October 27, 2019 (Friday Beijing temperature 1-15 degrees cloudy). Last night I was troubled by four mosquitoes (three of which had become blood gourds and one was on an empty stomach), I woke up at 1:20 in the morning, got up to fight mosquitoes, and killed one mosquito. I remembered the sound of mosquitoes flying, so I got up and beat them again. After killing one, I lay down again. After a while, I heard the "buzzing" sound of mosquitoes again, and I killed three "blood gourds" one after another. The fourth mosquito roared in my ears again, and I had no energy to fight it anymore. I was exhausted, and I had to take a nap at least for a while. At five o'clock, I had to get up and go to Beijing to roam Nanluoguxiang.

The accommodation is at the Weiming Courtyard Hotel in Nanluoguxiang






A very nice courtyard hotel, a perfect combination of classic and modern, very comfortable.

About the scenic spot of Nanluoguxiang in Beijing, I learned about it from the WeChat sent to me by my friends. Before I set off, I checked the information and travel guides about Nanluoguxiang. Set off on a relatively high temperature day to see this relatively intact ancient building complex.


Beijing Nanluoguxiang is an alley located in the Jiaodaokou area on the east side of Beijing’s central axis. It starts from Gulou East Street in the north and reaches Ping’an Street in the south. It is 8 meters wide and 787 meters long. It was built at the same time as Yuandadu. It is one of the oldest blocks in Beijing with a history of more than 740 years. Because the terrain is high in the middle and low in the north and south, like a hunchback, it is named Luoguo Lane. In the Qing Dynasty, the "Complete Map of the Capital" drawn by Qianlong in the fifteenth year was renamed Nanluoguxiang.


Nanluoguxiang is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Beijing. It is the only traditional chessboard-style residential area in my country that fully preserves the courtyard texture of the Yuan Dynasty hutong, the largest scale, the highest grade, and the richest resources. It is also the street with the most old Beijing style. The mansions and courtyards of various shapes and structures in the surrounding hutongs are colorful and profound. Nanluoguxiang and its surrounding areas used to be the center of the capital city of Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was a place of great wealth and wealth. The streets and alleys here were crowded with high-ranking officials and dignitaries. It was not until the fall of the Qing Dynasty that The prosperity of Nanluoguxiang also slowly ended.


