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China |
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China |
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Beijing...Hutong |
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To view a larger size image simply click on the thumbnail of the picture. |
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Hutong is a typical lane or small street in Beijing that originated during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). 'Hutong' is a Mongolian word, meaning 'water well'. In that time people settled where water was abundant. There are tens of thousands of hutongs surrounding the Forbidden City. In the past, Beijing was composed of countless courtyards. Hutongs were formed when people left a passageway between two courtyards to make entering them more convenient. |
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 Hutong Tour starts with a cycle rickshaw ride through the hutongs. Cycle rickshaws are a traditional means of transportation in the old narrow streets. Some of the passageways are too narrow for cars. |
 Hutongs are the old traditional alleyways and courtyard homes which once covered all Beijing. Many still survive today and are pleasant to walk or bike through. Not much has changed and you can see how people lived in the past. |
 We were told that the number of beams signifies the importance of the person who lived there. |
 Street vendors are everywhere trying to sell their goods and they are very, very persistent. You can barter and never pay what the vendor's asking price. If you keep saying no, the price goes lower and lower. |
It was surprising to learn that though a home in the hutong can have more than one room, there are no hallways to get to the other rooms. You have to go outside to get to another room. |
 Flowers and trees planted in the courtyard are there to decorate a happy life. Date trees, locust trees, an cloves are favorites. |
 We visited a traditional courtyard home. We were greeted by a 70 year old woman who served us tea and welcomed us into her home. |
Whenever we told people we were teachers, they were very in awe and we felt so special. The room was very plain and small. |
 Our hutong host was a lovely woman. Her son lived in the city and he wants her to move into his apartment with his family but she does not want to leave the hutong. It looks as if she welcomes others into her home. Again, we gave her a tip, so to speak, to show how much we appreciated her hospitality. |
Click here to see
pictures taken by another traveler touring the hutong. |
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