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SHOPPING > Travel > Asia > China > Beijing > Beijing Attractions > Hutongs, Beijing > Reviews

Hutongs, Beijing

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Show all Reviews for Hutongs, Beijing

Hutongs of Beijing

Aug 7th, 2009

Advantages:
Beautiful buildings and a look at life for many ordinary citizens of Beijing

Disadvantages:
Can be busy and cramped

Recommendable Yes:

flyingllamas

flyingllamas

About me:

Member since:20.09.2005

Reviews:46

Members who trust:15

A hutong is an ancient alleyway or lane found in Beijing which can date back as far as the Yuan dynasty of China in the 13th century. The crisscrossing alleys can now offer a glimpse of another part of this ancient city that is quite different to the major attractions such as the Summer Palace or the Forbidden City.

The tiny, twisted and interconnected lanes wind through whole areas of the city of Beijing. The lanes are lined with traditional stone houses all arranged in quadrangles, so four houses around a courtyard, which are beautiful old fashioned buildings. They often involve carved pillars, window frames and doors and the open spaces of the courtyard lets in air and light to otherwise quite cramped areas-some of the lanes really are tiny with less than a metre of breadth. Most of the hutongs are still used as housing and are vibrant but everyday neighbourhoods and as you walk through them men whip by on bicycles balancing all their boxes, women shuffle along laiden with market produce and kids dance in and out playing. Sometimes they hardly seem to have moved on for centuries until someone walks by with an MP3 player and a mobile phone.

The hutongs were part of a fairly complex city design spreading out from the Forbidden City in the centre with the areas closest to the centre being inhabited by the upper classes and those connected with the royal family spreading out to the far less well built and decorated areas on the (then) outskirts for the lower merchants. As a result some of the central buildings and courtyards can be quite elaborate even whilst squashed onto streets that are tight to the modern eye and often divided up as the wealth of the area ebbed away.

Hutongs are scattered around the city in various areas although many were destroyed for the 2008 Olympic games in the city (without compensation and removing people who had lived in these areas their whole lives). The programme of destruction has been ongoing for years and is unlikely to stop but now some of the popular tourist hutongs have been renovated and preserved. In particular the hutongs near Qianmen have undergone this transformation meaning that they are protected but have been left a little sterile and an idealised version of the true hutongs elsewhere. Exploring further away from the centre of this area and you come to an area that is still the rickety and untouched hutongs that have long existed-these are peoples' homes though so have some courtesy! For other hutong districts ask around

The best way to see and explore the hutongs is simply to take a walk around them on foot as some of the best parts are so small that even a tuk-tuk would struggle to get in. It is also possible to do a range of tours in tuk-tuks, on bikes and on foot-these have the advantage that you will have a guide and they can take you directly to the 'best' parts, such as the most ornate and carved buildings and the best preserved areas. As the alleys are so winding and can start to look the same, a guide will also prevent you getting lost which is easy to do. However, I still recommend going without a tour as they tend to focus on certain areas that present a set image of China and sometimes in their effort to see the top areas they miss some of the beautiful run-down and real areas. By talking to someone who has been on a tour or knows the hutongs you could find out the commonly visited areas and then get the best of both worlds.

Exploring the hutongs was one of the favourite parts of my stay in Beijing as it is easy to become too involved in the fantastic lives of emperors or the imposing showiness of Communist China. The hutongs are a rare look at the everyday life on many Chinese people today as well as being a historical and often pretty buildings. The fact that they are still lived in houses and functioning neighbourhoods gives them a whole different charm from a simple museum piece preserving the life of a former time.

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Comments about this review »

jesi 11.08.2009 19:09

I have long desired to visit China . . . however, I expect I shall never get there . . . The days when Lottie Moon and Gladys Aylward made their own way there have long disappeared . . . ♥ jes ♥

DeniseKelly40 11.08.2009 08:54

I went on a rickshaw and really enjoyed it when I was here

torr 10.08.2009 00:43

They are alas rapidly disappearing. When I was in Beijing I foolishly went on a guided tour of the hutongs and was utterly convinced that we saw "show" hutongs only. The trick, I'm sure, is to find your own way and do your own wandering.

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More reviews »

Hutongs, Beijing - review by njim274

Advantages: It's a great insight to the living and breathing history of life in Beijing from the local perspective
Disadvantages: If you go indepently you may get lost.

njim274 22.09.2005 (23.09.2005) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Hutongs, Beijing

Hutongs, Beijing - review by DeniseKelly40

Advantages: great to see some culture
Disadvantages: small streets

DeniseKelly40 27.08.2007 (27.08.2007) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Hutongs, Beijing

Hutongs, Beijing - review by jasonking12

Advantages: Another insight into Chinese social history.
Disadvantages: Narrow alleys, bleak, and as informative from the outside as the inside.

jasonking12 25.10.2005 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
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