Hutongs are witnesses of Beijing's historical culture and a unique landscape in the city. The original work "Hutong" scene music sketch will be performed on December 15th at the National Culture Palace Theater in Beijing. The sketch uses ethnic music to play ten movements of Beijing's top ten artistic hutongs.
A few months ago, the Beijing Chinese Orchestra conducted a series of online selection activities, and the citizens of Beijing voted for the ten representative hutongs. In the end, ten hutongs with artistic temperament and stories were selected, including Zhuanta Hutong, Wudaoying, Baihua Shenchu, Mao'er Hutong, Liuyin Street, YANDAI Byway, Nanluogu Xiang, Shijia Hutong, Lanman Hutong, and Baishun Hutong. Let's take a stroll through these ten unique hutongs and feel the cultural atmosphere of Beijing.
Zhuanta Hutong
Beijing has the oldest hutong - Zhuanta Hutong. It is the only hutong that has been recorded in writing since the Yuan Dynasty and has been used to this day. It is known as the source of Beijing's hutongs.
Wansong Laoren Pagoda
At the east end of Zhuanta Hutong, there is a Wansong Laoren Pagoda, which is named after Zhuanta Hutong. The Wansong Laoren Pagoda was built in the Yuan Dynasty. The pagoda was originally an octagonal seven-level eaves-style tower. When it was rebuilt in the 18th year of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (1753), it was raised to nine levels. The current pagoda was rebuilt in 1927 by Ye Gongchuo and others. It is 16 meters high, with eight corners and nine levels of eaves-style tower. The ancient and elegant tower is the only remaining eaves-style brick tower in Beijing.
Zhengyang Bookstore
Under the Wansong Laoren Pagoda in Zhuanta Hutong, there is a bookstore called Zhengyang Bookstore, which is currently the only specialty bookstore in Beijing that only sells Beijing literature books. Zhengyang Bookstore is the result of the revitalization and reuse of cultural relics in Beijing. It has now become an important cultural window facing readers and society, and has become a home for Chinese and foreign readers who love Beijing's historical culture.
Lu Xun's Former Residence
In July 1923, Lu Xun and his wife Zhu An moved to No. 61 Zhuanta Hutong. He lived in this small courtyard until May 1924 when he moved to a new residence. The small courtyard was difficult to live in, but it did not stop Lu Xun from writing. During the more than nine months he lived in Zhuanta Hutong, he proofread the "Ji Kang Collection", compiled the second volume of "A Brief History of Chinese Fiction", and wrote works such as "Happy Family", and "Soap".
Zhang Henshui's Former Residence
Zhang Henshui, a master of episodic novels, wrote works such as "The Story of a Noble Family", "An Unofficial History of Chunming" and "Fate in Tears and Laughter"which reflect a wide range of content and inject the imprint of the times, emitting the voice of the era. After the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Zhang Henshui returned to Beijing and purchased a small courtyard at No. 43 Zhuanta Hutong. From then on until the spring of 1967, when he completed his life journey, Zhang Henshui lived here.
Wudaoying Hutong
Wudaoying Hutong is located on the north second ring road, west to Andingmen Inner Street, and you can see the red walls of Yonghe Temple to the east.
After the Qianlong period, it basically formed the appearance of a hutong. After 1949, there were 69 courtyards in this 600-meter-long hutong. In 1965, when the place names were rectified, it was officially named "Wudaoying Hutong".
Wudaoying Hutong retains the charm of ancient Beijing. At the same time, Wudaoying Hutong is also gradually evolving into a cultural and artistic hutong in development.
Nowadays, Wudaoying Hutong not only has artistic cafes, bookstores, bars, restaurants, dessert shops, clothing stores, and galleries, but also has old Beijing residents. You will see young tourists and foreign tourists wearing fashionable clothes, as well as local residents wearing pajamas chatting casually.
