Home / Global exchanges
Background
Shijia Hutong sandbox [Photo/Xinhua]
In the vast history of human civilization and city development, hutongs in Beijing occupy a uniquely famous and fascinating chapter.
With their unique spatial structure that bridges the past and present, hutongs underline the historical element of city development in China and are an important carrier of Chinese culture. Still growing and evolving through time, hutongs are home to generations of people born and raised in Beijing.
Hutongs in inner city Beijing during the Ming and Qing dynasties were mostly constructed in the 13th Century when the Yuan Dynasty emperor made Beijing the capital of the Chinese nation. At that time, even the Italian traveler Marco Polo marveled in his travel notes, “The layout of the city is so well structured, making other cities pale in comparison.”
