Picture of Beijing Hutong's morning

The 978 hutongs listed in Qing Dynasty records had swelled to 1,330 by 1949, with nearly 5,000 tiny alleys threading their way between the legitimate hutongs.

In the decades since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, many of the old hutongs have disappeared, replaced by the high rises and wide boulevards of today's Beijing. Many citizens have left the lanes where their families resided for generations, resettling in comfortable apartment buildings with modern amenities. In Xicheng District alone, nearly 200 hutongs out of the 820 it held in 1949 have disappeared. And the Beijing Municipal Construction Committee says that in 2004, some 250,000 square meters of old housing – 20,000 households – will be demolished in 2004, which means that many more will disappear.

However, many of Beijing's ancient hutongs still stand, and a number of them have been designated protected areas. The old neighborhoods survive today, offering a glimpse of life in the capital city as it has been for generations.