Eight Great Hutongs

Exploring the Eight Great Hutongs in Beijing: Customs and Memories of the Old Times In the historical context of Beijing, the Eight Great Hutongs are like a unique and mysterious color, carrying the prosperity and vicissitudes of the past, attracting countless people to explore that dusty time. When you step into this area, the first thing that comes into view is the criss-crossing layout of the hutongs, with gray walls, green tiles, and vermilion lacquered doors, which are old but not without charm. Every hutong here has its own story, with names that are gentle or simple, such as Baishun Hutong and Yanzhi Hutong, as if they can awaken the sleeping old dreams by just reading them gently. Walking through it, the stone slabs under your feet have been worn down by the years, but they are still solid, witnessing the hustle and bustle of the past. Looking back in the past, the Eight Great Hutongs were once synonymous with the capital's romantic places. In the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, dignitaries and literati shuttled here, brothels and halls were lined up, and the sound of stringed instruments and orchestras continued all night. Behind the carved window lattices are talented women who are good at poetry or opera, attracting visitors from all over the world with their unique charm. The legendary story of Sai Jinhua is spread here. She dealt with the dignitaries of various countries and showed unique wit and courage in the troubled times, adding a strong touch to this land; the love between Xiao Fengxian and General Cai E is even more touching. A teahouse in the alley witnessed their secret meeting and also carried the affectionate planning for the great cause of the Republic. As time goes by, the eight alleys have long lost their romantic colors and turned into a treasure house of folk culture. Traditional courtyards are scattered among them, and residents bask in the sun and chat about family matters, with a strong atmosphere of life. There are a variety of small shops on the street, some selling old Beijing snacks. Take a bite of the crispy sugar-coated fire-baked bread, and the sweetness spreads on the tip of your tongue instantly, which is the taste of childhood; there are also handicraft shops, exquisite rabbit statues and paper-cuts, showing the charm of intangible cultural heritage, which makes people stop and play. The small theaters spontaneously organized by Peking Opera fans often emit passionate singing, and the lingering sound continues the artistic genes of the hutongs. For history enthusiasts, this is a vivid textbook for studying the various aspects of old Beijing society, peeping into the corruption and struggle of the feudal end of the world from the brothel culture; literary and artistic youth can find creative inspiration here, and the old buildings and the fireworks of the world are interwoven into a poetic picture; ordinary tourists can feel the charm of the capital while walking through the streets and alleys, taking photos and punching in to leave unforgettable moments. The Eight Great Hutongs are the precipitation of history and the fusion of culture, telling the development of the city with changes. It quietly waits for every interested person to come, unveil the veil of time, appreciate the style of old Beijing, let thoughts travel freely between the past and the present, and reap a unique cultural journey.

Take a walk through the Eight Great Hutongs in Beijing—— Speaking of the Eight Great Hutongs in Beijing, it can be said that everyone knows about this place. From the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, this place is synonymous with "red-light district". The Eight Great Hutongs refer to the eight alleys north of Xizhushikou Street and south of Tieshu Xiejie. Although there is no such place name as "Eight Great Hutongs" on the map, if you open the Gaode map and search for "Eight Great Hutongs", the names of these eight alleys will be directly displayed. From west to east, they are: Baishun Hutong, Yanzhi Hutong, Hanjia Hutong, Shaanxi Lane, Shitou Hutong, Zongshu Xiejie (formerly Wang Guangfu Xiejie), Zhujia Hutong, Xiaoli Hutong (formerly Li Shamao Hutong). During the Qianlong period, the Huiban troupe came to Beijing and stayed in Hanjiatan and Baishun Hutong among the Eight Great Hutongs. Later, Sixi, Chuntai and other troupes came to Beijing one after another and stayed in Baishun Hutong, Shaanxi Lane and Li Tieguai Xiejie (Tieshu Xiejie) in the Eight Great Hutongs respectively. Therefore, there is a saying in old Beijing: "People never leave the road, tigers never leave the mountain, and opera singers never leave Baishun and Hanjiatan." Since prostitution was prohibited in the Qing Dynasty and the scholar-official class liked to have acquaintances with actors and had the tradition of keeping troupes at home, the disciples of the Huiban troupe who came to Beijing were boys. Most of the handsome ones among them practiced male dan. Many famous halls were in the Eight Great Hutongs, such as Yunhetang where Mei Lanfang came from Zhu Aiyun, Jinghetang run by Mei Qiaoling, Sizhentang where Cheng Changgeng lived, Yingxiutang where Tan Xinpei lived, and so on. It can be said that the prosperity of the Eight Great Hutongs in the Qing Dynasty was entirely due to male entertainers. At the beginning of the Republic of China, prostitutes were no longer banned, and the husbands died. The original halls of the Eight Great Hutongs became the world of brothels. In fact, the place where the red-light districts and willow alleys outside Qianmen are gathered is not only these eight streets and alleys, but also includes many alleys in the Dashilan area outside Qianmen. There are nearly a hundred brothels of all sizes in the streets and alleys outside the Eight Great Hutongs. It’s just that the brothels in these eight alleys are the highest grade, and there are many courtesans, so they are so famous. For example, the famous Sai Jinhua was in Shanglinxian Pavilion in Shaanxi Alley at that time. Beijing now pays great attention to protecting the original style of historical blocks, especially the large alleys and alleys outside Qianmen have been built into cultural blocks. Many old courtyards and buildings from the Republic of China have been restored, which can increasingly reflect the folk customs of old Beijing. The Eight Great Hutongs show the style of characteristic streets and alleys, with clean streets, regular houses, no random piles of debris, and many cultural elements on the walls. It is worth walking around and strolling around to experience the old Beijing Hutong culture and opera culture. However, it is quite a long way to walk down all eight hutongs. Today, we chose four of them, namely Shaanxi Alley, Yanzhi Hutong, Baishun Hutong, and Shitou Hutong. Shaanxi Alley is the longest and most famous of the eight hutongs. The Shanglinxian Pavilion where Sai Jinhua once stayed is still there, with clear signs. Of course, it is no longer used for its original purpose, and it seems to have been changed into a hotel. Yanzhi Hutong and Baishun Hutong are full of Peking Opera culture, and there are many Peking Opera-related sculptures, reliefs, and wall paintings on the streets. It feels that the eight hutongs are not too commercially developed now, and they are kept low-key to the maximum extent.

