Some of Beijing’s original ancient city streets still exist
today. They make up the winding maze of traditional cobbled ally ways and
courtyard homes called Hutongs. These ancient streets with their one-story tile
roofed domiciles are a window into Beijing’s past and a sharp contrast to the
endless glass high-rise buildings and skyscrapers that define Beijing’s modern landscape.
These downtown hutongs are some of my favorite places in
Beijing- they have such character and give you a glimpse into people’s daily
lives. The hutongs’ small streets and neighborhoods also host some of the city’s
smaller quirky boutiques and feature many small trendy bars and cafes.
Despite their long history, many inhabitants and undeniable
charm, hutongs have been disappearing in recent years to make room for
Beijing’s rampant commercial modernization. The government considers many
hutong areas to be better utilized as high-rise property development, and thus
countless historic neighborhoods have been destroyed. Therefore the hutongs
that survive today feel precious.
These photos show my wanderings through the hutongs of the
Yonghegong (Lama Temple) neighborhood. I love getting lost in their twists and
turns, stumbling upon daily life happenings of neighborhood residents, and finding
little treasures as I amble through the hutongs’ small pedestrian streets. On
the afternoon of this particular adventure I enjoyed watching Grandmothers do
their washing and grandfathers grip their birdcages as they gazed enraptured at
a street side game of Chinese chess.
Produce markets spilled onto the street selling large toads
and fragrant persimmons, and construction workers barreled past me with carts
of debris as neighborhood children gleefully climbed the mounds of construction
materials.
A sharp turn brought me to a progressive and innovative
neighborhood lending library. This courtyard home had been converted into a
small center for literacy and education, spreading its mission through free
book lending to neighborhood residents. The library is an example of the
intimate respect and community that still exists in the small residential
hutong areas.
Further down the road I saw a ramshackle fairy tale house-
the slab roof featured a precariously balanced little shed as well as a bizarre
and charming couch and tea table overlooking the street. A gnarled tree half
hid this intimate outdoor living room from passersby and a calico cat gazed out
the first floor window.
On another especially quiet hutong I stumbled upon a small gourmet
cheese shop (cheese is rare in china and a serious luxury). Next door was an
empty storefront undergoing construction- yet after closer inspection I
realized the space had been turned into a temporary public art space for the
construction interim. Four tv screens faced the street shining through the
grubby windows and bright illustrations bordered the façade.
A few streets down I explored some very quaint and trendy
expat haunts. The Touchwoman café had every British aesthetic detail and delicacy
you could desire and Pure Lotus Vegetarian restaurant embodied the epitome of
luxury chic with its misted bamboo garden dining. I also glanced into a fearsome
vampire bar and wholesome brewery bistro.
As you wander hutongs they can look dusty and basic, but are
full of every day life with clotheslines strung on the street and bike carts
scooting through picking up trash. Then you glance into an inner courtyard and see an old man
reading a paper, a child scribbling in chalk on the neighborhood walls, and an
international beer shop as big as a closet peeking out behind a street side
restaurant. Each one of these things make you feel the energy, life and charm
that fill these tiny, winding, ancient city streets.
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