The heart of traditional Beijing is the hutong, which is a lane or alley formed by traditional courtyards and shops lining both sides. The names of these hutongs may indicate their shape or the residents’ crafts or professions; the courtyards themselves (called siheyuans) are lined with single-story houses. Starting in the 1990’s, many hutong areas were demolished and replaced with high-rises. Some have been preserved due to their historic significance, while others have become shopping and tourist streets.

We had the opportunity to tour a Beijing hutong by pedicab and visit a courtyard home. These photos show our tour group riding and walking through this traditional neighborhood and exterior views of the home we visited.