Always something new

The streets of Beijing have many surprises, a day of common walk can be an adventure because while you walk you can always discover something new, any place chosen at random to have a walk is good and this way you can know the city from another perspective, a place like this will not disappoint you when you have a leisure time and bad if you give among friends.

One day we decided to take a walk through the Hutongs of Beijing, are the neighborhoods or alleys that are found all over the city and that curiously are a magnet of tourists, because they show very closely the life of the people but similarly these streets are adapted for the enjoyment because they have small attractions that catch the attention. Of course, walking in places like these is preferably for those people who enjoy the details and try new things.

We started that day knowing the streets, the first thing I saw almost everywhere was these carriages where someone on a bike gives you a quick ride around the Hutong, although they draw a lot of attention it is advisable not to use them if you can not communicate well with the driver, if this does not know English or Spanish and if you do not know much of Mandarin, it is better not to climb as you could end up lost (it happens to me a couple of times xD).

Beauty of the roofs

Something i enjoy a lot are the roofs of Chinese buildings, especially those of yesteryear as they contain a lot of details and impressive colors, see how elaborate they can be some tells us much about their culture and the mentality of the inhabitants. It remembers a beauty in Chinese art in all its splendor, the way in which religion is a way of life, which is represented in every form, detail and material. The ceiling itself may represent a fable, the history of the site or the family.

Walking on a Hutong

As you enter the streets you can better appreciate the lifestyle of the people who live in the Hutongs and how they have adapted their spaces to receive tourists from all over the world. The truth is that the walks around Hutongs are one of my favorites and I recommend it to anyone who wants to know the Chinese culture; before stepping into a Hutong always remember the way back to the metro station or the place where you can take a taxi back because they are long narrow streets and there is usually no means of transportation.

Bicycles are the ultimate means of transport for the people of Beijing because of the high amount of air pollution from the toxic emissions of cars, the high price of gasoline and how expensive it is to maintain a car, most prefer bicycles to move from one place to another, in addition a city with large population like this finding a parking is not easy task, or cheap.

Street vendors are part of the appeal of hutongs, you can find endless artifacts and food of all kinds.

As well as musicians, like this gentleman who despite being blind plays his instrument without problems and is well known in the place.

The streets are quite busy, at any time of the day there are always people of all kinds who like to walk in these streets and sometimes it is practically impossible to walk, it is good to have a little patience.

The lake

Many Hutongs have a lake in their surroundings and are one of the most attractive parts of these sites because there are various activities to have a good time like nightlife, shopping, food, concerts and cultural events, as well as the possibility of renting boats to navigate around.

We all decided that renting a boat could be a lot of fun and yes it was. That, it became a good time to take pictures of the whole site and have fun.

Night walk

We continue the walk with a night hike through the Hutong and it even looks like a new place, with a new environment that invites to continue enjoying the site and everything that it offers.

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And so ended a nice walk through the Hutong, sharing experiences, renewing strength, being in the company of good friends and toasting for all things in life. 

Cheers!