Travel Guide East Asia China

“Hutong”，H-U-T-O-N-G what does Hutong mean？
According to experts，the word Hutong originated from Mongolian language meaning”Well.”In ancient times，people tended to gather and live around wells. So the original meaning of Hutong should be”a place where people gather and live.”Another explanation says that during the Yuan Dynasty，about 13th century，residential areas in the city were divided into many divisions. [...]

For those who want to experience the localcustoms as well as the history and culture of Beijing, the hutong and Siheyuan (quadrangle) are indispensible parts of a visit as unique Beijing architectural structures.
A hutong is an ancient city alley or lane typical in Beijing, where hutongs run into the several thousand. Surrounding the Forbidden City, [...]

A hutong is an ancient city alley or lane typical in Beijing, where hutongs run into the several thousand. Surrounding the Forbidden City, many were built during the Yuan (1206-1341), Ming(1368-1628) and Qing(1644-1908) dynasties. In the prime of these dynasties the emperors, to establish supreme power for themselves, planned the city and arranged the residential [...]