Hutong living to join tourism trade

Tourists staying in hutongs, traditional Beijing courtyard neighborhoods, will be heavily promoted as the latest culture-related product by Dongcheng district.

Yang Yiwen, head of the Dongcheng government, said there are more than 400 hutongs and 340 traditional courtyard houses in the district - half the total in Beijing.

Among them is Nanluoguxiang, one of the city's most popular hutongs, with its 742-year history. The hutong has been listed as one of the top 10 Asian cultural attractions by Time magazine.