BEIJING hutongs(old lanes or alleys) enjoy a special place in the rich cultural tapestry of China’s capital.While their construction may not be considered as elite as the architecture of the Forbidden City,they are w...BEIJING hutongs(old lanes or alleys) enjoy a special place in the rich cultural tapestry of China’s capital.While their construction may not be considered as elite as the architecture of the Forbidden City,they are witnesses to Beijing’s evolution over the years.Each has its own story,its own connection to important historical events. Rapid real estate development in recent years has led to their increasing absence on city maps.Many local residents worry about the future of hutongs,whose existence serve as a living memory of old Beijing.展开更多
OUTSIDE Lingjing Hutong station on Beijing’s Subway Line 4,the 664-meter-long Lingjing Hutong between Fuyoujie Street and Xidan North Street spreads out 32.18 meters at its widest point.It’s the widest hutong in the...OUTSIDE Lingjing Hutong station on Beijing’s Subway Line 4,the 664-meter-long Lingjing Hutong between Fuyoujie Street and Xidan North Street spreads out 32.18 meters at its widest point.It’s the widest hutong in the capital. Before an expansion in the 1980s, Lingjing was just 3 meters wide.Its history can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644),when a Taoist temple known展开更多
YANGROU Hutong is 600 years old.Located in the Xisi area of Beijing’s Xicheng District,the area was originally a trading market for cattle,which usually ended up in the imperial kitchen.But with the name Yangrou(mean...YANGROU Hutong is 600 years old.Located in the Xisi area of Beijing’s Xicheng District,the area was originally a trading market for cattle,which usually ended up in the imperial kitchen.But with the name Yangrou(meaning mutton),butchers and mutton stores replaced the cattle traders starting in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).In those days,cries of sellers and the pungent smell of mutton overwhelmed every passerby. But today,those smells and sounds are展开更多
"THE siheyuan in Beijing are composed of enclosing walls, several dozen rooms and one to two courtyards. This is the room facing south, the room facing north, wing-room, rear-room, etc. Each has a different funct..."THE siheyuan in Beijing are composed of enclosing walls, several dozen rooms and one to two courtyards. This is the room facing south, the room facing north, wing-room, rear-room, etc. Each has a different function...." A group of foreign tourists visited model siheyuans, the traditional residences of Beijingers. Listening attentively to the explanation by Pan Yuanyuan, a young tour guide with the Beijing Hutong Tourist Agency, the visitors learned展开更多
I have been living in Beijing for nearly 20 years. I often ride my bike to and from the office. I love to avoid crowded roads and ride through the hutongs, or small lanes. My feelings of bustle and agitation can disap...I have been living in Beijing for nearly 20 years. I often ride my bike to and from the office. I love to avoid crowded roads and ride through the hutongs, or small lanes. My feelings of bustle and agitation can disappear when I ride in the lanes—so simple and unsophisticated, quiet and familiar. In my spare time,展开更多
Touring in rickshaws adds fun to the tour. The areas between the Drum Tower and Bell Tower are dense ly covered with thousands of one-story houses and hutongs.
文摘BEIJING hutongs(old lanes or alleys) enjoy a special place in the rich cultural tapestry of China’s capital.While their construction may not be considered as elite as the architecture of the Forbidden City,they are witnesses to Beijing’s evolution over the years.Each has its own story,its own connection to important historical events. Rapid real estate development in recent years has led to their increasing absence on city maps.Many local residents worry about the future of hutongs,whose existence serve as a living memory of old Beijing.
文摘OUTSIDE Lingjing Hutong station on Beijing’s Subway Line 4,the 664-meter-long Lingjing Hutong between Fuyoujie Street and Xidan North Street spreads out 32.18 meters at its widest point.It’s the widest hutong in the capital. Before an expansion in the 1980s, Lingjing was just 3 meters wide.Its history can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644),when a Taoist temple known
文摘YANGROU Hutong is 600 years old.Located in the Xisi area of Beijing’s Xicheng District,the area was originally a trading market for cattle,which usually ended up in the imperial kitchen.But with the name Yangrou(meaning mutton),butchers and mutton stores replaced the cattle traders starting in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).In those days,cries of sellers and the pungent smell of mutton overwhelmed every passerby. But today,those smells and sounds are
文摘"THE siheyuan in Beijing are composed of enclosing walls, several dozen rooms and one to two courtyards. This is the room facing south, the room facing north, wing-room, rear-room, etc. Each has a different function...." A group of foreign tourists visited model siheyuans, the traditional residences of Beijingers. Listening attentively to the explanation by Pan Yuanyuan, a young tour guide with the Beijing Hutong Tourist Agency, the visitors learned
文摘I have been living in Beijing for nearly 20 years. I often ride my bike to and from the office. I love to avoid crowded roads and ride through the hutongs, or small lanes. My feelings of bustle and agitation can disappear when I ride in the lanes—so simple and unsophisticated, quiet and familiar. In my spare time,
文摘Touring in rickshaws adds fun to the tour. The areas between the Drum Tower and Bell Tower are dense ly covered with thousands of one-story houses and hutongs.
