The centre of Beijing is crossed with a grid of many hundreds of small lanes and alleyways. These are called hutongs and their layout dates originally from the Yuan dynasty in the 14th century. The number of hutongs in the city peaked in the 1950s at around 6000.

To understand Beijing, one has to understand the hutong- the little lanes that crisscross the city like blood veins. The word "Hutong" dates back some 700 years, and is derived from the Mongolian word Hottog, which translates as "well" or "water well." Today's popular meaning would be closer to "back alley" or "back street," featuring narrow lanes that are typically no wider than 9 meters. A hutong is a place surrounded by walls within a narrow space with normally four separate living quarters erected north, south, east and west of the compound.

The hutong of Beijing are not only the veins of Beijing and thoroughfares for traffic; they are also the site where the common people live and the important arena of the historic and cultural developments and evolution of the capital. They are like museums of folk culture and customs and are a display of life in Beijing. They are like an encyclopedia of Beijing's life

Following the period shortly after the founding of the People’s Republic of China many of the old hutongs of Beijing disappeared, replaced by wide boulevards and high rises. Many residents left the lanes where their families lived for generations for apartment buildings with modern amenities. In Xicheng (West City) District for example, nearly 200 hutongs out of the 820 it held in 1949 have disappeared.

The facts:

Beixinqiao Hutong has the most turns

Among the numerous hutongs in Beijing, Beixinqiao Hutong has the most turns. There

are more than 20 in which you can easily get lost.

The narrowest is Qian Shi Hutong

The narrowest is Qian Shi Hutong (Money Market Hutong),located in Zhubao Shi Streetoutside the Front Gate. The narrowest part is merely 40 centimeters (16 inches) wide, so when two people meet, they must turn sideways to pass each other.

The longest one is Dong Jiaomin Hutong

The longest one is Dong Jiaomin Hutong, with a total length of 6.5 kilometers (4 miles), lying between Chang’an Avenue and East Street and West Street of the Front

Gate.

The shortest one is Guantong Hutong

The shortest one is Guantong Hutong measuring about 30 meters (33 yards).

The oldest Hutong is Zhuan Ta Hutong

The oldest Hutong is Zhuan Ta Hutong which already existed since Yu Dynasty.with a history of 700 years old.