Nanluoguxiang runs north-south, with 8 alleys neatly arranged in the east and west, showing a "fishbone shape", continuing the "chessboard" pattern since ancient times. The whole block looks like a big centipede, so it is also called Centipede Street. It is said that there used to be two ancient wells at the northernmost part of Nanluoguxiang, which happened to be the two eyes of this centipede. From south to north, the 8 alleys in the west are Fuxiang Hutong, Suoyi Hutong, Yuer Hutong, Maoer Hutong, Jingyang Hutong, Shajing Hutong, Heizhima Hutong, Qiangulouyuan Hutong, Hougulouyuan Hutong, Nanxiawa The 8 alleys in the east are Chaodou Hutong, Banchang Hutong, Dongmianhua Hutong, Beibingmasi Hutong, Qinlao Hutong, Qianyuanensi Hutong, Houyuanensi Hutong, and Juer Hutong. These alleys had no names in the Yuan Dynasty, and the names gradually evolved after the Ming Dynasty.
The first alley to the east of the south entrance of Nanluoguxiang is Chaodou Alley. Not far from the west entrance of Chaodou Hutong, next to Gate No. 77, there is a sign of a key cultural relic protection unit in Dongcheng District, which says "Sengwang Mansion".
Sengwangfu is the palace of Seng Gelinqin in the Qing Dynasty. The original monk's mansion is very large, with the front door in Chaodou Hutong and the back door in Banchang Hutong, spanning two alleys. The palace is divided into three roads: middle, east and west, each with four entrances. Among them, in addition to the main courtyard, the east road has four entrances to the east courtyard, forming a large building complex. After the Republic of China, the mansion was gradually auctioned off by the prince's descendants and divided into many courtyards. No. 71 to No. 77 of Chaodou Hutong (odd number) and No. 30 to 34 of Banchang Hutong (even number) are all within the scope of the original Wangfu.
Going further north along Nanluoguxiang, the third alley in the east is Donghuaian Hutong. Not far from the entrance is the Central Academy of Drama, which is well-known both at home and abroad. As a top institution for studying stage and film and television performances in China, its area is really not that big, including the experimental theater, which only occupies a part of the west between East Mianhua Hutong and Beibingmasi Hutong. . The Central Academy of Drama was originally the former residence of Jin Yunpeng, chief of the Army under the Duan Qirui government and acting prime minister.
After Jin Yunpeng bought the place, he demolished some courtyard houses and built several Western-style buildings. At the end of 1921, after Jin Yunpeng resigned, he lived in Tianjin for a long time.
Courtyard No. 13 of Yu'er Hutong once lived here, a master of Chinese painting --- Qi Baishi, a master of Chinese painting. The courtyard is spacious and well-protected. In the center of the courtyard stands a statue of old man Qi Baishi. The rooms on the north, east and south sides of the courtyard are used as exhibition halls to show the life of old man Qi Baishi. This house is taken care of every day. The courtyard and the exhibition hall are neat and orderly.
Qi Baishi's former residence was originally the private residence of a minister in charge of the Qing Dynasty's House of Internal Affairs. Because materials from the imperial palace were used privately during the construction, and the construction system exceeded the grade, it was impeached and the house was divided into several parts for sale. Courtyard No. 13 was only a part. After liberation, the Ministry of Culture bought it and Mr. Qi Baishi lived there. But the old man moved to Kuache Hutong in Xicheng not long after he lived there. Therefore, Qi Baishi’s former residence mostly refers to Kuache Hutong.
Tickets for Qi Baishi's former residence are 5 yuan. The main room has been restored to its original appearance. There are paintings and quilts used by Mr. Qi Baishi. Other rooms have biographical introductions and old things exhibitions
. No. 13 Houyuan'en Temple Hutong is the former residence of Mao Dun. Compared with many deep houses in this area, Mao Dun's former residence is too ordinary and inconspicuous. It is just a small courtyard with two entrances. The former residence has been refurbished and reopened. In the yard in front of the former residence stands a bust of Mr. Mao Dun. The surrounding rooms are exhibitions of Mao Dun's life (some exhibition halls are not open). The bedrooms, living room, and study in the backyard (the doors are all closed) are still arranged according to the way the husband was alive. He moved to Houyuanen Temple in 1974, and spent his last 7 years in this small courtyard until his death in 1981. There is no charge for Mao Dun's former residence, and visitors can enter only after registration. The courtyard does not look as clean as Qi Baishi's former residence, and the courtyard is in a state of no repair.
No. 7 Houyuan'en Temple Hutong is a building facing south and combining Chinese and Western elements. It was originally the residence of Zaiyan (fū), the second son of Prince Qing in the Qing Dynasty. The building is a combination of Chinese and Western styles, including courtyard houses, Western buildings, and a large garden. There are western-style arched round pavilions and fountains in the garden, as well as carved stones from Yuanmingyuan, which are also a combination of Chinese and Western. This house also changed owners several times. It was sold to the French during the Republic of China. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, from December 1945 to January 1949, it became Chiang Kai-shek's residence. Chiang Kai-shek stayed here when he came to Peiping. After liberation, it has successively become the office of the North China Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Yugoslav embassy, ​​the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, etc., and is now the Friendship Hotel.
No. 7 to No. 15 (odd number) courtyards in Maoer Hutong were originally a group of large buildings, which were the residence and garden of Wenyu, a scholar in the late Qing Dynasty. Five courtyards are connected in parallel, covering an area of ​​11,000 square meters. In the 10th year of Guangxu, he became a bachelor of Wuyingdian University. He amassed a great deal of wealth and carefully built his own house and gardens. The garden was completed in 1861, imitating the Humble Administrator's Garden and Lion Forest in Suzhou, named "Keyuan". It covers an area of ​​about 4 mu, is no more than 100 meters long from north to south, and no more than 30 meters wide from east to west. , considered to be the garden with the most artistic value among the private gardens in Beijing in the late Qing Dynasty. It has been listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit and is not open to the outside world.
No. 7 to No. 15 (odd number) courtyards in Maoer Hutong were originally a group of large buildings, which were the residence and garden of Wenyu, a scholar in the late Qing Dynasty. Five courtyards are connected in parallel, covering an area of ​​11,000 square meters. In the 10th year of Guangxu, he became a bachelor of Wuyingdian University. He amassed a great deal of wealth and carefully built his own house and gardens. The garden was completed in 1861, imitating the Humble Administrator's Garden and Lion Forest in Suzhou, named "Keyuan". It covers an area of ​​about 4 mu, is no more than 100 meters long from north to south, and no more than 30 meters wide from east to west. , considered to be the garden with the most artistic value among the private gardens in Beijing in the late Qing Dynasty. It has been listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit and is not open to the outside world.
No. 35 and No. 37 of Mao'er Hutong are the homes of the Guo Bole family. There are not many people who say that the Guo Bole family may know it. In layman's terms, it is the natal family of the last emperor Xuantong's empress Wanrong. In the Qing Dynasty, it should be called "Houdi". When Xuantong got married, it was the 11th year of the Republic of China, but he still fulfilled the conditions for preferential treatment of the Qing royal family promulgated in the early years of the Republic of China, so he spent a lot of money on this "back residence" and greatly repaired it. Wan Rong's father, Rong Yuan, was conferred the title of "Third-Class Cheng'en Gong" according to the etiquette system because of his daughter's "Queen of Records". . For example, the courtyard gate of the original one room was changed into a mansion gate of three rooms, and the inner and outer screen walls, left and right screen doors were all rebuilt. The gates of the three mansions have been built with walls and turned into three inverted houses for people to live in. On the back eaves of the seven south rooms, two doors were opened to form No. 35 and No. 37. (not open to the public)

