Bejing's City Wall and Hutongs, Beijing, China

Hutong experience

In Beijing there is plenty to do and see! 

We have recently been out to explore a few treasures within the city during the warm summer evenings. 

Beijing is well known for its old Hutong's, which are small old courtyard houses joined in a messy maze-work of windy lane-ways (or alleyways). Traditionally entire families would live together in a courtyard property called a 'siheyuan'. 

John relaxing outside a Hutong shop sign

Groups of families would all live beside one another creating the 'Hutong'. This would form a neighbourhood. The original word hutong was actually Mongolian and means 'water well'.

Hutongs were first designed by Chinese city planners during the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) and were meant to separate different classes of citizens. Depending on where your hutong was in relation to the Forbidden City would tell stories about who you and your family were.



Also during the Yuan dynasty, Mongols placed great value on water so the family siheyuans were traditionally built around a well. 

Looking down a lane way

Unfortunately many of Beijing's Hutongs were destroyed over time, through wear and tear or destruction for new roads. However the remaining ones are now protected by the government and are considered historical settlements. In some parts of Beijing, there are still large families living in Hutongs but they are also a very large tourist attraction.

Interestingly, no family had their own bathroom. Rather the hutong (or neighbourhood) would share a communal washing and defecting area which is still in effect today. This means there are plenty of public toilets available for everyones use. 

Dinner on the roof top

One of our favorite Hutong's, are the Beihai Park Hutong's (north of the forbidden city). In the Hutong there are lots of small, unique shops, restaurants and bars, it is a great place to come and relax on a roof top and watch the hustle below.  

We have a few more to explore yet but might wait for the tourist season to slow down a little.

We also recently and accidentally stumbled across a remaining section of Beijing's old City Wall. Much of the City Wall was removed long ago for road development as the city grew and also after the collapse of the last dynasty in 1911. However a long southeastern section remains heading northward from Chongwenmen (our current suburb). 

Playing by the ancient Beijing City Wall

The Beijing City Wall at sunset

This section was part of the inner City Wall built between 1400 - 1553 and currently it is 1.5 kilometers in length. After this unique discovery we did some research into the old Beijing City Walls and found there was an inner City Wall and an outer City Wall. Our home sits within the outer City Wall so theoretically if there was a mongol attack we may have been safer... 

Kara playing on the grass by the Beijing City Wall 

Today, there is a wide path that slowly winds its way down the length of the remaining section of the inner Wall. In the evening this part of Beijing is a lively hub for groups of Chinese elders who gather to dance, play cards or sit together while their young grandchildren run around. During the day it is popular with walkers and used for practicing a multitude of different varieties of martial arts. We quite enjoy the sword waving! At the end of the wall there is a large watch tower which you can climb up, for a minimal fee, the wall and check out the view from a height of 15meters! Something which is still on the 'to do list'. 

Tot siens,
John and Kara