As night falls, the small shop windows on both sides of the hutong light up, and more than the hustle and bustle, there is a calm and warm atmosphere. Various bars welcome their peak moments, and young people walking together laugh and talk here, becoming a utopia for relaxing body and mind.
Quiet, artistic, and slow-paced life, all the ups and downs of life are condensed in this small hutong. Wudaoying Hutong is telling the new story of the old hutong in a different style.
Baihua Shenchu
Baihua Shenchu is a hutong located on the east side of Xinjiekou South Street. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it was called "Huaju Hutong" and was a place for planting flowers. During the Guangxu period, it was renamed "Baihua Shenchu Hutong". After the Republic of China period, the word "Hutong" was removed, making it sound more poetic. Although there are no flower gardens in "Baihua Shenchu" anymore, the brilliant blooming of a spiritual flower makes it unforgettable.
"Baihua Recording Studio" located at No. 16 Hutong is one of the earliest recording studios in Beijing. The Tang Dynasty Band's song, "Dreaming Back to the Tang Dynasty", Zhang Chu's song, "Sister", and He Yong's song, "Garbage Dump" were all recorded here, stirring the hearts of countless young people. It was a short-lived era like fireworks, and a new rebellion was born in the old hutongs.
Mao'er Hutong
Mao'er Hutong belongs to the Jiaodaokou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing. It starts from Nanluogu Xiang in the east and ends at Di'anmenwai Street in the west. It is connected to Doujiao Hutong in the north and Dongbuyaqiao Hutong in the south. It was called Zitong Temple Wenchang Palace Hutong in the Ming Dynasty because of the Wenchang Palace. In the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed Mao'er Hutong because of the hat-making workshop.
Mao'er Hutong is also known as the most royal hutong because it preserves some authentic old Beijing courtyards and many former aristocratic mansions. No. 7, 9, and 11 courtyards of Mao'er Hutong were the mansion of Wen Yu, a grand scholar of the late Qing Dynasty. No. 13 courtyard was the former residence of Feng Guozhang. No. 35 and 37 courtyards were the maternal home of Empress Wanrong. No. 45 courtyard was the office of the Qing Dynasty's governor. If you want to experience the atmosphere of old Beijing, Mao'er Hutong is a good choice.
Liuyin Street
Most of the old streets in Beijing are related to rivers and lakes. Liuyin Street runs north-south and tilts slightly northwest. It was an old river channel in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and locals called it Qingshui River or Yueya River. In the Qing Dynasty, a road was built on both sides of the waterway, which were called Yangliu Wan. In 1952, the waterway was changed to a hidden ditch, and the street was renamed Liguangqiao South Street. In 1965, it was renamed Liuyin Street.
In the past, there were not many willow trees on Liuyin Street, but there were many large locust trees. After it was renamed Liuyin Street, many willow trees were planted, so what people see today is the willow-lined Liuyin Street.
Monument to Martyr Yuan Mantun
Liuyin Street, which is less than 600 meters long, is a must-visit place for tourists visiting Houhai Hutongs, and the Monument to Martyr Yuan Mantun in the street is a must-see attraction for tour guides. On the night of February 24, 1982, Yuan Mantun, the acting squad leader of a certain unit of the Beijing Garrison Command, struggled in the icy water for 40 minutes to rescue two workers who fell into Houhai, and finally sacrificed his life at the age of only 21.
Marshal Xu Xiangqian personally wrote the words "Monument to Martyr Yuan Mantun, an Excellent Guard Soldier" and erected it at the north end of the garden in the center of the street. The upper part of the monument is a half-body statue of the martyr. This is the only monument to martyrs erected on the streets of Beijing.
Former Fu Jen Catholic University
Walking east along Dingfu Street to the end, you can see a majestic Chinese palace-style building. The main gate is a white marble arch with a pattern of rocks and pine trees carved on it; the roof is three ordered gable roofs covered with green glazed tiles, and there are stone arches imitating the traditional Chinese wooden arches at the bottom, with corner towers at the four corners. This is the former site of Fu Jen Catholic University, another predecessor of Beijing Normal University.
