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Hutong is an ancient lane or alley formed by lines of “siheyuan” (courtyards) predominantly seen in the surrounding areas of Beijing. During the era of the emperors, the structural design of the city was planned in such a way that the residents were placed and arranged according to the right Chinese etiquette. Thus, the surrounding areas in Beijing were the numerous hutongs which connected one place to another.
The term hutong is coined from “hottog”, a Mongolian word meaning “water well”. The rural dwellers who lived here, dug out a well and places where there were bodies of water, they laid and inhabit in them. Thus, the word was adapted by the Chinese people to recognize the residents who lived in the alleyways, around the city and those who lived nearby.
The narrowest hutong is about 40 centimeters wide, while the shortest is just about 10 meters long. Some of the largest hutongs can have as many as 20 turns. A very interesting fact about the hutong in Beijing is that they are facing the south-north or east-west directions. The residents built their hutong to face the south in order to allow illumination of more sunlight.
There are a number of mythical stories and tales about hutong. One hutong named "Girl Weaver" is said to have been a fairy from a heavenly kingdom that descended to the human world. In that world, her father, the Celestial Emperor was disappointed after she got married to a cowherd. He immediately got his daughter back and separated the lovers. In the olden days, there used to be a Cowherd bridge on the other side of the Forbidden City. It was believed that the position of this bridge seemed to be suggesting that the hutong's inhabitants occupying the side of the Forbidden City are the sons of Heaven and those on the other side are not.
Hutong is not merely an example of how creative the people of Beijing are when it comes to their architecture. It extends to reflect the symbol of the rich cultural heritage and custom that has been preserved for many years until today. |
