In Beijing, hutongs are alleys formed by lines of
siheyuan 四合院
(Chinese quadrangles), traditional courtyard residences. Many neighbourhoods
were formed by joining one siheyuan to another to form a hutong and then
joining one hutong to another. The word hutong is also used to refer to such
neighbourhoods.
Since the mid-20th century, the number of Beijing hutongs
has dropped dramatically as they are demolished to make way for new roads and
buildings. More recently, some hutongs have been designated as protected areas
in an attempt to preserve this aspect of Chinese cultural history.
This postcard shows宝产胡同 Baochan Hutong -this is obviously
an old scene. The postcard came from
Aqua-(9 September 2015) Postcrossing.
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