june-2012

labyrinthine, narrow alleys lined
with traditional, one-storey
courtyard homes. Oases of slowpaced
tranquillity amid the city’s
proliferating skyscrapers and
superhighways, these residential
retreats off er visitors an enticing mix
of the contemporary and cultured —
on foot or on three wheels.
According to many of
Beijing’s older generation,
the real appeal of the hutong
neighbourhoods lies not just in
their throwback architecture,
HUB //
The real appeal of the
neighbourhoods lies in the
camaraderie that they nurture
TAKE ME THERE
BEIJING SIDEWAYS TOURS
Tel: +86 (0) 139 1103 4847,
beijingsideways.com
HUTONG EATS — A BEIJING
WALKING FOOD TOUR
hiasgourmet.com/hutong-eats.htm
HUTONG CUISINE COOKING SCHOOL
No. 35 Deng Cao Hutong, Dong Si
South St, Dong Cheng District,
tel: +86 (10) 8401 4788,
hutongcuisine.com
but in the camaraderie that they
nurture. With most of the capital’s
burgeoning population now
housed in impersonal apartment
blocks, being part of a closely knit
network of friends and family has
become a precious commodity.
Octogenarian Wang Yu Sheng
is a case in point. A stone’s throw
from the wind-ruffl ed waters of
Beijing’s picturesque Back Lake
(houhai), he meanders home on
slippered feet, clutching a bag
of groceries. On one side of the
CLOCKWISE FROM
FAR LEFT: A pedicab
tour of Shichahai’s
alleyways; chess in
a hutong backstreet;
traditional hutong
architecture in
Beihai Park
hutong, on a makeshift table of
breeze blocks, his neighbours are
engrossed in a game of Chinese
chess. Wang pulls up a low stool,
and greets his friends. “I grew
up in this area,” he explains
in a guttural Beijing accent. “I
live in a couple of rooms off a
small courtyard near here. The
government off ered me a new
apartment a few years ago but I
told them I wanted to stay. I’d miss
my friends here too much.”
In a courtyard kitchen on
Beijing’s Deng Cao Hutong, a
fusion of food and fl ames fi lls the
air with a pungent aroma. Wok
in hand, long-term American
expat and budding Chinese chef
Kevin Cleary fries a mix of Asian
chilli and Sichuan pepper, as he
prepares gongbao jiding (kungpao
chicken) for the third time.
Under the expert tutelage of
culinary maestro Zhou Chun
Yi, Cleary is revelling in the
opportunity to get hands-on with
some local cuisine. “I’ve lived in
Beijing for fi ve years, but always
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