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A hutong is an ancient city alley or lane typical to Beijing, where hutongs run into the several thousands. Surrounding the Forbidden City, many were built during the Yuan (1206-1341), Ming (1368-1628) and Qing(1644-1908) dynasties. In the prime of these dynasties the emperors planned the city and arranged the residential areas according to the etiquette systems of the Zhou Dynasty, in order to establish supreme power for themselves. At the center of the city of Beijing stood the royal palace- the Forbidden City.
One kind of hutong, usually referred to as the regular hutong, was adjacent to the palace, to the east and west and arranged in an orderly fashion along the streets. Most of the residents of these hutongs were imperial kinsmen and aristocrats. Another kind, the simple and inferior hutong, was mostly located far to the north and south of the palace. The residents were merchants and other ordinary people.
The main buildings in the hutong were almost all quadrangles -building complexes formed by four houses around a quadrangular courtyard. The quadrangles varied in size and design according to the social status of the residents. The big quadrangles of high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants were specially built with roof beams and pillars, all beautifully carved and painted, each with a front and back yard. The ordinary people’s quadrangles were simply built with small gates and low houses. Hutongs, in fact, are passageways formed by many closely arranged quadrangles of different sizes. The specially built quadrangles all face the south for better lighting; as a result, a lot of hutongs run from east to west. Between the big hutongs, many small ones went from north to south, to allow convenient passage.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, China, which was unified and cut off from the rest of the world, now came under influence from abroad. There was a new dynasty and many changes took place. For instance, the stereotyped arrangement of the hutong was affected. Many newly formed hutongs with irregular houses appeared outside the city, while many old ones lost their former neat arrangement. The social status of the residents also changed, reflecting the collapse of the feudal system. During the period of the Republic of China (1911-1948), Chinese society was unstable, with frequent civil wars and repeated 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.
Today, the hutong is fading away into the sunset of history 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, in this way many hutongs have survived. In this respect, we see the old in the new in Beijing as an ancient yet modern city.
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Weekly Chinese Words |
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小巷
Transcription: xiǎo xiàng
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: alley
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帝国的
Transcription: dì guó de
Part of speech: Adjective
Meaning: imperial
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亲戚
Transcription: qīn qi
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: kinsman
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皇族
Transcription: huáng zú
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: imperial kinsman
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贵族
Transcription: guì zú
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: aristocrat
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商人
Transcription: shāng rén
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: merchant
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四合院
Transcription: sì hé yuàn
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: quadrangle
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沧桑
Transcription: cāng sāng
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: vicissitude
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崩溃
Transcription: bēng kuì
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: collapse
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居民
Transcription: jū mín
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: dweller
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