Hutong Tour of Traditional Alleys Beijing’s hutongs, are traditional alleys or small lanes where communities live in close and neighborly proximity to one another. As viewed from the fine detail in architecture, masonry and woodwork, some of the houses and buildings here date back centuries. The name of a hutong implicates its origin, location and history. Surrounding the Forbidden City, many were built during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties for those working for and around the city. Jump into a rickshaw and into a day in the life of a Beijing family through these intimate grey tiled lanes where generations of families play, travel, gossip and bond together. Already fast becoming extinct in modern China, hutongs reveal vivid slices of local lifestyles of the past. Imagine a simple way of life where vendors weave through the alleyways hawking their seasonal fruits and vegetables while handymen, pot fixers and knife sharpeners shout their services into the open doorways and windows of households. An afternoon jaunt through the maze of Beijing’s hutongs is a true and authentic way of peeking into the colorful lifestyles of a capital once governed by a feudal system. CONSIDERATIONS Wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes ENCHANCEMENTS Be invited into a household along Beijing’s Hutongs and enjoy the warmth and camaraderie of a cup of traditional Chinese tea with other refreshments in these cozy alleyways. REFERENCE : BPT7 Duration : 4 hours Capacity : 40 persons