One of Beijing’s lesser know historical attractions are it’s Hutongs surrounding the Forbidden City which I visited when lost on my way to Beihai Park. These fascinating ancient residential areas are made up of narrow alleyways with traditional buildings arranged in closely packed quadrangles. As if looking through a window on to a lost world you get the feeling of stepping back in time here (even the locals look authentically old!), but still within sight of the icons of modernity which dominate Beijing’s skyline. Unfortunately some Hutongs were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution but luckily many are now designated protected areas. Still, as seems to be the general case in China: out with the old, in with the new…

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