CITY GUIDE >City Guide
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CITY GUIDE >City Guide
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Inside hutong history
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-09 16:38
Despite its rapid development, Beijing still has hundreds of historic hutong-narrow residential alleys -mostly located close to the city center. Some of these alleys are particularly famous, as old Beijingers have recognized them as "number one" in various ways. The longest This is the longest hutong of "old Beijing". Lying in Dongcheng district, the alley extends for some 3 km from East Tian'anmen Square Road in the west, to Chongwenmennei Avenue in the east. The street has long been home to diplomatic missions in Beijing. After the Opium Wars in the 1840s, Britain, Russia, Germany and France established embassies along this road. In 1901, it was renamed Embassies Street. Its unique history has left the area with unique buildings exhibiting diverse architectural styles. The shortest The shortest hutong in Beijing lies at the east end of East Liulichang Street. Named Yichi Alley, the east-west passage is only slightly more than 10 m long. Recently it has been expanded as part of Meizhuxie Street. (The shortest hutong is now technically nearby Guantong Alley.) |
