesan, Sai Jinhua (meaning more beautiful than golden flowers), established the Golden Flower Group. At the beginning of the Republic of China, another brothel group, Yun Ji, also used this building, and the brothel was famous for a courtesan called Xiao Fengxian.

Xiao Fengxian was well-known because she helped General Cai Er escape from house arrest which had been approved by Yuan Shikai, then “President” of the Chinese Republic. Both courtesans, Sai Jinhua and Xiao Fengxian, are legendary due to the amount of salacious stories about their lives.

Now, Leo Courtyard is popular with many foreign backpackers. Its current manager is a British man who has been working in Beijing for ten years. He knows many historical stories that happened in the building, and can even show you the room Xiao Fengxian lived in. Moreover, it is currently free to visit.

Address: No. 52, Dashilan West Street, Qianmen, Dongcheng District

Tel: 010 - 63176288