The old lanes(巷子) of the Beijing hutongs
many were there hundreds of years ago during the Ming and Qing dynasties. They keep not only the traditional culture but also the way of life in the past. People can go shopping, eat delicious food, and watch the street life by visiting the Beijing hutongs. What's more, it's a good way to learn more about the daily life of people in Beijing.
A hutong is a lane formed by traditional courtyard compounds(筑有围墙的院子) on both sides. The compounds are called siheyuan, meaning "four joined-together courtyard."
The hutongs have interesting names, which tell their origin(起源), location, or history. They are in these gray lanes where kids talk and play.
One of China's most famous writers, Laoshe, was born in siheyuan in the west of the city. The memories of his childhood in hutongs were so important to him that even after he had been away from Beijing for more than 20 years, he still clearly remembered them and wrote them into a novel called Four Generations under One Roof.
Now, Beijing still has about 400,000 siheyuan for people to live in. However, most hutongs are in great danger because more and more new buildings have been built. So, we should try our best to protect hutongs, the treasure of traditional culture.
