Hutongs - Bell and Drum Towers, Beijing

Had read about this area in the Frommer's Beijing Guide, but knew I wouldn't have enough free time to explore this area at all.

However, counted myself very lucky to see a little of it on our Hutong tour as explained a little in the above must see activity.

Please enlarge the accompanying photograph as it shows you just a glimpse of how beautiful this area obviously is. I would suggest on the little I saw it also has some very interesting sightseeing, some equally interesting shopping (that we saw glimpses of, but didn't have time to explore, in Pipe Tobacco Alley) & apparently some great coffee that I really would have enjoyed because I experienced a dearth of "good" coffee during my week in Beijing. Apparently there are also some very good restaurants around here too.

The entire Back Lakes Area (Shicha Hai)consists of 3 lakes - Qian Hai -Front Lake which connects to Hou Hai - Back Lake (see my photo looking back down Hou Hai from near Qian Hai) & Xi Hai - West Lake (now why wasn't it called slightly farther back lake - lol!) I read somewhere that these lakes were dug out during the 14th century to berth barges that were bringing the emperor goods to the Forbidden City.

I wish we had had a full day to explore this area. If you are going to Beijing & have a 5-7day stay in mind I strongly suggest you allow yourself a full day to do what I wish we had been able to do.

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"Hutong" is a kind of ancient city alley or lane typical in Beijing, where the number of hutongs may run into several thousand. Hutongs are created by the walls of courtyard houses. Formerly owned by state officials and the wealthy, it now houses middle class people of Beijing. This ancient part of the city is slowly dissapearing, and may no longer exist in the near future. In some areas, the alley's can be so narrow, that it is not accesible by car, only by bike, or pedicab. It you go with a group of people or friends, you can have races of some sort. IT is a fun,interesting, and different way to explore the hutong district of Beijing. The drivers are pleasant, fun, and work very hard to make a living. Please tip the pedicab driver at least $1 US. They don't make much through regular wages and depend mainly on tips.

At the southern end of Tian an men Square there is a big Mc Donalds you cannot miss. If you stand in fron to this Mc Donalds just south of it starts a big Beijing Hutong area. Enter the dark and not too promising looking small street to the right of the Mc Donalds entrance and start to explore the Hutongs. Not only the main shopping venes, with fake gore tex jackets and business people trying to sell DVDs, watches or jewelery. Explore the more quiet streets, where people sit in front of their houses BBQing some pork and beef kebabs on tiny coal grills, where old guys play Go and are surrounded by watermelon-leftovers and where children play on warm mild summer nights. Taste some fresh baked bread or some meat and maybe sit down somewhere on a tiny chair in front of a tiny table to drink a beer, crackle some sunflower seeds and talk with a good friend.

This is not the only Hutong area in Beijing, but one of the most well known. Many Hutongs shall be torn down before 2008 (Olympic games coming to town). Many houses in the Hutong do not have running water or sanitary facilities, which is why you can find many public bathrooms, which you can identify from the outside with closed eyes ..;-). However, even many inhabitants might be happy to be resettled in a more modern appartment in the future, the architecture and lifestyle you find there is part of China's culture. The interwined small houses and yards, round doors and typical roof shapes reflect the atmosphere of former day Beijing and represent the living conditions commonly found in the smaller countryside towns.

Typical stores you can find:

- small bakeries
- small hair cutter businesses
- vegetable selling
- tiny supermarkets with everyday products
- liquor and cigarette stores
- coal sellers
- bike repair shops
- public telephone kiosks
- clothes stores
- tourist shops

most important: the people who live there.

Some very interesting information on the history of Beijings Hutongs can be found at the URL below.

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In Beijing, there are two structures known as the bell tower and drum tower. They both lie on the north-south meridian that bisects the Forbidden City and Tian'an men square. The bell tower was used to mark the beginning of each day, while the drum tower was used to mark the end. Today, there is a tea shop located within the drum tower. Here, you are welcome to tea tasting ceremony. I was never really knowledgable on tea. Here in China, Chinese people drink tea everyday, like Americans would drink coffee. Different teas are used for different purposes. Here you will learn the different kinds and remedies.

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The Bell and Drum Towers are not "must see" destinations in Beijing, but the hutong tours usually end in this area and so they're worth a visit just to go up one and look at the view.
Either will do, or do both if you like. A visit here will also give you a glimpse of Beijing's residential neighborhood life, as seen in the photo I took in front of the Bell Tower featuring a couple of Chinese playing badminton without a net. (See additional photo)

The Drum Tower was formerly used to announce the hours of day while the other tower rang its big bell when the city's gates closed at night. Imagine living in the hutong between these noisemakers, as the two towers aren't very far from each other.

If you wish to explore some hutongs on foot then head southeast of the towers toward Houhai, where you'll end up amidst a row of trendy drinking establishments.

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You will read everywhere that the Hutong, once the very fabric of Beijing, are being destroyed at an alarming rate. And you will see some Hutong in the process of being demolished.

That may be the case, but there is still plenty to enjoy: somewhat fancier Hutong near the lakes, and more utilitarian ones South of the Lama Temple for instance.

No matter what, just walk in the Hutong (but not in the courtyards unless you are invited). It is a glimpse of traditional life.

I recommend the wonderful film "Together" for an interesting contrast between life in the Hutong, and life in apartment buildings. The original title of the film is He Ni Zai Yi Qi (together with you).

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The hutongs are the neighborhoods of traditional courtyard houses which used to be in many places around the capital's downtown area. The narrow streets and ancient architecture are adored by tourists who still want to seek out what remains of "old Beijing"
In order to facilitate tourism in the best preserved hutongs, organized tours are conducted using bicycle rickshaws for transportation and volunteers who allow tourists to visit their well- preserved homes.
The most popular tour is in the area surrounding the Bell and Drum Towers north of the Forbidden City. Here you will see the multitudes of red bicycle rickshaws with the catchy slogan "To the Hutong!" printed on the back of the canopy. The drivers wear yellow numbered vests so that you can find them again after getting out at stops along the way.

You can walk this area on foot if you don't want to ride in the rickshaws, or you can also rent your own bicycle. Although the architecture takes you back to old Beijing , the current atmosphere is like a modern street market with vendors walking around aggressively trying to sell postcards and other souvenirs.
Inside the courtyard houses you might catch a glimpse of pet crickets in small wooden cages or see other reminders of bygone Beijing traditions, but outside you may quickly be brought back to reality by a crippled beggar asking for "money money money." The good old days when a foreigner could get lost in a Beijing hutong and encounter old traditions are just about gone.

There are other places in Beijing to see hutongs, such as the Qianmen area and parts of Xuanwumen district near Liulichang, but they are fast disappearing to meet the demands of modern development. The hutongs near the Drum Tower will likely remain protected for their architectural value but unfortunately it might be too late to preserve the atmosphere that used to give them their distinct old Beijing flavor.

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Hutongs are the traditional living quarters of the people of Beijing. At first glance all Hutongs in Beijing are formed by lining buildings with gray walls and gray tiles. But in fact, it is not so simple. Walking around, you'll find, that every Hutong has something to be talked about. Hutongs are streets full of life and stories. The houses along are formed from four small buildings around a courtyard.

Nowadays more and more of this old living quarters are vanishing. Instead highrise buildings are build. But around Bell- and Drum-Tower north of Beihai Park you'll still find them. Many of them are now renovated.

The first foto is taken from the Drum Tower.