Hutong
We took a rickshaw tour of the Hutong area, which is a traditional Chinese neighborhood.
The streets were narrow, sometimes too narrow for a single car. It was hard to distinguish individual buidlings it seems there is just one long wall only interrupted by doorways. Our guide showed us a very ornate and impressive doorway, and explained how much information can be gathered just from the details. The number of beams above the door is a mark of status, 4 being the highest. The supports on either side that support the sill are shaped into lions, and the shape of the base tells the owners occupation. We got to visit a family's home. A traditional home is separated into 2 parts, with the sleeping and sitting rooms on one side and the kitchen and eating area on the other with a courtyard in the middle. The floors were stone, and each buidling was heated only with a small coal stove. There was no living room with a couch and TV like in the US. The house was 150 years old, and passed down from Grandparents. In China 2 or 3 generations will live together. The family was very gracious and welcoming. We sat around a small square table in the bedroom and had jasmine tea together and small fruit candies (very good - sort of like a fruit roll up). The husband raises grasshoppers. They are about the size of my thumb, brilliant green in color with small wings. When they got warm next to the stove they sang by rubbing their wings together. The Hutong tour and getting to meet this family was the the best part of today's tours.
The streets were narrow, sometimes too narrow for a single car. It was hard to distinguish individual buidlings it seems there is just one long wall only interrupted by doorways. Our guide showed us a very ornate and impressive doorway, and explained how much information can be gathered just from the details. The number of beams above the door is a mark of status, 4 being the highest. The supports on either side that support the sill are shaped into lions, and the shape of the base tells the owners occupation. We got to visit a family's home. A traditional home is separated into 2 parts, with the sleeping and sitting rooms on one side and the kitchen and eating area on the other with a courtyard in the middle. The floors were stone, and each buidling was heated only with a small coal stove. There was no living room with a couch and TV like in the US. The house was 150 years old, and passed down from Grandparents. In China 2 or 3 generations will live together. The family was very gracious and welcoming. We sat around a small square table in the bedroom and had jasmine tea together and small fruit candies (very good - sort of like a fruit roll up). The husband raises grasshoppers. They are about the size of my thumb, brilliant green in color with small wings. When they got warm next to the stove they sang by rubbing their wings together. The Hutong tour and getting to meet this family was the the best part of today's tours.
posted by Kate and Doug at 3:53 PM
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