No. 35 Qinlao Hutong is also an exquisite house, which used to be the residence of the Suo family, the chief minister of the Qing Household Department. The courtyard is not very big, but very delicate. There is a small garden in front of his study, named Qiyuan. In the garden, there are stacked stone rockeries, verandas, pools and pavilions, and a boat-shaped open pavilion. Although small, it has a profound artistic conception, which is quite similar to the artistic conception of Jiangnan gardens. There is also a garden building imitating the south of the Yangtze River - a boat-shaped pavilion with a unique shape. It was announced as a municipal cultural relic protection unit in Beijing in 2003 (not open to the public).


Ju'er Hutong is an alley on the east side of the northernmost end of Nanluoguxiang. In 1990, master architect Wu Liangyong presided over the renovation project of dilapidated houses in Ju'er Hutong, which organically updated the small alley in this ancient alley. It not only retains the charm of the old Beijing courtyard house, but also is suitable for modern people to live in. In 1992, it was acquired by Asia The Architectural Association awarded the "Asian Architecture Gold Award", and in 1993 was awarded the "World Habitat Award".


Today, roaming around Nanluoguxiang is mainly to further understand the pattern of ancient buildings and the style of ancient buildings. Older people roaming around Nanluoguxiang can bring back memories of their childhood. Visiting the former residences of literary giants and painting giants can further help them. An immersive perception of living and working environments. Young people roaming Nanluoguxiang are more interested in the various distinctive stores opened in the alley, where there are various categories of goods that you can't think of, with uniform, special and all as selling points, attracting young friends to come Go to visit and buy.
Nanluoguxiang is now on the chessboard of ancient architectural demonstration units, with a modern business model arranged to attract all groups of men, women and children to visit. Nanluoguxiang is a folk scenic spot worth visiting.


