If you visit Nanluoguxiang in Beijing, don’t miss the quiet, story-filled Yu’er Hutong next door. Like a“fishbone” on the western side of Nanluoguxiang’s “fish spine,” it hides centuries of history and the footprints of artistic masters. Quick Overview The Name and Location of Yu’er Hutong Yu’er Hutong connects to the…

If you enjoy exploring Beijing’s old neighborhoods, this narrow lane called Ouya Hutong is well worth a visit. Though absent from major tourist maps, it holds stories of ordinary life in old Beijing.

Want to experience a Beijing that is both ancient and trendy, brimming with the vibrancy of daily life? Then take a stroll down Lanman Hutong.

Beijing is home to numerous old hutongs whose names hold hidden stories. Today, we take you on a tour of a quiet lane—Zhengjue Hutong—and tell the tale of an ancient Ming Dynasty temple that once stood here.

North of Beijing’s Huguo Temple Street lies a long north-south hutong named Mianhua Hutong. It stretches from Luo’er Hutong in the north to Huguo Temple Street in the south.

On the western bank of Beijing’s Xihai (Jishuitan) lies a tiny short lane—Xiaotongjing Hutong. It stretches east to the western bank of Xihai and west to North Xinhua Street.

If you’ve grown tired of the crowds at Shichahai and the commercialization of Yandai Xiejie, why not turn into Dashiqiao Hutong, a nearby alley with almost no tourists?

West of Beijing’s Old Gulou Street lies a quiet little lane named Xiaoshiqiao Hutong. Stretching 303 meters and running east to west, it curves slightly at the western end, leading to Dashiqiao Hutong and Xinkai Hutong.

When exploring Beijing’s hutongs, I always have a soft spot for those narrow alleys whose very names tell a story. Zhuzhong Hutong is just such a place—not long, not wide, and not a social media sensation—yet it harbors a Ming Dynasty imperial bell foundry, the world’s heaviest ancient bell, a…