Editor's Note: While the number of Beijing's hutong has shrunk dramatically over the past two decades, the character of the old neighborhoods has continued to evolve, offering an irreplaceable glimpse of the fast-changing city's past. China Daily explores.
Stretching for 6.5 kilometers, Dongxijiaominxiang is the longest hutong in Beijing.
When one talks about Beijing, one of the first things that comes to mind, in addition to the signature historical scenery such as the undulating Great Wall, or the Forbidden City with its red walls and green tiles, is hutong.
There is an old saying that circulates widely in Beijing: "There are 360 hutong with names, and countless nameless ones". It accurately reflects the state of things in a city densely covered by hutong within its central areas.
For the first time in Macy's 88-year Thanksgiving parade history in New York, there was a Chinese float, the Beauty of Beijing.
I work full time as a journalist and part time as a "hutong host" for people traveling from all around the world. I am equally proud of that as my job.
While in Beijing, you can't get more local than Dashila'r. Here you can take a stroll along the hutong, taste the most authentic Beijing snacks before watching a shadow play in a courtyard theater.
Beijing's buildings and the people who have lived in them have drawn attention to the preservation of Shijia hutong.
Traditional Chinese medicine has been used for more than 2,000 years to prevent, diagnose and cure illness. It includes various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, exercise and dietary therapy.
The lift glides noiselessly to the top floor of a 10-storey residential building in Beijing and I step toward my appointment with the same anticipation I came with last time. I am hoping Master Liu Qing will beat me with a stick. Two sticks, in fact.
For visitors to Beijing, a trip to the Great Wall now can be so much more than simple sightseeing. They can practise tai chi, an ancient form of exercise and meditation, on the wall as part of a package that combines traditional tourism with traditional Chinese healthcare.
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