The Hutong Next Door

The Hutong Next Door

Hutongs are traditional neighborhoods in Beijing and other northern Chinese cities. These neighborhoods are created by a series of alleys or narrow streets (called Hutong) that are formed by connecting traditional courtyard residences, called siheyuan.

Beijing’s hutongs offer a window into the traditional culture of the city and its residents, and are some of the most popular destinations for tourists. The first hutongs were built in the Yuan Dynasty, and continued to be built in the Ming, and Qing Dynasties. Unesco estimates that 86 – 90 per cent of Beijing’s hutongs have been demolished since the 1950s due to modernization, the 2008 Olympics, and continuing development in the city. Most now only exist within the Second Ring Road, which surrounds the Forbidden City, Beijing’s city center.

Many of the remaining hutongs have been gentrified, or renovated by the wealthy, celebrities, and government officials. Some have been transformed into shopping streets or tourist attractions, with trendy courtyard hotels, shops, bars, restaurants and cafes.

Nanluoguxiang, Wudaoying, Yandaixiejie, which are located near the Drum and Bell towers, the Shichahai Lakes, and the Lama Temple, are some of the most famous and popular hutongs in Beijing. These hutongs and others like them are vibrant and fun. Historic residences and temples are scattered amongst all the restaurants, cafes, and shops. When family and friends come to town this is where we bring them.

Wudaoying Hutong - Couple posing for wedding photos with Photographer
Wudaoying Hutong - Young couple posing for wedding photos

Young couple posing for wedding photos in front of a cafe at Wudaoying.

Sunday afternoon stroll Nanluoguxiang

Crowds walking Nanluoguxiang on a cool Sunday afternoon.

Young mother walking baby in a Hutong near Nanluoguxiang
Mini car parked on sidewalk
Suger sculpture treats Maker in the Hutongs
Old door

Walking the alleys between Nanluoguxiang and the Shichahai Lakes. locals hang out in front of shops, venders sell everything from sugary sweets shaped like animals; fruits and vegetables, and more.

Chilling over beer at Great Leap Brewing at #6 Doujiao Hutong.

Chilling out at Great Leap Brewery No 6
When strolling down Nanluoguxiang, eating dumplings at Mr. Shi’s, or going to brunch at one of the cafes, it’s easy to forget that we’re not getting the full picture. Occasionally we’ll pass an alleyway or look inside an open door to see bicycles, hanging laundry or hidden entrances, but not much else about the lives of the people living there.
Hutong side alley
Looking into entryway of a residence

Views down a side alley and inside one of the open doors.

Two Hutongs separated by wall
Shirtless man watering plants

One of the more interesting intersections between hutongs. A resident was watering the plants in the alley on the right.

The vast majority of residents of Beijing’s older hutongs live in outdated, often primitive conditions with no central heating and inadequate or no indoor plumbing. We were talking to an expat who had lived in Beijing for years, marveling at the number of public toilets in the hutongs. They told us there were so many because most people didn’t have one at home.

Many locals consider the alleyways slums, that are not worth protecting. An article about the hutongs from the South China Morning Post writes “Local people have coined the term “messy yard” to describe the chaotic living conditions of many hutongs.”

Occasionally while out and about we will stumble upon what looks like an unassuming Hutong in the shadow of a Communist era apartment block, shopping center, or ultra modern high-rise. Some appear to have been renovated and are walled off.

Guy on scooter outside of Hutong near Sanlitun
Hutong entrance near Dongyue Temple
One of the Hutong entrances south of Galaxy SOHO

The Hutong Next Door

One evening while walking home from Tuanjiehu Park I turned off the 3rd Ring Road onto a side street looking for a shortcut back to our complex, and stumbled upon a series of alleyways that looked a lot rougher than I was used to seeing. While these hutongs were new to me, friends and colleagues who lived in Sanlitun and worked in the Central Business District, cut through the alleys almost daily on their way to work or home.

I went back the next morning with my camera to get a better look. I’ve been back several times. Usually I’m just passing through. Sometimes I take photos. Other times I’ve acted as tour guide for friends from out of town.

This series of alleys is surrounded by parking lots and 1970s era apartment blocks to the south and west, a modern luxury hotel, and business high-rises facing the 3rd Ring Road to the east, and more apartment blocks with shops to the north. From the south most passersby would have no idea these hutongs were here.

Keysmith Cart at front entrance of Hutong

Located between a parking lot and an auto detailing center, Guandongdian 1st Alley can easily be mistaken for a driveway.

During warmer months a keysmith’s trike can usually be found close to the entrance.

Another alley intersects with Guandongdian 1st Alley at the first public toilets. The glass covered skyscraper in the background is the posh 5-Star Rosewood Hotel.

Side alley off Guandongdian 1st Alley
Old Hutong off Side alley off Guandongdian 1st Alley
Traffic Police building

A few yards past the public toilet is the Traffic Police station. I’ve walked past it many times and still wonder why its there.

Hutong Barbershop

A group of courtyards with a barbershop sit next to another public toilet close to the intersection with Huashiying E Alley.

