Mainland China is marching boldly and deliberately towards a modern age of new and sleek architecture often influenced by international architects. However, there are still patches of the city that have escaped the bulldozer, and it is worthwhile to seek out these remnants of Beijing's more civic history. The stark contrast between old and new in Beijing is mind blowing, so I greatly encourage people to seek out high vantage points such as Beijing's Bell Tower to take in the views of old hutong (small alley houses), new revamped hutong rebuilt to maintain cultural heritage (Go Beijing!), and modern architecture.
It is possible to rent a bicycle tuk tuk with driver (pictured above) around the base of the bell tower that will take tourists through a trip back through time into these small houses off of smaller alley ways. Most of these houses are part of 'siheyuan' or four cornered courtyards, which usually have four small houses on each side that share the common courtyard. This was the most common form of housing in urban areas up until the 20th century, and because most of them are over a hundred years old, many are falling into disrepair. The government, as mentioned above, is preserving some of the hutong residences as part of an effort to preserve these invaluable historical and cultural sites. However, the majority will likely fall victim to modernity and the push for a higher standard of living.
When I last heard, it seemed the government had plans to bulldoze the hutong in order to build high rise apartments to increase available housing in this very expensive and very tightly packed city, something that is crucial for Beijing. Unfortunately, there were concerns at the time that the original residents of the area would not be able to afford to buy apartments in these new complexes due the the mark up (current real estate prices were significantly higher than the payment residents received for their houses). It is my hope that these issues were resolved satisfactorily for all involved, though I continue to worry about the original residents as governments all over the world (especially in the US) tend to exploit private land owners for the sake of 'public projects.' Therefore, I think it's appropriate to end this post with this poignant piece of graffiti painted on a hutong wall: what will the future bring? We'll have to wait and see.
Mainland China is marching boldly and deliberately towards a modern age of new and sleek architecture often influenced by international architects. However, there are still patches of the city that have escaped the bulldozer, and it is worthwhile to seek out these remnants of Beijing's more civic history. The stark contrast between old and new in Beijing is mind blowing, so I greatly encourage people to seek out high vantage points such as Beijing's Bell Tower to take in the views of old hutong (small alley houses), new revamped hutong rebuilt to maintain cultural heritage (Go Beijing!), and modern architecture. 
It is possible to rent a bicycle tuk tuk with driver (pictured above) around the base of the bell tower that will take tourists through a trip back through time into these small houses off of smaller alley ways. Most of these houses are part of 'siheyuan' or four cornered courtyards, which usually have four small houses on each side that share the common courtyard. This was the most common form of housing in urban areas up until the 20th century, and because most of them are over a hundred years old, many are falling into disrepair. The government, as mentioned above, is preserving some of the hutong residences as part of an effort to preserve these invaluable historical and cultural sites. However, the majority will likely fall victim to modernity and the push for a higher standard of living. 
When I last heard, it seemed the government had plans to bulldoze the hutong in order to build high rise apartments to increase available housing in this very expensive and very tightly packed city, something that is crucial for Beijing. Unfortunately, there were concerns at the time that the original residents of the area would not be able to afford to buy apartments in these new complexes due the the mark up (current real estate prices were significantly higher than the payment residents received for their houses). It is my hope that these issues were resolved satisfactorily for all involved, though I continue to worry about the original residents as governments all over the world (especially in the US) tend to exploit private land owners for the sake of 'public projects.' Therefore, I think it's appropriate to end this post with this poignant piece of graffiti painted on a hutong wall: what will the future bring? We'll have to wait and see.
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