Hutongs - Bell and Drum Towers, Beijing

Hutongs are alleys or lanes that make up an intricate maze in and around cosmopolitan Beijing. While visiting the hutongs, you will gain a greater understanding of the common people as well as the history of the ancient yet modern Beijing. The ancient hutong area takes up most of the urban district where one third of the people living in the urban area reside. The residents there retain their old way of life and deem hutongs as their indispensable part of Beijing culture.

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People say that the real culture of Beijing is the 'culture of the Hutong' and the 'culture of the courtyard'. How true that is. Often, it is Beijing's winding Hutongs that attract tourists from home and abroad rather than the high-rise buildings and large mansions.

Hutong is a typical lane or small street in Beijing that originated during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). 'Hutong' is a Mongolian word, meaning 'water well'. During that time, water well is the settlement around which people lived. There are tens of thousands of hutongs surrounding the Forbidden City. In the past, Beijing was composed of countless courtyards. Hutongs were formed when people left a passageway between two courtyards to make entering them more convenient.

As the symbol of Beijing City, a hutong has its own layout and structure, which makes it a wonder in the world. When taking a bird's eye view of Beijing, you will find the combination of hutongs and courtyards just like an orderly chessboard with delicate gardens, fine rockeries, and ancient ruins. Hutongs have witnessed the development of Beijing. Where there is a hutong, there is a story.

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This is a preserved area of the city where people live just as they have for hundreds of year . The low rows of houses line narrow passageways .

Today in fact there are not many of these areas remaining as the way is cleared to make room for huge skuscraers.

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Beijing hutongs are small alleys ranging from about 10 metres down to a few dozens of centimetres.

As the society develops many hutongs have disappeared to be replaced by new roads and buildings.

However, don’t think hutongs will disappear sooner or later. In fact, many of the most ancient hutongs are still there and the government is well aware of the cultural significance of the hutongs and many of them have already been designated as protected areas.

Many hutongs close to the Bell Tower and Shichahai Lake are several hundred years old and are very well preserved. The Niujie street and the Qianmen area also have plenty of them.

Actually, there are hutongs all throughout the city because the hutongs cover about one third of the area of Beijing and half of Beijing's population live in hutongs.

You can go to the hutongs by pedicab as many tourists do. Personally I prefer walking by myself, this way I can talk to people, smell the home-made food, buying traditional snacks here and there, admire the beauty of the lanes, watch the children playing with each other, watch the elderly playing chess, practicing taijiquan, dancing, singing Beijing Opera, etc.

The Sycee Bridge or Silver ingot Bridge is located at the intersection of the Qianhai Lake and the Houhai Lake. Drum and Bell Tower are not far. It was build in the Ming Dynasty. It was originally made of stone and later changed to white marble under reconstruction. The length of the bridge is 8.3m, the width is 7.9m and the hight 4.35m.
In former days people standing on this bridge could see the Western HIlls in the distance. Hence its name "Viewing the Hills at the Silver Ingot Bridge", which was one of the "eight major scenic spots".

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You can't visit Beijing without taking a Hutong Tour. Hutongs are the tiny little alley ways in and around the old style village housing estates.

The Government have preserved around 25 such areas. The way to see the Hutings and the old Courtyard homes is to take a rickshaw ride.

We paid Yuan 120 for a 40 minute tour. Aswell as this, you also pay to enter a traditional courtyard home. We felt sorry for our driver so we tipped him quite generously. The Tour organiser gets the majority of the money paid and the driver a pittance in comparison so the tip he received was greatfully appreciated.

Make sure that you take a rickshaw Hutong Tour through one of the Legal organised tours. These are identifiable by the vests they wear.

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A hutong bike tour is the perfect way to get orientated with Beijing (if not a little scary!!). I went on a 4 hour bike tour which left from close to the Forbidden City and went through a lot of hutongs including an antique hutong, past Chairman Mao's old residence, the oldest brothel in Beijing and all the way to the Sanlitun district and back again.

During the tour you have to cross some pretty big streets (I'm talking 6 lane roads with buses) so keep your wits about you. I hadn't been on a bike in around 10 years but I managed not to kill myself or anyone else!!

It was a wonderful thing to do to see the original Beijing before it is completely demolished.

It cost me Y100 but it can cost up to Y140. They provide the bike (no helmet), a map and a bottle of water.

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In my opinion the bell and drum tower are not really the "must see" attraction in Beijing. You have pay entrance for the bell and drum tower. I think if you see the drum tower you have seen enough. The view is ok but not fantastich. I think a small walk in the hutongs around the towers is more interesting. Around the tower are also some places where their is a place to sit and were you can get a drink at low cost.