Hutongs are the "regional business card" of Beijing, blending history and modernity. Zhuanta Hutong is the root of Beijing's hutongs, with a bookstore and historical significance. Wudaoying Hutong is evolving into a cultural and artistic hub. Guozijian Hutong retains the style of old Beijing streets and houses the Temple of Confucius. Shijia Hutong has a museum and was home to the Beijing People's Art Theater. Nanluogu Xiang is a historic neighborhood with famous former residences. These hutongs showcase the charm and heritage of old Beijing.

Nanluogu Xiang

Nanluogu Xiang is located in the Jiaodaokou area on the east side of Beijing's central axis, running from Drum Tower East Street in the north to Ping'an Avenue in the south. It is 8 meters wide and 787 meters long, built at the same time as the Yuan Dynasty, and is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Beijing with a history of more than 740 years.

There are eight hutongs on each side of Nanluogu Xiang, arranged in a neat "fishbone" shape. It is the only traditional residential area in China that has preserved the courtyard structure of the Yuan Dynasty, with the largest scale, highest grade, and richest resources. It is also a street full of old Beijing charm.

Nanluogu Xiang was once a gathering place for dignitaries, cultural celebrities, and literati. Hong Chengchou and Sengge Linqin, two important officials of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as Jin Yunpeng, a warlord of the Beiyang government, Qi Baishi, a master of Chinese painting, and Mao Dun, a literary giant of modern times, all lived here.

No. 39 courtyard of Mianhua Hutong was the former residence of Jin Yunpeng; No. 7 Houyuan'ensi Hutong was once Chiang Kai-shek's temporary residence and was originally the mansion of Prince Zaiyi, the second son of Prince Qing in the Qing Dynasty; No. 13 Houyuan'ensi Hutong was Mao Dun's former residence; No. 13 Yuer Hutong was the former residence of Qi Baishi; No. 35 and No. 37 Maor Hutong were the ancestral homes of the last empress Wanrong.

As a historical and cultural preservation district, Nanluogu Xiang not only preserves the ancient alleys and courtyards made of blue bricks and gray tiles, but also contains rich humanistic and historical heritage due to the existence of these famous people's former residences.