What are hutongs and why they built houses like this in China

Some districts of the center of the Chinese capital still retain the historical houses of ordinary townspeople, built in the 13th century like hutongs - courtyards-wells surrounded by residential and auxiliary buildings. The facades of the houses face the courtyard.

Such cells are called siheyuan. They are closely adjacent to each other, forming narrow streets no more than 9 meters wide. According to the tradition, based on the practice of feng shui, any space in China is organized along the cardinal points, so the Hutongs lined up here along a line running from west to east.

For real Pikin people, hutong is the place where childhood passed, a special traditional lifestyle reigns. Several generations of the family live under one roof. Until now, the head of the family is often located in the most illuminated and therefore the most comfortable northern building. There are also "communal" hutongs who occupy several families. In the common yard, and on the whole street, neighbors live together, play mahjong and cards, drink tea and chat.

Early in the morning on the street you can meet elderly people who go for a walk with birds in cages. They socialize, play sports, buy soy milk, fried brushwood. Returning home, they take care of their garden.

The appearance of the Hutongs has remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages: gray walls, intricate roofs, shabby red doors, a feeling of poverty, unpresentable. But the locals will never agree to change their lifestyle for any posh apartment in the city. In their opinion, the houses are cool in summer and warm in winter. And if earlier there was a well in every courtyard, from which the name "hutong" came, now all houses have a central water supply and electricity.

With the development of tourism, souvenir shops and cafes began to appear in the hutongs, where you can find any delights of the local cuisine.

Gradually they turned into whole shopping streets, along which a huge number of cycle rickshaws run even in the most severe frost.