The Beijing Hutong is a "must-see" attraction if you want to really get a feel for the rich history and culture of the city. Seeing the Beijing Hutongs today will show you the lifestyle and culture of historic Beijing.
Beijing hutongs are lanes or alleys formed by lines of siheyuan (a compound with houses around a courtyard where many generations of a family would live). They are usually only 40 centimeters to 10 meters wide and has many tus. The longest hutong has over 20 tus so be careful not to get lost. The hutongs are usually named after a family or something special about the residents on the hutong. The names reflect the history of not only that hutong but the history of Beijing residents. For example, Laoshe, a famous Chinese playwright, was bo in a hutong in the west part of the city. Laoshe was so fond of his childhood home that he based one of his famous novels "The Four Generations Under One Roof" in the hutongs. Many other famous opera and dramas are also based in the hutongs.These hutongs are currently under govement protection from urban construction which already claimed a lot of hutongs. When a hutong is destroyed, a piece of Beijing is lost as well. But it is not too late to pay a visit to the hutongs and then enjoy a drama at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, such as " Teahouse" or " Small Hutong". It will help you appreciate this fundamental part of Beijing history and get an understanding of people lived in historic Beijing.
