Announcing
the condition of present Hutong
At the end
of the Qing Dynasty , many newly formed hutongs with irregular houses
appeared outside the city, while many old ones lost their former neat
arrangement with frequent civil wars and foreign invasions. The city
of Beijing deteriorated, and the conditions of the hutong worsened.
Quadrangles previously owned by one family became a compound occupied
by many households.
After the
founding of the people's Republic of China in 1949, hutong conditions
improved. In recent years, the houses in many hutongs have been pulled
down and replaced by modern buildings. Many hutong dwellers have moved
to new housing. The hutong today is fading into the shade for both tourists
and inhabitants. However, in the urban district of Beijing houses along
hutongs still occupy one third of the total area, providing housing
for half the
population, so many hutongs have survived. In this respect, we regard
Beijing as an ancient yet modern city.
Beijing Tour Routes Includes Beijing Hutong
Beijing Hutong Photo
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