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Step back in time to the enigmatic streets of 1930s Peking, where history, mystery, and intrigue collide. Inspired by Paul French’s bestselling true-crime novel, Midnight in Peking, this walking tour invites you to explore the city’s shadowy past and uncover the secrets of a bygone era.
This Penguin China official walking tour is inspired by the key locations featured in Paul French’s book, Midnight in Peking, which recounts the chilling story of Pamela Werner, a young Englishwoman whose brutal murder in 1937 shocked the city on the eve of the Japanese invasion.
Delve into the lives of Peking’s eclectic inhabitants, from the glittering elite to the shadowy underworld figures, and discover how their stories shaped the Peking of old.
Your WildChina guide will be meeting you at Beijing Railway Station, the main arrival point for trains entering Beijing in 1937.
Explore this historic hutong in Beijing, now called Kuijiachang Hutong but formerly known as Armour Factory Alley, where Pamela lived in a traditional siheyuan courtyard home before her disappearance in 1937.
Walk to the Fox Tower, a haunted Ming Dynasty watchtower and once a gateway to imperial Beijing, became infamous as the site of the city’s most gruesome murder. Near the tower stands the Tartar Wall—in Pamela’s era, these Ming Dynasty fortifications framed her world, offering safe passage between the Legation Quarter and Armour Factory Alley. Today, locals stroll past with caged songbirds, oblivious to its dark past.
Stroll down Chuanban Hutong (formerly Chuanpan Hutong) and nearby Hougou Hutong, the last remnants of the Badlands—once the most depraved district in old Peking. This was a place Pamela should never have visited, where unspeakable acts unfolded in January 1937.
The Former Legation Quarter (bordered by Qianmen and Chang’an Avenue) retains its European charm. Find the yellow house here where the dentist lived – the same house he repainted during that fateful January of 1937. Rebuilt after the 1900 Boxer Rebellion, these streets now weave together history and modern life: St. Michael’s Church, once witness to siege, today frames smiling wedding photos for Beijing’s young couples.
End at Qianmen Walking Street, where a vintage Peking tram rattles past modern shops. Above it all looms the Qianmen Gate (Zhengyangmen)—built in 1415, survivor of fires, wars, and Beijing’s relentless change. Enjoy your night life here with a drink and imagine Pamela seeing this same view. Though her Peking has vanished, these stones remember.
Dates for this Journey
Every other Sunday at 6PM, starting April 13th, 2025
What’s Included
What’s Excluded
Trip Costs
$58 per person
*This tour requires minimum 4 participants to operate
(Please note that 6.72% Value-Added Tax (VAT) is already included in the prices above)
We’re on the ground with you
During the planning phase, our team of specialist travel advisors based in China will design every detail of your trip with you. When you’re on the ground, they will then orchestrate your entire journey, maintaining close contact with each of your guides throughout your trip to ensure you’re having the best journey possible. With offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, and an expansive network of operational partners across the country, we are committed to ensuring that your journey is safe, reliable and comfortable from beginning to end.
Your trip, your way
Flexibility is our highest-ranking complement. With over two decades of experience, we’ve run just about every type of journey you can imagine. No request is too strange, too extreme, or too exclusive. Our team regularly pulls off unprecedented logistical feats; nearly any time frame or budget is within our realm. No matter how you wish to experience China, we are here to bring that dream to life.
We embody passion
WildChina’s guides are carefully handpicked for their knowledge and charisma, then meticulously trained to maintain our exceptional service standards. They are expert storytellers and passionate natives of the regions where they guide, having the perfect combination of local insights and service know-how to bring you seamless once-in-a- lifetime moments all across China.
The little things, the big picture
We firmly believe that supporting local people and economies allows you to experience the soul of a destination, while also protecting and cultivating China’s cultures. From watching artisans’ hand–make shoes in Yunnan, to picking organic vegetables for dinner on a local farm in Fujian, our tours are designed to showcase and protect China’s heritage, both natural and human.
