On Tuesday, 7th June, I went around the hutongs with one of the Chinese English teacher from school. I met her about 9 am. Hutongs 胡同 are narrow streets or alleys in Beijing and other northern Chinese cities.

It was a very pleasant and interesting day. We started at a Confucius temple, where some dancers came out and a story was told (with English subtitles) and the dancers performed. Next to the temple is the Imperial College, which was once the main school of learning in Beijing. The campus of the former university included a dragon statute which, if you rubbed its head, was supposed to give you good luck.

We then walked through the hutong and took the subway to other hutong areas in the city – there are a few. We stopped and got some lunch. After lunch, we went to the Drum Tower – a tower with very steep steps inside. At the top is the drums, which were once used before clocks in the city, to tell the time. Opposite the Drum Tower is the Bell Tower, but we didn’t go up there. We saw (and heard) some of the drummers and then descended and walked through another hutong to Houhai park which has a big lake around it. We walked around the lake and then, about 6pm, said our goodbyes and took the subway back to our homes.

It was a nice day, not too smoggy, and the sun was shining and very warm.

Statue of Confucius.

People dancing at Confucius temple.

Dancing at temple.

Dancing at the temple.

Dancers at the temple.

Dancers at the temple.

Calligraphy sets at the temple.

Picture of Confucius.

Building at Confucius temple.

Gate and Imperial College, next to Confucius temple.

If you rub the head of this, it is supposed to bring you good luck.

Imperial College.

Sundial.

Another statue of Confucius.

Throne in Imperial College.

Roof of Imperial College.

Hutong street, looking down.

Hutong street, looking up.

Gate to hutong.

Information about hutong.

Display of student taking exam in Imperial College.

Entrance of a house in hutongs.

Panel above the house.

Information about the house.

Two statues in a shop. Very colourful.

Notice on a door in the hutongs.

Drummers drumming in the Drum Tower.

Drumming in the Drum Tower.

Traditional post-box.

Old-fashioned post office.

The lake around houhai park.

The lake in houhai park.

Looking down very steep stairs from the top of the Drum Tower.

Information about the drums.

Drums in the Drum Tower.

Information about the drums.

View from the top of the Drum Tower.

View of houhai park from the top of the Drum Tower.

Statue of Confucius at the temple.

Dancers at the Confucius temple.

Information about a festival in traditional China – at the top of the Drum Tower. This festival was on my birthday.

Dancers at the Confucius temple.

More information about the festival.

View from top of Drum Tower.

Also from top of Drum Tower.