Beijing: Lost in Nanluoguxiang

Situated at Dongcheng District, near the Drum Tower with its northern end at Drum Tower East Street and the southern end at Di’anmen East Street, Nanluoguxiang is among one of the oldest hutongs in Beijing and has a history of over 800 years. This 800-meter long and 8-meter width alleyway was completed at the same time (1267) with the capital Dadu(today’s Beijing) city of Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368). It is the only one best preserved chessboard-type traditional residence which keeps the largest -scale, the highest-quality hutong texture of Yuan Dynasty.

 

Nanluoguxiang and its surroundings had been the center of Yuan’s capital city Dadu, and in Ming Dynasty, it was a land of power and wealth which was crowded with dignitaries and splendid palaces and halls. Till the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, Nanluoguxiang began to decline. Before the demolition of the old hutongs of Beijing, the proposal of protecting ancient city got serious concern. With its relatively well-preserved community structure of Yuan Dynasty and notable persons’ mansions of Ming and Qing Dynasty, Nanluoguxiang survived successfully. In recent years, some prescient persons seized the business chance and rented the houses along the street to set up numerous unique stores of various styles which made the old alleyway gain its new life and attract a great number of visitors from both at home and abroad.

If you are interested in Chinese culture, Nanluoguxiang is a must-see tourist attraction in your Beijing Xian tour, and I believe the Xian package tour will give you a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese history.