At first glance, Beijing seems a thoroughly modern city, but a stroll through the city’s alleyways (hutong) reveals the charm of old Beijing. These hutong - weaving across much of central Beijing - are where many Beijing residents (Beijingren) still live. Typically running east to west, hutong are created by the walls of courtyard houses (siheyuan). Formerly the homes of officials and the well-to-do, most are now state-owned. The hutong are very easy to find, try the alleyways between the main streets south of Qian Men, or around Hou Hai and Qian Hai. The modernization of Beijing has destroyed many traditional siheyuan, but some have been cleaned up and have again become homes. A few have been converted into hotels, allowing the visitor a closer look at this disappearing world.

Typical Beijing hutong

You can take organized rickshaw tours of the hutong, sometimes with a visit to the Mansion of Prince Gong, but it can be more fun to explore them by yourself.

Siheyuan courtyards

As space became an issue in Beijing, additional buildings filled in the large courtyards. Several families may be living together in one siheyuan.