Beijing is fond of its maze like system of hutongs. Though they are declining in number, there are still more than 1,000 hutongs in Beijing. The following are some pictures I took in 2006 and 2007.

1. View of Wenhua Hutong (文华胡同), Xicheng District, Beijing.


2. A doorway in Changxiang 2nd Alley (长巷二条), Chongwen District, Beijing.


3. Delicate brick carvings in Caochang 9th Alley (草厂九条), Chongwen District, Beijing.


4. Two children playing games in Caochang 2nd Alley (草厂二条), Chongwen District, Beijing.


5. A typical doorway in Wenchang Hutong (文昌胡同), Xicheng District, Beijing.


6. A Ming Dynasty house in Shijing Hutong (湿井胡同), Xuanwu District, Beijing.


7. A couplet on the door in Caochang 3rd Alley (草厂三条), Chongwen District, Beijing.


8. Cherry tree inside Yue Xianyang's yard. Yue Xianyang (乐显扬) was the founder of Tongrentang Chinese Medicine Drug Store (同仁堂). This store was opened in 1850s, and it is still the most famous one in Beijing. Yue's house is located in Xinge Road (新革路), Chongwen District, Beijing.


9. Deshoutang Chinese Medicine Drug Store (德寿堂). It is an old store opened in 1920s. (located in Shanxi Alley 陕西巷), Xuanwu District, Beijing.


10. A door support in Caochang 2nd Alley (草厂二条), Chongwen District, Beijing.

Thank you jhf0551,
I really enjoyed the short tour you provided us.
I hope one day to see them for myself, but by the time I get to china, they will most likely be torn down to make way for "progress."

We also have a discussion about Hutong's Mongolian origin. For info about this, refer to
http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?showtopic=19007

Thanks for the pictures.

One thing to pay attention to are the stone decorations on the threshhold of the doorways: the rectangular ones represent scroll boxes and the round ones represent war drums. They supposedly help mark the familiy residences of scholar officials (文官) and military officers (武官) respectively.

Yes, it is a common explanation, but actually, there will be little distinction between these two. For example, Tan Sitong is a scholar, but his Beijing home (Nanbanjie Hutong) has a round doorway support. Another example, Ming general Meng Duan's home is located at Mengduan Hutong, Xicheng District. His home has a rectangular doorway support.

Thanks for this link. I really learned a lot about Mongolian words. Especially ShiKeLang Hutong means "Taste sweet well" in Mongolian. I only know there is a "Sweet Taste Well Hutong" 甜水井胡同, and a "Bitter Taste Well Hutong" 苦水井胡同／福绥境胡同.

Yes, hutong has a Mongolian origin. Another interesting hutong is called Dazhiqiao Hutong 达智桥胡同, Xuanwu District. Its original name was: 鞑子桥胡同. It has been said that many Mongolians lived there in Ming Dynasty. You know, Mongolians were called "Da Da" 鞑靼 or "Da Zi" 鞑子 by Chinese.

There is also a "White Pagoda Temple" (Miaoying Temple 妙应寺) in Inner Fuchengmen Street. It was built by a Nepalese artisan during Kublai's reign. It is totally a Tibetan Buddhism Temple. Further, the size of Hutong was set by Kublai Khan. Under his rule, Wide Street had a width of 15 meters; Narrow Street was 7 meters; and Hutong was no more than 7 meters.

Another thing, Yuan's Beijing is different from Ming and Qing's. Ming and Qing's Beijing dilapidated the northern part of Yuan Beijing, and added an "Outer City" to the south. In the Inner City, the hutongs were descended from Yuan Dynasty, but in the Outer City, they were not. Therefore, Outer City hutongs were not straight. Most of the pictures I uploaded were from the Outer City, because they are declining much faster than the Inner City's. At the beginning of Qing Dynasty, no Han Chinese were allowed to live in the Inner City, so the Han elites lived all in the Outer City.

Thanks for your very nice picts !
I can see better now these beams at the doors we were talking about in that thread : http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?showtopic=18594

Liu

I assume that the choice of the 2 markers was acc. to the status of the initial inhabitants of the residences which means that a later occupant might in fact not have his status designated appropriately.

I have no independent source regarding any of this alas nor do I know whether the markers were changed from one occupant to another.

Again, very nice pictures.

Is there a landmark preservation commission, or an independent body like that in Beijing? Its members would be appointed to 4 or 5 year terms by the mayor, or a cultural agency. A building/architecture that has designated landmark status cannot then be torn down for the sake of rampant development.

Those hutongs should at least be converted into luxury residences or small restaurant shops. It's much easier to renovate an old building and bring economic activity into a newly renovated area, than demolish it and build something completely from scratch. Renovation can increase the property values of existing and surrounding residents.

Actually, there are some so called "Cultural Preservation Areas" in Beijing. But they are all demarcated by the authorities, and constantly changed. The most famous areas are: Shichahai 什刹海, North Xisi 西四北, Inner Fucheng Gate 阜内, Dashilanr 大栅栏, Xianyukou 鲜鱼口, Eastern Jiaomin Alley 东交民巷, Jingshan 景山, Inner Anding Gate 安内, North Dongsi 东四北, Zongbu Hutong 总布胡同. However, some areas are gradually occupied by real estate developers. Originally, there was a Wenhua Hutong 文华胡同 preservation area, but most of the houses were torn down at the beginning of 2007 (including my first picture). For Xianyukou area, the local government torn down most of the hutongs, and rebuilt several "fake" ones for commercial uses.

I don't think it would be wise to change hutongs into luxury residences or shops. There will be no "smelling of Beijing" if local people were forced to move and leaving only houses standing still.

It is true that how to preserve hutong is still a hot debate, but as we discussing this issue, thousands of hutongs were being torn down. That's the problem.

The following link is the hutongs still standing today.
Last property of old Beijing

When I toured the hutongs a couple of months ago, it seems that some were already converted into luxury appartment. These had complete make-overs, freshly painted walls and two or three car garages facing the street. I guess being able to have a fairly expansive walled mansions right in the historical center is appealing to some of the very rich/powerful. But I agree with you and hope that this would not become a trend. So far it's just something you see here and there and let's hope they keep it that way.

Yes, I think you visited the hutongs around Shichahai. It is a lake side area with three lakes, West Lake, Back Lake, and Front Lake. Shichahai is the most famous hutong preservation area not far away from the drum tower, but in my opinion it is not a good paradigm. The local citizens moved away and rent their houses to coffee bar owners. Several houses were torn down and many "fake" ones were built. Why I call them "fake"? Because they didn't use any tile to build it but just cement. These fake ones were bought by many rich businessmen from Hong Kong. Would you please send some pictures of your tour?

wow it's so cool, I'd like to see for my self one day thanks! it's beautiful.