Beijing Destination Guide

For those who want to experience the local customs, as well as the history and culture, of Beijing, a visit to the HuTongs (alleys) and SiHeYuans (courtyards) is an indispensible part of a visit to Beijing.

Hutong, the unique street design to Beijing, was created to reflect the imperial ruling of the emperors from within the Forbidden City. One of the explanations of Hutong has it that "Hu" is the name Han people called the other small Chinese tribes and "Tong" means "same" or "together", so Hutong means a harmony of living together between different ethnic tribes in China. In ancient China, there was a clear definition for a street or lane. A 36 m wide road was called a big street (DaJie). An 18 m wide one was called a small street (Lu). A 9 m wide lane (or smaller) was called a hutong.

Hutongs are closely associated with individual four-sided courtyard in which people live. Most Hutongs are running east west for the local dwellers to procure the sunlight. When first started, around 700 years ago, Hutongs were built with the courtyards to the east and the west of the Forbidden City to accommodate high-ranking officials and relatives of the emperors. Afterwards, more were added to the north and south for merchants and common people and these were of a lower standard with lower walls, less or no ornate wood, stone and brick works, and less space.

The Hutongs and courtyards were the connection between the royal family and the outside world. The names for different Hutong are fascinating too; one is called Stinking Leather Hutong (reason can be that some merchants were once processing leather and became quite famous), and another is called Doufu Chen Hutong (reason can be that merchants were once making Doufu or bean curd here and became well-known). It is not only a kind of architecture, but also serves as a window into Beijing folk life and the "encyclopedia of the history and culture of Beijing."

Not only residences, but also ancient palaces, government offices, temples and monasteries were built basically on the pattern of the siheyuan, a common feature of traditional Chinese architecture.

Once ubiquitous in Beijing, siheyuans and hutongs are now rapidly disappearing, as entire city blocks of hutongs are leveled and replaced with high-rise modern buildings. Residents of the hutongs are entitled to apartments in the new buildings, of at least the same size as their former residences.

Many complain, however, that the traditional sense of community and street life of the hutongs cannot be replaced. However, some particularly historic or picturesque hutongs are being preserved and restored by the government.

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