Beijing's Hutongs

Beijing's Hutongs
Jan 31, 2008 01:49
JIMMYB Points: Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: offline	Source: China.org.cn. Běi jīng de hú　tòng　北京的胡同 Lái běi jīng guān guāng de yóu kè jīng cháng wèn dào de yí gè 来北京观光的游客经常问到的一个 wèn tí shì “ běi jīng de hú tòng zài nă lĭ ?” Běi jīng de 问题是 “ 北京的胡同在哪里 ?” 北京的 hú tòng zuì zăo qĭ yuán yú yuán dài , zuì duō shí yŏu liù 胡同最早起源于元代，最多时有六 qiān duō tiáo . Lì shĭ shàng zuì zăo de shì cháo yáng mén néi 千多条。历史上最早的是朝阳门内 dà jiē hé dōng sì zhī jiān de yí piàn hú tòng , guī huà 大街和东四之间的一片胡同，规划 xiāng dāng zhěng qí . Nán běi zŏu xiàng de xiāng duì jiăo kuān , 相当整齐。南北走向的相对较宽， dōng xī zŏu xiàng de xiāng duì jiăo zhăi , hú tòng liăng biān yì 东西走向的相对较窄，胡同两边一 bān dōu shì sì hé yuàn . 般都是四合院。 Cóng dì lĭ wèi zhi shàng huà fēn , qián mén yĭ běi de hú 从地理位置上划分，前门以北的胡 tòng yì bān jiăo kuān , guī huà zhĕng qí ; qián mén yĭ nán 同一般较宽，规划整齐；前门以南 de hú tòng yì bān jiăo zhăi , guī huà yě bù zhĕng qí . 的胡同一般较窄，规划也不整齐。 Yīn wéi zài qīng cháo shí , qīng zhèng fŭ wèi le ān quán qĭ 因为在清朝时，清政府为了安全起 jiàn , bù yún xŭ wài dì lái jīng rén yuán zhù zài jīng chéng 见，不允许外地来京人员住在京城 nèi , suǒ yĭ wài dì rén jí zhōng zhu zài qián mén hé chóng 内，所以外地人集中住在前门和崇 wén mén wài , yĕ yīn cĭ xíng chéng le qián mén shāng yè qū. 文门外，也因此形成了前门商业区。 Zài wài lái rén yuán zhōng xŭ duō shì lái jīng găn kăo de jŭ 在外来人员中许多是来京赶考的举 rén , yīn cĭ xíng chéng le liú lí chăng wén huà jiē . Tiān 人，因此形成了琉璃厂文化街；天 qiáo di qu yŏu xŭ duō yú lè chăng suŏ . Bĕi jīng de jù 桥地区有许多娱乐场所；北京的剧 yuàn yĕ dōu jí zhōng zài nán chéng . 院也都集中在南城。 Bĕi jīng chéng nèi lăo băi xìng jí zhōng huó dòng de chăng suŏ yĕ 北京城内老百姓集中活动的场所也 zài shí chà hăi yí dài . Yīn wéi bĕi jīng de hú tòng bù 在什刹海一带。因为北京的胡同不 jí zhōng , yì bān yĕ bù tōng chē , yóu lăn qĭ lái bĭ 集中，一般也不通车，游览起来比 jiào lèi . Hú tòng zhōng zuì zhăi de dì fang zhĭ yŏu bā shí 较累。胡同中最窄的地方只有八十 gōng fēn kuan , liăng gè rén xiāng yù shí zhĭ yŏu cè zhe shēn 公分宽，两个人相遇时只有侧着身 zi cái néng guò qu . Hú tòng cháng yuē sān sì shí mĭ . 子才能过去。胡同长约三四十米。

Jan 31, 2008 01:49

JIMMYB
Points:
Join Date: Feb 7, 2007
Status: offline

Source: China.org.cn.