Baishun Hutong, Shaanxi Lane, Hanjia Hutong, Shitou Hutong, Yanzhi Hutong, Wang Guangfu Xiejie, Zhujia Hutong, Lishamao Hutong, Xiaojiangjia Hutong, Dali Hutong, Xiangzi Hutong, Zhuanta Hutong, Caishikou Hutong, Liuyang Hutong, Fenzi Hutong, Jinger Hutong, Shamao Hutong, Baizi Hutong, Zhengyilu Hutong You can play like this: Visit the old site of the brothel For example, the Qingyuanchun brothel in Shaanxi Lane is a famous fourth-level brothel that provides services for dignitaries and wealthy businessmen Visit the former residences of celebrities For example, the former residences of Yan Fengying and Liu Xiaoguang are all located in this area, where you can feel the cultural heritage here Appreciate the architectural style The architectural style here has a strong national characteristic, and the doors, windows, railings and eaves have special designs. Taste authentic food Here you can taste various Beijing specialties, such as Beijing roast duck, noodles with soybean paste, bean juice, etc. Feel the traditional artistic atmosphere There are many traditional artistic forms here, such as Peking opera, Ping opera, etc., and you can feel the strong cultural atmosphere.

Located on Zhushikou West Street, Xicheng District, Beijing. You can see many hutongs by passing through the Dashilan in front of the street. Among them, the first of the eight hutongs that catches your eye is Hanjia Hutong. There are also eight hutongs such as Shaanxi Alley, Yanzhi Hutong, Shitou Hutong, and Xiaoli Hutong. In the old society, this place was a well-known red-light district in Beijing. Now it consists of eight hutongs. I visited several of them. The environment of the small streets and alleys is very simple, without special literary and artistic decorations. Most of them are ordinary residential houses. However, there are relevant text introductions to each hutong, so you can learn about it.

We were originally going to Nanluoguxiang, but the taxi driver insisted that it was too commercialized and asked us to go to Bada Hutong. We took a rickshaw for 150 yuan per person. It was raining and we didn't go to any of the attractions. We walked around for about 30 minutes. The hutongs are relatively primitive. I didn't take any photos. But 300 yuan for two people is a bit too much. It's still okay to go shopping by yourself. I hope everyone doesn't get cheated.

When traveling in Beijing, the most distinctive feature is the alleys, which are good places to experience the culture and life of old Beijing. Eight Hutongs used to be synonymous with tobacco leaf, flower and willow lanes, but now they do not refer specifically to eight lanes, such as Baishun Hutong and Carmine Hutong.

Bada Hutong is located in Xicheng District, Beijing, south of Tieshu Xie Street, north of Zhushikou Street, west of Coal City Street, east of Nanxinhua Street. The following is the evaluation of the eight alleys: Historical and cultural value - witness to historical changes: the eight alleys were formed in the Ming Dynasty. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, due to the policy of "Flag People Sub-City Residence" and commercial development, they gradually flourished. When the Republic of China reached its peak, the brothel was closed after 1949 and became a civilian living area. We have witnessed social changes in many historical periods. - Opera culture origin: is one of the important birthplaces of opera art such as Peking Opera. Hanjia Hutong was once the resident of the Sanqing class of the "Four Hui Classes". Baishun Hutong has lived in many famous Peking Opera corners such as Mei Lanfang, which provides the soil for the development and inheritance of opera culture. Architectural Art Value - Traditional architectural style: mainly courtyard buildings, blue tile gray walls, brick carved gate buildings and other elements reflect the architectural style and craft level of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, some courtyard layout and decoration are exquisite, with high artistic value. - Hutong pattern characteristics: eight hutongs crisscrossed, forming a unique Hutong network, and the surrounding streets together constitute the urban texture of old Beijing, reflecting the characteristics of traditional urban planning and residential form. Social historical value - reflects social class and life: once a gathering place for dignitaries, literati and ink guests, there are also many dusty women living here, different classes of characters meet here, reflecting the social class differentiation and pluralistic life state at that time. - Witness the rise and fall of special industries: As the proxy for the old Beijing Huajie Liuxiang, the eight hutongs witnessed the development and rise and fall of the prostitution industry in a specific historical period, and are important cases for studying the social history, women's history and urban history of modern China. Tourism development value - Cultural tourism resources: its unique historical culture and architectural style attracted many tourists to visit, become an important part of Beijing cultural tourism, and the surrounding Dashilan, Liulichang and other attractions together constitute a tourist area with old Beijing characteristics Domain.- Tourism experience improvement: By developing Hutong Tours, folk performances, traditional crafts displays and other projects, tourists can deeply experience the Hutong culture and folk customs of old Beijing, and further improve the quality and attractiveness of tourism.