I basically finished visiting this scenic spot in nearly two and a half hours from 8:10 to 10:30 in the morning. If you choose to have lunch here (there is a good food street here, which has "fried liver" with Beijing characteristics "Louzhu" and other snacks), I'm afraid it will take three and a half to four hours to visit this scenic spot.
I left Nanluoguxiang at 10:30, took Subway Line 6 and switched to Subway Line 5, got off at Dengshikou Station, and went to visit the "Shijia Hutong" in Dongcheng District.
Shijia Hutong is located in the southeast of Dongcheng District, Beijing. It starts from Chaoyangmen South Street in the east, ends at Dongsi South Street in the west, connects with Dongsi and Xiluoquan Hutongs in the south, and adjoins Neiwubu Street in the north. It is said that it was named after a large family with a local historical surname.
The whole hutong is spacious, and the buildings on both sides of the hutong are neat, most of which are deep houses. The Hutong belonged to Huanghuafang in the Ming Dynasty, and Xiangbaiqi in the Qing Dynasty.
The buildings in this hutong are neat, and the houses are relatively good, most of which are big houses. According to the old residents, Liu Fucheng, the chairman of Sino-French Bank, and Sai Jinhua, a famous prostitute, all had houses in this hutong in the late Qing Dynasty. Courtyard No. 51 in the Hutong is the former residence of Mr. Zhang Shizhao. After Zhang Shizhao's death, his family lived there. Ms. Zhang Hanzhi's book "Crossing the Thick Red Gate" records many little-known stories about her at No. 51 Shijia Hutong. Ms. Zhang's deep nostalgia for No. 51 Shijia Hutong melts between the lines, which is deeply touching.
Hong Huang is a famous intellectual and publisher, the granddaughter of Zhang Shizhao and the daughter of Zhang Hanzhi. Hong Huang herself is a real "talented woman from a famous family".
Shijia Hutong, a street of hundreds of meters, has walked out of many famous scholars in modern China, such as Mei Yiqi, a famous Chinese educator and lifelong president of Tsinghua University, Zhao Yuanren, a master of linguistics, and Hu Shi, a master of culture, etc. They all started their wonderful lives here.
The dormitory of the Beijing People's Art Theater is at No. 56 Shijia Hutong. Here is the old artist Jin Yaqin, who is both virtuous and artistic, and her wife Niu Xingli, a famous performing artist from Beijing Renyi, once lived here.


The Shijia Hutong Museum is the first Hutong museum in Beijing. 130 courtyards have been restored in miniature, and more than 70 kinds of Hutong sounds such as "shocking boudoir" and "tiger supporter" can be heard.
Ling Shuhua, the original owner of the courtyard where the museum is located, is one of more than ten celebrities who have lived in Shijia Hutong. As one of the three talented women in the Republic of China, she often held gatherings of painters and celebrities in the courtyard where she lived, which was called "the big study of the young lady's house". In that era when social publicity became common practice, Ling Shuhua entertained Qi Baishi and other masters of painting at that time, and Tagore also became her guest of honor.
In addition to celebrities, Shijia Hutong, where Shijia Primary School is located today, was also used as an examination place for international students in the United States in history


Shijia Hutong is also the cradle of Beijing arts and crafts. Since the North China People's Art Troupe was expanded and renamed Beijing People's Art Theater (Old People's Arts) in 1950, No. 20 Shijia Hutong has become the cradle of Chinese drama. On June 12, 1952, the "Old People's Art" drama troupe officially established Beijing People's Art in No. 20 courtyard. Jiao Juyin, Ouyang Shanzun, Zhao Qiyang and other older generation drama artists all came out of this courtyard. They specially invited Cui Yanmin, an old Beijing hawker king in his 80s, and recorded more than 30 kinds of old Beijing hawkers.


The entire museum covers an area of ​​more than 1,000 square meters, with 8 exhibition halls and a multi-functional hall. Various exhibits reproduce the life in Hutong at that time. Copies of appointment documents from the 1920s and 1930s, old family baskets, bus tickets that have faded out of public life not long ago, and two houses specially furnished according to Beijing families in the 1950s, 1970s, 1970s and 1980s. In the room in the 1950s and 1960s, there was one bed, one table, two chairs and two boxes. The wooden furniture was very simple, and the semiconductor radio was a "big piece" placed in the room; There is modular furniture in the room, which corresponds to the catchphrase at that time of "combined furniture with sofa bed and black and white TV in the center". Most of these items were collected from residents, and they are like witnesses of history, recording the changes of Shijia Hutong.