北京胡同(HUTONG TOUR IN BEIJNG)

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北京胡同(hutongtourinbeijng)

a"hutong"isanancientcityalleywayorlaypicalofancientbeijing,wherehutongsonceranintothethousands.

hutongswerefirstbuiltaroundthewalledimperialpoundknownastheforbiddencity.themajorityofthesealleywayswerebuiltduringtheyuan,mingandqingdynasties(1271—1911).attheheightofeachera,theemperorarrangedtheresidentialareassurroundinghismoataordingtoasystemofetiquettehailingbacktothezhoudynasty(c.1100—221b.c.).

atitsheartwastheforbiddencity,surroundedbymainroadwaystravellingeast-westandnorth-south.therewereoriginallytwokindsofhutongs.thefirstweregroupedtotheeastandwestoftheforbiddencityandlaidinanorderlydesignalongsidemainroadways.mostofthesehutongshousedmembersoftheroyalfamily,officials,eunuchsandaristocrats.thesecondtypeofhutongwasacrudeversionofthefirst,locatedfartothenorthandsouthofthesprawlingimperialpound,inhabitedbymerchantsandmoners. 

whatbothhadinmonwasthetypeofstructureliningthealleyways.the"siheyuan"knowninenglishasaquadrangle,orcourtyardplex,invariablyprisedfourmainbuildingsfacingeachpasspointandsurroundedbyahighwall.thesizeanddesignofeachplexreflectedthesocialstatusoftheinhabitants.

wealthyfamiliesoftenboastedseveralwalledcourtyardssurroundedbyamainwall,eachbuildingdecoratedwithintricatelycarvedandpaintedbeamsandpillars.

thequadranglesofthepoorwereofamuchsimplerconstructionwithsmallgatesandlowceilings.beijing'smeanderinghutongsarepassagewaysformedbythousandsofcloselyarrangedquadranglesofdifferentsizes.themainbuildingsofmostofthesestructuresfacesouthforoptimumsunlight,especiallyduringthebitterbeijingwinters.becauseofthis,themajorityofthecity'shutongsruneasttowest.betweenthemajorhutongsmeanderednarrowalleysrunningnorthtosouthtoallowconvenientpassagethroughwhatwasonceavastmazeofgraybrickandtiledroofs.

oldbeijingisinessenceamagnifiedquadrangle,symmetricallyarrangedandsurroundedbyahighcitywallthatwastorndownhalfacenturyagotomakewayforabeltwayringingtheincreasinglymoderncapital.

bytheendoftheqingdynasty,china'seconomywasintatters.butpleasure-lovingbeijingcontinuedtocatertotheemperorandhishangers-on.lifewasmostlyconfinedtothehutongs.thequadranglereflectedthewayoflifeandsocialcultureofthetimes.