Monday, 10 April 2017
Beijing, China
I remember driving through some hutongs (a series of narrow alleyways and roads with shops and housing) in 1996 and it was all a bit basic and back street but full of character. So you can imagine my disappointment to find that the entrance to the hutongs I visit today have a brand new shiny entrance and they’re all refurbished and quite clean.
The spring blossom lining the river is very vibrant and soon find the main pedestrianised thoroughfare. Like Doha’s souqs it has that sense of newness about it and full of designer shops and cafes with free wifi. How times have changed. This is not what I’m after. I’m after the old and characterful hutongs.
Meander down a side road and find a small café for a drink and sit down outside. Owner comes out and measures her height against mine. She just about reaches my hips. She giggles and then disappears. It’s only after an hour of wandering about and getting away from the main thoroughfare that I find what I’m looking for. The real grubby backstreet hutongs. This is the China I remember. Men playing cards and gambling in the alleyways. Two birds in an ornate cage by the door. Surprisingly, they let me take their photo. Last time I came here it was a big no no as they thought you were taking away their spirit. There’s an air of stillness and calmness in the alleyways which is quite relaxing and reminds me of the alleyways in Busan, South Korea. There’s plenty of food stalls and small industries with people cutting, tapping and banging in various workshops. It’s great. I love this sort of off-piste wandering.
I can assure you dear reader, there was a lot of huffing and puffing climbing the very steep staircase to the top of the Bell & Drum Towers. But the views across Beijing are worth it. Especially along the north-south axis towards Jingshan Park, which sits on a slight rise overlooking the Forbidden City.
The 13th century Bell and Drum Towers used to announce the time in Beijing until as recently as 1924. The 7m high, 3.4m diameter bell was cast in the 14/15th century during the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty. The thickness of the bell ranges from 12cm to 24cm and it weighs 63 tons. You wouldn’t want to be nearby when it rings.
The trouble with travelling on the Beijing Metro is that the signage is installed at a height of 6’2”. Being 6’5” this poses a problem and narrowly avoid slashing my forehead on day one.
2 responses to “NK 3. The hutongs”
Aha, reading your memories of North Korea will make a very welcome change from wall to wall coronavirus on the rest of the media!
What amazing sights you have captured Ian! It is eye opening to see how some people live in the 21st century. My lasting memory of Beijing involved traffic congestion and terrible pollution. We did see some of these sites that you photographed.