Hutong and Hutong
Pedicab Rickshaw Ride
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Hutong Tour and Hutong Rickshaw, Beijing
Beijing still keeps old lanes called Hutong
to show her unique lifestyle in the past, and
we'll take you to tour this Hutong, the endangered species of world
tourism!
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Hutong and Hutong Pedicab Rickshaw Ride
A Hutong rickshaw (or
bicycle) tour of Beijing is a unique cultural experience that allows
you to take a glance at the city’s traditional local life. Beijing's
famous Hutongs or alleyways, are unique housing structures that have
been home to Beijing's families for centuries. A "Hutong" is an
ancient city alley or lane typically lined with Siheyuan (the
traditional residential areas of the people of Beijing, also known
as Beijing Quadrangle). In fact, many families have lived in a
single Hutong for hundreds of years, and thus have formed the core
of Beijing’s local customs and culture.
Most of them were built during the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming
(1368-1911), and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties. Traditionally only one
family lived in one Siheyuan, but after the founding of the People's
Republic of China, many families would live together in a single
Siheyuan. Since most people have spent their entire lives in a
single Siheyuan, everybody gets to know everybody else in their area
and a single Hutong becomes like a small village within the larger
metropolis of Beijing.
There are still about 4.550 Hutongs left in Beijing, but many are
quickly disappearing due to Beijing’s rapid modernization and
urbanization According to Reuters, the Hutongs of Beijing are listed
as one of tourism’s “endangered species”, and should be seen before
they disappear for good. Luckily, Great Wall Adventure Club has the
ability and aptitude to provide the perfect Hutong tours. With our
Beijing Hutong tours, we have carefully crafted itineraries that
will take you to the best preserved and captivating of Beijing’s
Hutongs. Most of these Hutongs happen to be situated near the
charming lakeside area of Shichahai. With our Hutong tours you have
the option of traveling by rickshaw, allowing you to see the heart
of old Beijing in both comfort and style. For the more
adventuresome, you can also take a Hutong cycling tour (bicycles
provided by us).
A Hutong rickshaw/bicycle tour of Beijing can form the core of a
wonderful Beijing tour package. A Hutong tour can also be combined
with a number of great activities, from visiting Beijing’s Olympic
Structures, exploring Beijing’s imperial legacy (such as the
Forbidden City and the Summer Palace), and of course, to visiting
the nearby sections of the Great Wall. We have produced a number of
detailed Beijing itineraries that take you to the best the city has
to offer, but you can also consult with our travel specialists to
customize your own Beijing Hutong tour and experience.
Hutong on Reuters
Special Report:
25 Places to See Before They Change Forever, Reuters News
The Wow: A hutong is a large community of traditional Chinese
courtyard homes. Since the end of the last Dynasty, they have been
partitioned into smaller plots, so that eight or more families often
dwell in one courtyard home. The traditional hutongs are a center of
culture and commerce, and a focal point of Beijing??s historical
sights.
Why Now? While many of the older and more traditional hutong
communities in Shanghai have disappeared, Beijing has managed to
preserve large sections of hutongs. Long term, however, only a small
fraction of these are likely to be saved. Demolition crews abound.
Hutong Tours
Check our Beijing Bus Tour Programs. You can tour Beijing with our
group bus tour programs for various routes.
Learn more about Beijing private and
non-private tours.
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