Beijing is the capital of china, with long history in Chinese development. Many people who come from all around the world are like travel in Beijing. There I introduce to you a special travel place that is Beijing Hutong. It is a very special travel; if you take China Flights make your China Tours. You will get unforgettable memory in you life.

The word “hutong” came from the Mongolian language about 700 years ago. The original Mongolian word was hottog, meaning “water well.” In other words, it means a place where people live, because people always gather where there is water. Today in Beijing, the word hutong means a small alleyway or lane. They are typical of the old part of Beijing and are formed by lines of siheyuan (a compound made up of rooms around a courtyard) in which most Beijing residents used to live.

In old China, there were clear definitions of what a street was and what a lane was. A 36-metre-wide road was called a big street and an 18-metre-wide road was called a small street. A 9-metre-wide lane was called a hutong. Most of the hutongs in Beijing run east-west or north-south. This is because most siheyuan were built along such axes according to the rules of feng shui and to take in more sunshine and resist cold winds from the north. Of course, not all hutongs follow the straight and narrow. There are also slant hutongs, half hutongs and blind hutongs. Beijing’s shortest hutong is just 10 metres long and the narrowest is only about 40 centimetres wide. Some hutongs have more than 20 turns. As such, they are often a maze through which it is fascinating to wander, as long as you’re not afraid of getting lost.

Hutong culture

In most people’s minds, Beijing is associated with hutongs. They are an important part of the culture and way of life of Beijingers, especially the older generation.

Walking through the hutongs, it is common to see groups of elderly citizens sitting together playing cards, mahjong or Chinese chess. In the early mornings and evenings, they gather to practice traditional forms of exercise such as “taijiquan” as well as to dance and sing folk songs or Peking Opera arias. Also important to hutong life are the traditional foods being sold in carts or small stalls. These change according to the season, from flavoured ice in the summer to long kebabs of crab apples covered in sugar in the autumn and winter.

The hutongs are important to the culture of Beijing that there have been many operas, plays and films about them. Lao She (1899 – 1966), one of 20th century China’s greatest novelists and playwrights, is responsible for one such homily. His “Teahouse” is set in what is often the focal point of a hutong community and brings together several characters from the old streets of Beijing to discuss the problems of traditional society. A more modern love song for the hutongs is Zhang Yang’s “Shower” about a tradtional bath house where men from the community gather to drink tea, receive massages, fight crickets and escape their marital problems. The film laments the loss of such old ways of life as the hutongs are being knocked down to make way for modern blocks of flats.

Yandai Xie Jie Hutong

It’s the most famous and popular place for domestic and foreign visitors. It starts from the north gate of the Beihai Park, cross the street and then passes the Yandai Xie Jie to Yindian Qiao, where you may find lots of rickshaws. If you like, you can charter rickshaw and the rickshaw driver could be your guide to transfer you to visit the Hutong. During your visit, you also can get off and wander along the south bank of Houhai, and you can visit the Prince Gong’s Mansion and the former residence of Guomoruo on the way. Then take rickshaw to visit the Curio Market of Shichahai. You may ask the rickshaw driver to take you to Beijing Sihe Courtyard, please be sure that you may give the host some tips if you visit a local family.

Then go to the north side of Houhai, visit the former residence of Songqingling and Guanghua Temple. In the former residence of Songqingling, there are many old and famous trees and the architecture inside is a representative of the oriental and western style combination. The final destinations are the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower.

Beijing’s hutongs are more than just architecture. They are the people who live there. They are a museum of Beijing’s folk custom and they are a witness to the city’s history. There are also many tea houses, bars and restaurants in Shichahai area, which is also a good place to relax and to feel the Chinese young people’s life. If you are convenient, you should do come to Beijing and make your Beijing Tours.

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