Běi jīng de hú　tòng　
北京的胡同
Lái běi jīng guān guāng de yóu kè jīng cháng wèn dào de yí gè
来北京观光的游客经常问到的一个
wèn tí shì “ běi jīng de hú tòng zài nă lĭ ?” Běi jīng de
问题是 “ 北京的胡同在哪里 ?” 北京的
hú tòng zuì zăo qĭ yuán yú yuán dài , zuì duō shí yŏu liù
胡同最早起源于元代，最多时有六
qiān duō tiáo . Lì shĭ shàng zuì zăo de shì cháo yáng mén néi
千多条。历史上最早的是朝阳门内
dà jiē hé dōng sì zhī jiān de yí piàn hú tòng , guī huà
大街和东四之间的一片胡同，规划
xiāng dāng zhěng qí . Nán běi zŏu xiàng de xiāng duì jiăo kuān ,
相当整齐。南北走向的相对较宽，
dōng xī zŏu xiàng de xiāng duì jiăo zhăi , hú tòng liăng biān yì
东西走向的相对较窄，胡同两边一
bān dōu shì sì hé yuàn .
般都是四合院。
Cóng dì lĭ wèi zhi shàng huà fēn , qián mén yĭ běi de hú
从地理位置上划分，前门以北的胡
tòng yì bān jiăo kuān , guī huà zhĕng qí ; qián mén yĭ nán
同一般较宽，规划整齐；前门以南
de hú tòng yì bān jiăo zhăi , guī huà yě bù zhĕng qí .
的胡同一般较窄，规划也不整齐。
Yīn wéi zài qīng cháo shí , qīng zhèng fŭ wèi le ān quán qĭ
因为在清朝时，清政府为了安全起
jiàn , bù yún xŭ wài dì lái jīng rén yuán zhù zài jīng chéng
见，不允许外地来京人员住在京城
nèi , suǒ yĭ wài dì rén jí zhōng zhu zài qián mén hé chóng
内，所以外地人集中住在前门和崇
wén mén wài , yĕ yīn cĭ xíng chéng le qián mén shāng yè qū.
文门外，也因此形成了前门商业区。
Zài wài lái rén yuán zhōng xŭ duō shì lái jīng găn kăo de jŭ
在外来人员中许多是来京赶考的举
rén , yīn cĭ xíng chéng le liú lí chăng wén huà jiē . Tiān
人，因此形成了琉璃厂文化街；天
qiáo di qu yŏu xŭ duō yú lè chăng suŏ . Bĕi jīng de jù
桥地区有许多娱乐场所；北京的剧
yuàn yĕ dōu jí zhōng zài nán chéng .
院也都集中在南城。
Bĕi jīng chéng nèi lăo băi xìng jí zhōng huó dòng de chăng suŏ yĕ
北京城内老百姓集中活动的场所也
zài shí chà hăi yí dài . Yīn wéi bĕi jīng de hú tòng bù
在什刹海一带。因为北京的胡同不
jí zhōng , yì bān yĕ bù tōng chē , yóu lăn qĭ lái bĭ
集中，一般也不通车，游览起来比
jiào lèi . Hú tòng zhōng zuì zhăi de dì fang zhĭ yŏu bā shí
较累。胡同中最窄的地方只有八十
gōng fēn kuan , liăng gè rén xiāng yù shí zhĭ yŏu cè zhe shēn
公分宽，两个人相遇时只有侧着身
zi cái néng guò qu . Hú tòng cháng yuē sān sì shí mĭ .
子才能过去。胡同长约三四十米。

Jan 31, 2008 01:50

JIMMYB
Points:
Join Date: Feb 7, 2007
Status: Offline

Beijing's Hutongs

The question most frequently by tourists to Beijing is: "Where are the hutongs ?" Beijing's hutongs were built in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and at one time numbered in excess of 6,000. The earliest ones were built in the areas between Chaoyang and Dongcheng districts, and were quite orderly laid-out. The hutongs that run from south to north are comparatively wider than the east-west ones, which can be very narrow. On either side of a hutong are the siheyuan - traditional residential compounds with rooms or living quarters around a courtyard or quadrangle.

Taking Qianmen as a reference point, the hutongs north of it are wide and built in an orderly way. Those to the south are narrow and disorderly laid-out. In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the government kept migrants outside the city center limits for safety reasons. They set up camp in the Qianmen and Chongwenmen areas, which led to the commercial development of these two areas. Many of the migrants were candidates for the imperial examinations. The presence of so many academics led to the formation of what we know today as Liulichang Cultural Street. Public entertainment venues and theaters sprouted in the Tianqiao and Shichahai areas.

It can be tiring walking the many hutongs in Beijing. Not only are the hutongs quite widely spread out across the city these days, but some of the lanes can be extremely narrow, the narrowest measuring only 80 cm . You would have to walk sideways to get through! The average length of a hutong is between 30 and 40 meters.

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