Fu Jen Catholic University was founded in 1925, and completed in 1930. The main building of Fu Jen Catholic University integrates Chinese and Western architectural elements, and is magnificent and elegant.
In 1951, the People's Government took over Fu Jen Catholic University, and in 1952, it was merged into Beijing Normal University. Later, it became the Department of Chemistry of Beijing Normal University, and now it is the Continuing Education College of Beijing Normal University.
YANDAI Byway
YANDAI Byway is located in front of the Drum Tower on Di'anmen Outer Street and was first formed in the Yuan Dynasty. YANDAI Byway itself looks like a tobacco pipe, with a long and narrow street resembling the stem of a pipe, the entrance at the east end resembling the mouthpiece of a pipe, and the entrance at the west end turning southward and leading to Yinding Bridge, resembling the bag connected to a pipe.
In the past, YANDAI Byway was called "Xiao Liuli Factory". After the Qing Dynasty abdicated, the nobles and children of the Eight Banners who lived near Shichahai lost their salaries. In order to make a living, they sold antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and opened many shops on YANDAI Byway that sold stationery, antiques, jade, and framed calligraphy and paintings.
Walking along this ancient pedestrian street, the shops selling paper-cutting, pottery, clay figurines, sugar figurines, and specialty snacks along the street can immerse tourists in the rich culture of ancient Beijing.
Nanluogu Xiang
Nanluogu Xiang is located in the Jiaodaokou area on the east side of Beijing's central axis, starting from Gulou East Street in the north and ending at Ping'an Street in the south. It is 8 meters wide and 787 meters long. It was 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 the east and west sides of Nanluogu Xiang, arranged in a neat "fishbone" shape. It is the only traditional residential area in China that has preserved the courtyard layout of the Yuan Dynasty, with the largest scale, highest grade, and richest resources, and is also a street full of old Beijing flavor.
In 2009, Nanluogu Xiang was named "One of the Best Cultural Destinations in Asia" by TIME magazine for its unique cultural connotation and characteristic shops.
Nanluogu Xiang was once a gathering place for officials, cultural celebrities, and military leaders. Hong Chengchou and Senggelinqin, two important officials in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, as well as Jin Yunpeng, a warlord in the modern era, Qi Baishi, a master of traditional Chinese painting, and Mao Dun, a literary giant, all once lived here.
Nanluogu Xiang, as a historical and cultural preservation district, not only preserves the ancient hutongs and quadrangle dwellings with blue bricks and gray tiles, but also contains rich cultural and historical imprints due to the existence of celebrity residences.
Shijia Hutong
Shijia Hutong is located in Dongcheng District, Beijing, running from Chaonei Nanxiaojie in the east to Dongsi Nandajie in the west. It is named after the wealthy Shi family who once lived there.
No. 24 Shijia Hutong is the location of Beijing's first hutong museum - the Shijia Hutong Museum. It was originally the residence of the talented woman Ling Shuhua during the Republic of China era. Ling Shuhua often held cultural gatherings in her courtyard, Qi Baishi, Xu Zhimo, Hu Shi, and Zhou Zuoren were all guests who visited this courtyard. Later, Ling Shuhua's descendants transferred the property rights of the courtyard to the street office and proposed to use it for public welfare purposes, which led to the birth of the Shijia Hutong Museum.
In October 2013, the Shijia Hutong Museum officially opened to the public, covering an area of 1,000 square meters, with seven permanent exhibition halls, one temporary exhibition hall, and a multi-functional hall. The permanent exhibition condenses the historical culture and hutong life of old Beijing.
