So Much World, Not Enough Time!: Beijing Hutongs

The Hutong laneway we stayed on.

During our recent visit to Beijing with a group of travelling friends we were fortunate to stay in one of the Hutongs near the Forbidden City. The Hutongs, first created in Yuan Dynasty the times of Kublai Khan, are residential areas that are made up of small alley ways that sit between the main roads.

Aristocrats and Ministers of the Forbidden City were housed here in courtyard homes or Si-He-Yuan. These large elegant homes that were originally built for one family around a central courtyard were subdivided during the Cultural Revolution and again to house thousands of homeless people following the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. In recent years huge areas of Hutongs have been replaced by modern developments.
Today these complex neighbourhoods have some hope of being saved as the Government has protected some areas. But it is China's billionaires that offer new hope as they are buying old subdivided courtyard homes and renovating them back to there original size and aristocratic nature.

For the many who still live in these small subdivided spaces, often one family to a room, the conditions are still difficult and rundown. 90% of residents use public toilets and bathrooms down the alleys as the homes do not have plumbing. Fortunately for us we stayed in a restored Si-He-Yaun had ensuites for every room. Double Happiness Courtyard Hotel

Day to day life shines in the Hutong. People young and old shared the space with a sence of community. Schools, senior citizens centres, police stations, shops and restaurants are found in the alleys. Ancient trees, leafless at the end of winter, spread their branches over the little streets. As we walked up and down our alleyway each day the local people all said "Ni hao", hello, with a smile. Many sit on little stools chatting to neighbours.

At no time did any of us feel unsafe. Our Chinese friends told me this was partly due to the fact that the consequences for harming a westerner were severe.

For me the most memorable moment in the whole trip to China happened in the alley we were staying in. I had injured my knee and was hobbling along behind my friends after a day of seeing the sights when an old woman sitting on a chair offered me the seat next to her. No shared language but a shared moment of human kindness.