How to plan a trip in Beijing Hutong?

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Beijing, the capital of China, is an ancient city with a history of over 3,000 years. In addition to the magnificent Chinese royal monuments, the Beijing hutong, the areas where the old Beijingers lived, also document the city’s history and culture.

What is a Hutong in Beijing?

In 1403 A.D., the Chinese Ming Emperor Zhu Di rebuilt the city of Beijing on a large scale before moving the capital there. The imperial palace, the Forbidden City, was located in the centre of the city, and all other buildings were neatly and symmetrically arranged around it. The alleyways between the residences were called ‘Street’, ‘Hutong’, and ‘Lane’ according to width. By 1553, there were 459 hutongs in the city. As the population increased and the city grew, Beijing had more than 3,600 hutongs in 1986. Nowadays, these alleyways in the old city are narrow for the expanding modern Beijing metropolis, so people classify these “streets, hutongs and lanes” as hutongs.

Are there still Hutongs in Beijing?

After nearly forty years of rapid development, Beijing is now a modern metropolis. Hutongs are located in the heart of Beijing, and their narrow and old condition is no longer suitable for modern traffic. There was a time when the number of Hutongs was disappearing at a rate of 50 per year. Today, the number of surviving Hutongs in Beijing is 950. The question of how to preserve Hutongs with historical and cultural values is a problem that people face.

Why is Hutong the must-see attraction during your time in Beijing?

The Hutongs are not only an alley for urban traffic but also a place where ordinary Beijingers live and an essential stage for the historical and cultural development of the city. It is a critical stage in the historical and cultural development of Beijing. It is like a museum of folk customs, branded with imprints on people’s different social lives. The Hutongs are full of famous monuments, and when you walk through them, you seem to be reading an encyclopedia about Beijing. Many of the bricks and tiles in the hutongs are hundreds of years old. From each hutong courtyard, large and small, you can learn about the life of Beijing citizens, including their lifestyles, interests, and neighbourhoods.

The best Hutongs in Beijing, their highlights and recommended trip route

#1: Shi Jia Hutong (史家胡同)  

The 600-meter-long Shi Jia Hutong has a history of more than 700 years. The buildings in the hutong are neat and well-built, mostly large mansions, where many famous figures of old Beijing lived. The Ruyi-shaped carved window frames, the red-painted gates, every green brick and every grey tile highlight the years of the old Beijing city.

The site of Shih’s Primary School was once an examination centre for the Qing Empire’s selection of students to study in the United States. In the early 20th century, the corruption of the Qing government inspired young students to study in advanced industrial countries. Students with patriotic passions flocked to Japan and the United States.

#2: Wudaoying Hutong (五道营胡同)  

Wudaoying Hutong used to be a place for stocking up on soldiers. After the founding of New China in 1949, the people who built the old Beijing city gate, Andingmen, settled here. Today, the hutong has developed into a commercial street with unique creative stores, restaurants, and coffee shops based on the old buildings.

#3: Guozijian Street (国子监街) 

Guozijian Street is 669 meters long and has been built for more than 700 years. The street concentrates many historical and cultural heritages, such as Confucius Temple and Imperial College Museum, and is a protected cultural heritage street in Beijing. It is also the only street with archways preserved in Beijing. There are four beautifully painted archways on the street.

#4: North Luogu Lane (北锣鼓巷)  

Autumn is the most beautiful season in Beijing. Besides enjoying the ginkgo and maple leaves, it is also a very different scenery to enjoy the ash trees in Beijing’s hutongs. To experience the most beautiful autumn in Beijing, you must visit North Luogu Lane. Walking into the hutongs, you will find yellow ash leaves covering the courtyard with grey walls and black tiles, giving people a warm and happy feeling. There are also many exquisite cafes and restaurants in North Luogu Lane. Sitting in the courtyard of a cafe or chatting with friends on the terrace in the autumn sun is incomparable.

 #5: Yangmeizhuxie Street (杨梅竹斜街） 

More than 100 years ago, in the Republic of China, Yangmeizhuxie Street used to be a famous street for bookstores. The street was filled with guild halls, celebrity residences, and draft banks. Nowadays, there are many exciting stores scattered in old buildings.

#6: Liulichang Ancient Culture Street (琉璃厂古文化街）

In the early Qing Dynasty, antique dealers began to set up stores on this street. By Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795), this street had become a distribution centre for antiques, calligraphy and paintings, ancient books, inscriptions, and literary treasures. Today there are more than 100 stores dealing with antiques, calligraphy and painting, antique relics, jewelry, musical instruments, etc.

#7: Smoke-bag slanting street（烟袋斜街）

It is a small street of more than 200 meters. From the late Qing Dynasty to the 1930s, the street was mainly used for selling tobacco products such as dry tobacco pouches and hookah, as well as antiques, calligraphy and paintings, framed, stationery and snacks. The stores’ architecture here is simple and very characteristic of Beijing city, and it is a famous cultural street in the northern part of Beijing.

Today it is filled with snack stores and souvenir stores. Stroll through this street if you visit Beijing during the Chinese Lunar New Year. Taste a variety of Beijing snacks and feel the festive atmosphere during China’s most important holiday.