北京胡同(HUTONG TOUR IN BEIJNG)

北京胡同(hutongtourinbeijng)

a"hutong"isanancientcityalleywayorlanetypicalofancientbeijing,wherehutongsonceranintothethousands.

hutongswerefirstbuiltaroundthewalledimperialcompoundknownastheforbiddencity.themajorityofthesealleywayswerebuiltduringtheyuan,mingandqingdynasties(1271—1911).attheheightofeachera,theemperorarrangedtheresidentialareassurroundinghismoataccordingtoasystemofetiquettehailingbacktothezhoudynasty(c.1100—221b.c.).

atitsheartwastheforbiddencity,surroundedbymainroadwaystravellingeast-westandnorth-south.therewereoriginallytwokindsofhutongs.thefirstweregroupedtotheeastandwestoftheforbiddencityandlaidinanorderlydesignalongsidemainroadways.mostofthesehutongshousedmembersoftheroyalfamily,officials,eunuchsandaristocrats.thesecondtypeofhutongwasacrudeversionofthefirst,locatedfartothenorthandsouthofthesprawlingimperialcompound,inhabitedbymerchantsandcommoners. 

whatbothhadincommonwasthetypeofstructureliningthealleyways.the"siheyuan"knowninenglishasaquadrangle,orcourtyardcomplex,invariablycomprisedfourmainbuildingsfacingeachcompasspointandsurroundedbyahighwall.thesizeanddesignofeachcomplexreflectedthesocialstatusoftheinhabitants.

wealthyfamiliesoftenboastedseveralwalledcourtyardssurroundedbyamainwall,eachbuildingdecoratedwithintricatelycarvedandpaintedbeamsandpillars.

thequadranglesofthepoorwereofamuchsimplerconstructionwithsmallgatesandlowceilings.beijingsmeanderinghutongsarepassagewaysformedbythousandsofcloselyarrangedquadranglesofdifferentsizes.themainbuildingsofmostofthesestructuresfacesouthforoptimumsunlight,especiallyduringthebitterbeijingwinters.becauseofthis,themajorityofthecityshutongsruneasttowest.betweenthemajorhutongsmeanderednarrowalleysrunningnorthtosouthtoallowconvenientpassagethroughwhatwasonceavastmazeofgraybrickandtiledroofs.

oldbeijingisinessenceamagnifiedquadrangle,symmetricallyarrangedandsurroundedbyahighcitywallthatwastorndownhalfacenturyagotomakewayforabeltwayringingtheincreasinglymoderncapital.

bytheendoftheqingdynasty,chinaseconomywasintatters.butpleasure-lovingbeijingcontinuedtocatertotheemperorandhishangers-on.lifewasmostlyconfinedtothehutongs.thequadranglereflectedthewayoflifeandsocialcultureofthetimes.