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Welcome to one of the marvels of the Beijing city life. The traditional alleyways are a spectacle for outsiders that have not experienced what life what like hundreds of years ago. In Chinese, they are called Hutongs （胡同） and have been around since Yuan dynasty (1206-1341) .
In my trip to Beijing, I headed out with Lillian to shoot some cool photos and I am pretty proud of the result.
You can think of hutongs like a network of alleyways that link courtyard residences. These narrow alleyways remind you of China's history and what the "old China" used to be like. Nowadays, most homes in China are built as apartment complexes due to the sheer number of people living in this country. However, if you walk around here or the rural parts of China, you can still get a glimpse of these courtyards and residences that accommodate a single family.
A typical doorway entrance to one of the homes
The entrance leads to the courtyards. Often times, these courtyards are used to raise chickens or store materials. The narrow walkways also bring in a nice sense of community. Living in a place like this almost forces you to know your neighbours and interact with them. In typical apartment complexes, people don't really spend time to know their neighbours. I remember back in Canada, we rarely ever spoke to our neighbours because we didn't have a reason to. Being in this type of environment though, it's almost impossible to avoid them. What's more, the doors are often open! It might be a little worrisome for people that are used to locking their doors, but here, I could just walk into someone's house if I really wanted to. I could steal something from the courtyard, but I guess people are used to being open and not needing to worry about intruders.
Awesome screen wall
The image above showcases something called screen wall. You can find them outside some of the courtyards. They are used for cosmetic purposes as well as to hide the area on the other side of the wall.
There are paid tours of this hutong that people can enlist in. Basically, someone will ride a rickshaw where you can sit and view your surroundings. If that is something that interests you, then it is available. Personally, I prefer to walk because I can take better photos and experience the life around these parts more profoundly.
What needs to be known is that most of the hutongs in Beijing have been demolished in order to modernize the city. Hutongs were destroyed to make place for more modern buildings like apartment complexes and shopping malls. However, there are a select number of hutongs that are maintained and protected for cultural preservation. That is why when you walk through some of them, they look clean and updated. You can see for yourself in all the pictures I have posted thus far. The hutong I went to is one of them that appears to be protected and maintained. In fact, if you walk around, you can see some doorways that look freshly painted and in good condition.
Buildings that are maintained in China are often repainted and rebuilt to ensure a longer lifespan. You can see this with the Great Wall as well. Often times, the designs and beams that support the roof of a building are preserved and recovered. I happen to like this a lot. I know lots of people prefer to see dated architecture that hasn't been tampered with for centuries, but remember that people live in this communities. As much as dated architecture looks cool to see, it sure isn't fun to live there. I can remember my old house in Canada that was built in the 50s; it was a pain to live in sometimes because there were always problems and leaks due to it's age. I can only imagine what living conditions would be like for the inhabitants if the government didn't restore these place.
Traditional Chinese culture believes in a myriad of deities that are each responsible for a particular aspect of life. Some are prayed to for an auspicious future, others are displayed outside the door to protect from intruders and thieves.
门神 (Men Shen), which literally translates to "Door God," protects homes from unscrupulous people
All in all, I loved walking around this place. It feels so serene and it is hard to fathom that these places are located in the heart of Beijing. When you walk though the intricate network of narrow alleyways, you can't even hear the traffic and noise coming from the city. I would love to live in one of these places. It has a nice cozy feel to it. Look how relaxed this dog is!
Beijing is a huge and bustling city. After a long day of walking in the hectic city center, it was nice to feel alleviated just by staying here for a while. Not to mention, these hutongs do often times have the best food. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of this, but you can find mom and pop shops stretching along the street and people living here just as they did 100 years ago.
If you are ever in Beijing, make sure you check out these hutongs. That are a symbol of what China used to be and I urge you to experience it for yourself. Walking around aimlessly is one of my favourite activities to do in Beijing. I love the atmosphere, community and serenity I sense as I maneuver through the different paths and see everyone just going about their day to day life.
For Part #1 of my Follow Me in Beijing Series, click the link below!
Follow Me in Beijing: Jingshan Park <> The Best View of the Forbidden City
Thanks for Reading!
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