We checked out of the hotel and our guides made sure our suitcases were loaded on the buses. Our cruise tour group then rode the short distance from the Beijing hotel to the hutong near Tiananmen Square. We climbed aboard two-person pedicabs for the fascinating ride around the hutong. It was great fun riding the narrow alleys, peering into doorways and homes. We stopped and toured a school area, but since it was a Saturday, no students were present. My husband, a retired educator, would have loved this school and hearing about the Chinese educational system. We also visited the home of an elderly retired couple, who told about their lives in China from the days of World War II, through the cultural revolution, to the present. The man was a retired accountant at a power plant, and he proudly spoke about their home, which they shared with their married son's family. The two couples had separate bedrooms, but shared a common living room, kitchen, and courtyard. The communal bathroom was down the alley, shared with other hutong residents who lived nearby. The most interesting feature of their home was a large (30+ inch) television set, which dominated the small clean living room. It was a stark contrast--no private toilet or bath facilities, but a very modern television!
We also spent time wandering the hutong area on foot. What a marvelous photo opportunity this was! Small grocery stores, shops, and tiny eating areas all were wonderful sights. Watching women make dumplings, men grilling meats, and vendors selling their wares was simply fascinating. It was hard to imagine that modern Beijing was just a few blocks away. I think we all felt that our tour of the hutong was a highlight of our short time in Beijing.
Our three days in Beijing had come to an end. We had seen just a small part of the city's highlights, and I think everyone was impressed with the city, its history, and its people. The buses took us to the airport, where our afternoon flight to Chongqing awaited. As much as I hated to leave Beijing, I was anxious to board the Viking Century Star and cruise the Yangtze River.
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Pictures from Beijing Hutong Tour Via Pedicab
Beijing Hutong Tour - Elderly Man on Bicycle
Beijing Hutong Tour - Alleyway
Beijing Hutong Tour - Walls of Hutong Home
Grilling Lunch in Old Town Beijing
Grains for Sale in the Beijing Hutong
Fruit and Vegetable Store in Beijing Hutong
More Food for Sale in the Beijing Hutong
Fascinating Look at the Beijing Hutong
Chinese Dumplings Seen on Beijing Hutong Tour
More on China Cruise tour
More pictures of Beijing, China
Viking Century Star Yangtze River cruise
Preview of Viking Century Star cruise
