北京胡同(HUTONG-TOUR-IN-BEIJNG)

1北京胡同(HUTONGTOURINBEIJNG)北京胡同(HUTONGTOURINBEIJNG)北京胡同(HUTONGTOURINBEIJNG)北京胡同(hutongtourinbeijng)ahutongisanancientcityalleywayorlanetypicalofancientbeijing,wherehutongsonceranintothethousands.hutongswerefirstbuiltaroundthewalledimperialcompoundknownastheforbiddencity.themajorityofthesealleywayswerebuiltduringtheyuan,mingandqingdynasties(12711911).attheheightofeachera,theemperorarrangedtheresidentialareassurroundinghismoataccordingtoasystemofetiquettehailingbacktothezhoudynasty(c.1100221b.c.).atitsheartwastheforbiddencity,surroundedbymainroadwaystravellingeast-westandnorth-south.therewereoriginallytwokindsofhutongs.thefirstweregroupedtotheeastandwestoftheforbiddencityandlaidinanorderlydesignalongsidemainroadways.mostofthesehutongshousedmembersoftheroyalfamily,officials,eunuchsandaristocrats.thesecondtypeofhutongwasacrudeversionofthefirst,locatedfartothenorthandsouthofthesprawling2imperialcompound,inhabitedbymerchantsandcommoners.whatbothhadincommonwasthetypeofstructureliningthealleyways.thesiheyuanknowninenglishasaquadrangle,orcourtyardcomplex,invariablycomprisedfourmainbuildingsfacingeachcompasspointandsurroundedbyahighwall.thesizeanddesignofeachcomplexreflectedthesocialstatusoftheinhabitants.wealthyfamiliesoftenboastedseveralwalledcourtyardssurroundedbyamainwall,eachbuildingdecoratedwithintricatelycarvedandpaintedbeamsandpillars.thequadranglesofthepoorwereofamuchsimplerconstructionwithsmallgatesandlowceilings.beijing'smeanderinghutongsarepassagewaysformedbythousandsofcloselyarrangedquadranglesofdifferentsizes.themainbuildingsofmostofthesestructuresfacesouthforoptimumsunlight,especiallyduringthebitterbeijingwinters.becauseofthis,themajorityofthecity'shutongsruneasttowest.betweenthemajorhutongsmeanderednarrowalleysrunningnorthtosouthtoallowconvenientpassagethroughwhatwasonceavastmazeofgraybrickandtiledroofs.oldbeijingisinessenceamagnifiedquadrangle,symmetricallyarrangedandsurroundedbyahighcitywall3thatwastorndownhalfacenturyagotomakewayforabeltwayringingtheincreasinglymoderncapital.bytheendoftheqingdynasty,china'seconomywasintatters.butpleasure-lovingbeijingcontinuedtocatertotheemperorandhishangers-on.lifewasmostlyconfinedtothehutongs.thequadranglereflectedthewayoflifeandsocialcultureofthetimes.