How Many Hutongs are There in Beijing?

How Many Hutongs are There in Beijing?

2016-04-14

How many hutongs are there in Beijing?

Old local residents have a saying: "There are 360 large hutongs and as many small hutongs as there are hairs on an ox." Laid out in a chessboard pattern which was established as early as the Ming Dynasty, these hutongs cross cut the city into tiny squares. In those days, Beijing was divided into the eastern, western, northern, southern and central districts, with a total of 33 neighborhoods, divided again into hutongs.

At present, there are about 4,550 hutongs, the broadest over four meters wide and the smallest -- the eastern part of Dongfu' an Hutong, a mere 70 cm across -- just wide enough for a single person to traverse. Although the city has changed a great deal over the last 500 years, the hutongs remain much the same as during Ming and Qing times.

People are also interested in those “most” hutongs as:

The Longest One — Dongxijiaominxiang

The Shortest One — Yichidajie

The Broadest One — Lingjing Hutong

The Narrowest One — Qianshi Hutong

The Most Tortuous One — Jiuwan Hutong

The Oldest One — Sanmiaojie Hutong

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