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Popular Scenic Spots
Tiananmen Square & Forbidden CitySummer Palace
Temple of Heaven
Ming Tombs
Hutong (traditional part of Beijing)
Beijing Zoo
Lama Temple
Xiushui Market/Silk Market
The Sacred Way
Bird's Nest & Water Cube (Olympic Village)
National Centre of Performing Arts
Olympic Green
Great Wall at Juyongguan (the most magnificent)
Great Wall at Badaling (the most famous)
Great wall at Mutianyu (the prettiest)
Great wall at Simatai (good for hiking)
Great wall at Jinshanling (good for hiking)
Huanghuacheng Great wall (not officially open, steep)
Jiankou Great wall (steepest)
- The Most Popular Scenic Spots
Beijing Hutong (traditional part of Beijing)
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Description of Hutong The word "Hutong" originated from the Mongolian word "huto", which means water wells. Since nomadic tribes used to live and stay near water wells, they called the small alleys "huto". Hutong had its first appearance in Beijing in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).The name was gradually adopted by all the residents of Beijing, and has been handed down to the present. At present, Hutong means narrow streets or alleys.
The houses built on each side of Hutong are called Siheyuan (quadrangle), generally rectangular dwelling compounds, in which buildings on four sides. Almost every quadrangle is surrounded by high walls. In fact, Hutong is formed by quadrangles standing side by side along a straight passage. Usually, the Siheyuan of rich business men and the high officers was decorated exquisitely. The scale was large. And the poor residence’s Siheyuan was opposite.
Thousands of hutongs are built around the Forbidden City. Most of them formed during the Yuan, Ming and Qing three dynasties. The relatives and high officers lived near the Forbidden City and their siheyuan were in orderly rows from south to north. Common businessmen and residences lived at the crude hutongs in south and north far away from the Forbidden City.
Siheyuan is the life style and social culture of the early and middle of Qing Dynasty in miniature. After dynasties, the Siheyuan was affected by foreign cultures. Numerous of new hutongs with various shapes formed. During the Republican Period，the private Siheyuan became the complex which several families lived. Since the mid-20th century, Beijing changed a lot. Modern skyscrapers took place of ancient hutongs. The number of Beijing hutongs has dropped dramatically as they are demolished to make way for new roads and buildings. More recently, some hutongs have been designated as protected areas so as to preserve this aspect of Chinese ancient special cultural history.
Anyhow, the area of hutong still occupies nearly a third of the urban area. Around half of the local residences lived there. Hutong has become the place where modern meets ancient. More and more foreign visitors are interested in this mysterious place.