Without Hutongs Beijing would only be a large and crowded City with the worlds biggest museum in its middle, but no connection to it. These remnants of imperial Beijing, which survived the war and revolution times and which are still inhabitated, provide some kind of personality and credibility of Beijing as the historical capital of China.

Just take a bike and go eastward or westward from Bell Tower and Drum Tower. Don't mind directions or destinations, just drive around and take in the impressions of Beijing 10 years ago, 30 years ago, 100 years ago, and so forth. Peek into the backyards and get a feeling of what it is like to live in the past -- in a time when China wasn't the fastest growing big economy in the world.

If you haven't got a bike, just walk and take some time. There is no entrance fee, but what you'll see, is far more impressive and historical than most museums.

With all the recent construction, it's good to see the traditional Beijing houses before they disappear. Take a nice walk through the hutongs instead of renting a bike taxi so you can really experience it. Also, there's this great Muslim restaurant hidden somewhere around the area. Sorry don't remember exactly where it is, but it'd be a scavenger hunt, lol.

Hutongs, places where Chinese people live. Seeing people walking to the public toilet in the morning or in the evening, wearing pyjamas with the toothbrush in their hand is, well, everyday thing. Live places, where you can see an ordinary Chinese way of living. Some streets ar crowded with tourists, cause lot of budget hotels/hostels are there, but the feeling is still not "touristic"

To walk or bike into a hutong is like travelling back in time a bit. These traditional quarters in Chinese cities are however unfortunately under threat from development. In Beijing many of the hutongs have been torn down to make way for hotels and shopping malls, even more were torn down to make way for the 2008 Olympics. If in Beijing or in Shanghais, make time to visit a hutong.

WE DID TRAVEL WITHOUT A TOUR.MY DAUGHTER AND ME ALONE. IN BEIJING WE DID HIRE A PRIVATE DRIVER WHOM SPOKE ENGLISH AND TOOK US TO PLACES ONLY LOCALS GO. THE HUTONGS IS THE REAL LIFE OF THE WORKING CLASS.... WE WERE INVITED FOR TEA AT ONE OF THE HOUSES. PRICELESS EXPERIENCE. YOU HAVE TO WALK AROUND AND KEEP AN EYE ON THE DETAILS OF THE OLD ARCHITECTURE.