As the capital of China, Beijing is known as a modem city with many busy and noisy streets. But if you walk down into a hutong, you may get a different sight.
People say they live in hutongs, but in fact, they live in the buildings on either side of the hutongs. According to a recent survey, there are over 6,000 hutongs in Beijing. If you connect them end to end, the line would not be any shorter than the Great Wall.
Among all these hutongs, there are some interesting and special ones. While most of them are straight(直的) some are curved. Jiuwan hutong is the one with the most curves. I's only about 390m long. Is name means nine bends (拐弯),but this hutong has thirteen bends. Besides, the narrowest hutong in Beijing is called Qianshi Hutong. It is only 40cm at its narrowest point. Two people can only pass each other by walking from the side.
Beijing people love hutongs because _In the hutongs, people can bathe in the sun, sing Beijing Opera and play chess with their neighbors. They can talk and listen to stories told by the old people. Even pets can find their friends there.
Hutongs are not only a symbol of Beijing's culture, but also an important part of China's national culture. In order to protect them, many hutongs are on the list of historical places of interest. The government decides to fix those broken hutongs step by step.
