One of the unique features of Beijing is its numerous hutongs which means the traditional community with small lanes, alleys and Siheyuan (quadrangle). The life of ordinary people in these hutongs contributes greatly to the charm of this ancient capital. In these small lanes, you'll find many Siheyuan, or quadrangles which are the living quarters of locals. No one knows exactly how many hutongs there are in Beijing.

   

According to historical records, a small city first appeared in the Beijing area about 3,000 years ago. It was not until the Jin dynasty in the 12 century that Beijing became the capital city for the first time. At that time, there were no hutongs in Beijing, just streets and roads. The word "Hutong" is said to originate from the Mongolian language, meaning "water well." In other words, it means a place where people live, because people always gather where there is water. Hutongs, the traditional residence of Beijingers, each consisting of rectangular courtyard surrounded by one-storeyed tile-roofed houses, usually one to six meters wide. Hutongs are where life was going on for the last 700 years since they first appeared in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

After the occupation of Beijing in 1260, Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan established Yuan Dynasty. Kublai Khan set Beijing as the capital city. Unfortunately, the old city was destroyed during the war. So they had to rebuild it. The main buildings in the hutong were almost all quadrangles, which varied in size and design according to the social status of the residents. The big quadrangles of high- ranking officials and wealthy merchants were specially built with roof beams and pillars all beautifully carved and painted, each with a front yard and back yard. However, the ordinary people's quadrangles were simply built with small gates and low houses. Hutongs, in fact, are passageways formed by many closely arranged quadrangles of different sizes. The specially built quadrangles all face the south for better lighting; as a result, a lot of hutongs run from east to west. Between the big hutongs many small ones went north and south for convenient passage.

Most of the hutongs which remain today were formed in the Ming and Qing dynasties. But you can still find some from the Yuan dynasty. For instance, the Zhuanta Hutong in Xisi on the west side of the city is a typical example. In the Yuan dramas this hutong was often mentioned.

Over the last 7 centuries with the growth of the city, more and more hutongs appeared, but they were not the same as the old ones. During the Qing Dynasty in the 17th century, the Manchu people who used to live in North China ruled. After they overthrew the Ming Dynasty, they divided Manchu people into eight banners.

Each of them was distinguished by a different colour. With the growth of the population the city had to expand. So the Manchu people with all the banners, living in the inner city. Han people, whether high ranking or ordinary people were driven to the outer city. There they built their houses randomly. And a lot of hutongs appeared.

   

Since then, Beijing has quite many hutongs with different shapes, Lengths or directions. The shortest one is just 10 meters' long, and the narrowest hutong is only about 40 centimeters' wide. Some hutongs have more than 20 turns. And slanting Hutongs also appeared due to the terrain. The majority of hutongs run straight from east to west, some from north to south. That has resulted from the need for houses to face south so as to take in more sunshine and resist cold wind from the north.

However, transportation was not as convenient as today, so street peddlers emerged. They wandered from lane to lane selling various goods or providing all kinds of services. People could judge their goods from their singing or the sounds of their special instruments. At sunset, the peddlers selling food were among the first to come. The foods they sold include Youzhagao, which is deep-fried twisted dough sticks, baked pancakes, seasoned millet mush and so on. A little bit later, peddlers who sold vegetables of daily necessities would appear. A barber never shouts, his instrument is a big pair of scissors and an ironing stick. But now it's unusual to hear such melodious cries of sounds.

Beijing's hutongs are not only an appellation for the lanes but also a kind of architecture. It's the living environment of ordinary Beijingers. It reflects the vicissitude of society. Most of the hutongs look almost the same with grey walls and bricks. Hutongs are a happy kind of place. There are often 4 to 10 families with an average of 20 people sharing the rooms of one courtyard complex. The main attraction of hutong life is a friendly and interpersonal communication. Children living in one courtyard play together and grow up like one family. For the old people, the charm comes from each other's company.

Today's hutong tour is full of joy. Usually you can rent a rickshaw, going through the small, but old alleys. You also have chances to visiting one local market with all kinds of fruits and vegetables. If possible, you can ask your guide to arrange a lunch at the locals' house. You will taste the delicious local foods, as well as chatting with the host and hostess and learn more about the local people's authentic life.