|
 Hutong refers to the ancient alleys and
lanes typical in Beijing. It is a term
passed down from history, believed to be
a Monglian word from the times of
Changkis Kan, who built Beijing as the
capital of the Mongolian Empire
(1206-1341).
Hutong runs into several thousand,
surrounding the magnificent royal
tempeles and palaces in Beijing, quietly
demonstrating the life of grass-root
people in this ancient city through the
history.
One kind of hutong, usually referred to
as the regualr hutong, was near the
palace to the east and west and arranged
in order fashion along the streets. Most
of the residents of these hutongs were
imperial kinsmen and aristocrats.
Another kind, the simple and crude
hutong, was mostly located far to the
north and south of the palace. The
residents were merchants and other
ordinary people. |
