What It's Like to Walk the Old Hutongs of Beijing

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48 segments

0:18

I'm Yaning, 46years old, from China.

0:23

Today, I'm wandering through Beijing's historic heart on my own.

0:28

I want to bring you along into the hutongs and show you a glimpse of old Beijing.

0:58

Normally, if I'm going somewhere a bit farther, I like to take the bus.

1:04

It's convenient and cheap.

1:06

I enjoy sitting alone and quietly watching the scenery pass by through the window.

1:32

This is the heart of Beijing.

1:35

The houses here are from the Qing Dynasty, roughly 150 to 300 years old.

1:44

The narrow alleys between them are what we call hutong.

2:05

With Beijing's urban development,

2:08

many of these old houses have been torn down and replaced by high-rises.

2:15

Only in the very center of the city do these ancient buildings still remain.

2:34

This is a real residential area, where many locals still live.

2:40

It's full of everyday life.

3:01

It's 2pm in the afternoon.

3:03

The hutongs are quiet and leisurely.

3:07

Even though it's hot today.

3:09

I'm still enjoying the atmosphere.

3:12

A wonderful time to myself.

4:59

Coming out of the hutongs and crossing the street,

5:03

the other side has the same kind of old houses.

5:07

But being closer to the tourist spots,

5:11

many of the street-facing ones have turned into shops.

5:15

It's crowded and commercial.

5:18

Compared to that,

5:19

I much prefer the quiet, leisurely atmosphere I just left behind.

5:45

After crossing the road,

5:47

we're heading to one of Beijing's most famous spots, Houhai.

5:59

This is a hutong leading to Houhai, and it's completely different from the ones we just saw.

6:07

It's packed with tourists, shops, and snack stalls.

6:12

Lively and bustling.

6:45

And this is Houhai.

6:48

The name means "Back Sea" in Chinese.

6:51

but it's actually a lake.

6:53

The reason goes back to the Yuan Dynasty,the rulers used to call large bodies of water "hai"' meaning "sea".

7:03

The name stuck, and it's been called that ever since.

7:24

Along the lakeside, there are plenty of pedicab drivers waiting around.

7:30

They offer rides through the surrounding hutongs,

7:34

giving visitors a real feel of old Beijing.

7:42

It's tiring work

7:45

but they don't want to stop.

7:47

Everyone's just trying to make a living.

8:35

Today we've experienced two sides of Beijing's hutongs.

8:40

One peaceful and full of local life.

8:43

The other busy and commercial.

8:46

Which side do you prefer?

8:48

Hope this video brought you a little closer to my city.

8:53

Thanks for watching, and see you next time.

Interactive Summary

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Yaning, a 46-year-old resident, takes viewers on a tour of Beijing's historic hutongs. She contrasts the quiet, authentic residential alleys with the more commercialized, tourist-heavy areas near Houhai, reflecting on the preservation of old Beijing amidst modern urban development.