Hutong Barbershop and residences  from the cross roads

Two older men saw me looking around and pointed to a side alley. While taking photos a young girl came out from one of the doorways.

Side alley off Guandongdian 1st Alley
Little girl leaving home
Heading east on Huashiying E Alley

Heading east on Huashiying E Alley, I looked up to see a second story that was probably illegally by the owner at some point.

Second Story
Side alley off Huashiying East Alley

Several narrow side alleys split off Huashiying E Alley. I looked down a couple. Some had doors all the way down. In others the doors started further down or around the back.

Scooter parked in side alley
intersection of Huashiying E Alley and Guandongdian 2nd Alley

The intersection of Huashiying E Alley and Guandongdian 2nd Alley

Walking north up Guandongdian 2nd Alley

Walking north up Guandongdian 2nd Alley toward the north entrance.

Looking down one of the side alleys off of the main alley.

Side alley off Guandongdian 2nd Alley

Guandongdian 2nd Alley intersects with a “proper” street with shops and 70s era apartment blocks. The north entrance looks to be the main entrance into the Hutong.

Roadside Bike Repair Shop

A mobile bike and scooter repair shop sits directly across the street from the entrance to the hutong. There are shops on either side.

Waiting in line at the produce market

These hutongs would definitely qualify as “Messy Yard”. Unlike most of the other hutongs I had seen in Beijing these alleys had not been renovated recently, if ever. The buildings in the first side alley looked particularly rough. It’s hard to determine whether these are the original structures, or buildings added during the 1950s and 60s to pack more people in, which happened in most of Beijing’s hutongs. On many of the renovated hutongs I’ve seen, the brick walls are actually brick shaped tiles covering older walls that had been shored up with cement. Here the brick was exposed or painted pink. Many of the residences were not walled off from the main alleyways. Life appeared to be lived on the street. In one of the side alleys a woman was washing her hair in a wash basin in front of one of the doors. Junk and trash were everywhere.

I have walked through this Hutong many times over the past couple of years, usually on my way to Sanlitun. The city began renovations within a month after my first visit. I will cover that and other happenings in another post.

Check out The Last Hutongs Of Beijing And China’s Urban Change from Culture Trip and Razing History: The Tragic Story of a Beijing Neighborhood’s Destruction from a 2012 article in The Atlantic.

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Desperately Seeking Geishas

Desperately Seeking Geishas

Gion is a famous entertainment and geisha district in Kyoto that is filled with restaurants shops and teahouses, where geisha (called geiko) and maiko (apprentice geisha) perform.

Most tourists looking to spot geisha head to Hanami-koji Street. The street and side alleys are lined with traditional wooden machiya houses, which are now mostly restaurants with a number of teahouses, known as ochaya, mixed in. Ochaya feature some of the most exclusive (and expensive) dining in Kyoto, and guests are entertained by maiko and geiko.

We arrived at Hanami-koji Street just after 7:30 PM and met a friend at the highly recommended local bar Finlandia. After a couple of drinks we strolled through the alleys surrounding Hanami-koji looking for geisha, but gave up after twenty minutes to go to dinner on the other side of the Kamo river in Ponto-chō. Hours later, we parted ways with the friend, and were back on Shijo Avenue debating whether or not to go back to the hotel, or head back to Gion to see if we could see any geisha before calling it a night.

We were on the bridge back to Gion when I spotted a geisha walking towards us. I quickly pointed her out to K. Locals laughed as we pursued her back to Ponto-chō taking photos. It was like chasing a ghost as she disappeared into one of the buildings. I still can’t believe how fast she moved walking on three or four inch high wooden clogs.

There was no stopping us now. By this time it was just after 10 PM, and with the exception of a few locals going about their business, Hanami-koji Street was empty. For the first 20 or so minutes we caught glimpses of geishas in the distance on their way from one tea house to another. 

We settled on a spot across the street from a tea house on Hanami-koji after watching a Geisha get into the back of a cab that had pulled up in front. We stood a few feet off the street in one of the alleys and waited.

From that point on Hanami-koji came to life with geiko and meiko walking from one performance to the next, getting into or out of cabs, or socializing on the street.

At one point we were in the perfect position to see into the entrance of the tea house as the Okasan and another woman escorted a client out. The woman in the white kimono was clearly not happy. We got a quick glimpse of two kneeling geishas as the Okosan and the other women went back inside. Something was clearly wrong.

The client rode off in a cab, and a few minutes later one of the geishas walked the okasan to her car. She bowed, and as the car drove off started to cry. She noticed us across the street taking photos, turned her back to us and quickly composed herself before heading back inside.

At some point two guys walked up to us in our spot with cameras. One looks at us, turns to other and says “This is spot I was telling you about…” We all laughed, and they head off.

A little later, we followed a pair of geishas to the end of the street. An old woman approached us, pointed to an alley and said “Maiko!” We go to the alley and there are two apprentice geisha chatting. We take more pictures, and a few minutes later they went their separate ways. It was well past midnight so we left too.