Picture of Old Generation in Beijing Hutong

Beijing Hutong is an important part of the culture and way of life of Beijingers. Walking through the hutongs, it is common to see groups of elderly citizens sitting together playing cards, mahjong or Chinese chess. In the early mornings and evenings, they gather to practice traditional forms of exercise such as taiji as well as to dance and sing folk songs or Peking Opera arias. Also important to hutong life is the traditional food being sold in carts or small stalls. These change according to the season, from flavored ice in the summer to long kebabs of crab apples covered in sugar in the autumn and winter. So important are the hutongs to the culture of Beijing that there have been many operas, plays and films about them.