After the peaceful liberation of Beijing, the newly arrived North China People's Art Troupe selected No. 56 Shijia Hutong (now No. 20 Shijia Hutong) as their work base. In 1950, the North China People's Art Troupe was renamed the Beijing People's Art Theatre. In 1952, the Central Academy of Drama's drama troupe merged with the Beijing People's Art Theatre's drama team to form the new Beijing People's Art Theatre, which specializes in performing dramas. The inaugural meeting of the theater was held in the No. 56 Shijia Hutong courtyard, and Cao Yu was appointed as the first president. After the Capital Theatre was built on Wangfujing Street in 1955, Beijing People's Art Theatre moved in. No. 56 Shijia Hutong became the residence of employees of the theatre, and Jiao Juyin, Xia Chun, Yu Shizhi, and others lived in this courtyard. Many of the early classic works were rehearsed here.
No. 59 Shijia Hutong is the location of Shijia Primary School. It was once the site of the Ancestral Hall of the national hero of the Ming Dynasty, Shi Kefa, and also the birthplace of modern education in China.
In the second year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1724), the "Zuo Yi Zong Xue"(School for Left-Wing's Children) was established in the courtyard of No. 59 Shijia Hutong, which only admitted children from the four banners of the left wing, including the Xianghuang, Zhengbai, Xiangbai, and Zhenglan banners. In 1909, the Qing government established the China Educational Bureau to the United States in Shijia Hutong with Remission of the American Boxer Indemnity, which specifically selected students to study in the United States.
Later, the Bureau moved to Tsinghua Garden and became the predecessor of Tsinghua University, while Shijia Primary School established at No. 59 Shijia Hutong.
Lanman Hutong
Lanman Hutong is located on the south side of the east end of Guang'anmen Street, under the jurisdiction of Niujie Street Office. It runs north-south, with the north end of the hutong being Caishikou Street and the south end being Nan Heng Street.
Before the renewal of the hutong, there were serious problems such as poor municipal facilities, water accumulation in low-lying courtyards, and rampant illegal construction. With the implementation of the renovation and upgrading project in 2018, the old hutong has been revitalized, and people's lives have become more livable. It has also become a popular tourist destination for citizens.
Lanman Hutong has many stories, celebrities such as Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, Tan Sitong, Sun Yat-sen, Mao Zedong, and Lu Xun have all left their revolutionary footprints here. There are about ten guild halls in this hutong, such as the Ningwu Guild Hall at the north end, and the Changshu Guild Hall and Dongguan Guild Hall further south.
Among the many guild halls in this hutong, the Hunan Guild Hall has received a lot of attention. In the 13th year of the Guangxu reign (1887), officials from Hunan in Beijing purchased a house in Lanman Hutong facing south towards Caishikou. In February 1920, Mao Zedong lived in the Hunan Guild Hall when he came to Beijing and held a meeting to expel warlord Zhang Jingyao with a thousand people in attendance.
Baishun Hutong
Baishun Hutong runs east-west, starting from Shanxi Xiang in the east and ending at Xiaobaishun Hutong in the west. Because there were cypress trees planted on both sides of the hutong, it was named Cypress Hutong. In the early Qing Dynasty, it was renamed Baishun Hutong because of its homophonic meaning of "everything goes smoothly".
Baishun Hutong is one of the gathering places for Peking Opera masters a hundred years ago. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the four famous Hui Opera troupes "Sanqing", "Chuntai", "Sixi", and "Hechun" successively entered Beijing for performances, and they were famous throughout China. During this period, the four major Hui Opera troupes all lived near Dashilan: "Sanqing" lived in Hanjia Tan, "Chuntai" lived in Baishun Hutong, "Sixi" lived in Shanxi Xiang, and "Hechun" lived in Litieguai Xiejie.
Zhengyici Peking Opera Theatre
Zhengyici Peking Opera Theatre, known as the "living fossil of Chinese opera theatres", is located in Baishun Hutong. It is the oldest and best-preserved wooden structure opera theatre in China. It was built on the site of a Buddhist temple and has a long history. It is a witness to the formation and development of Peking Opera. Today, Zhengyici Peking Opera Theatre is still a must-visit place for Peking Opera enthusiasts.
