hostel in the hutong
by the accommodation-finder
Beijing, China
hutong = narrow alleyway
And there are a couple of thousand of them criss-crossing the city, warrens filled with an eclectic mixture of Qing dynasty courtyard houses, modern brick outhouses (many of the homes do not have their own amenities and so there’s an ablution-block on almost every corner), ramshackle dwellings with attached “shops” and food outlets serving the population that live nearby, socialist-era concrete conversions and grim five-storey apartment blocks.
Sounded like an interesting place to call home for a week. Besides, the cheapest hostel we could find, 9 Dragon House, was situated in a hutong, so the decision was more-or-less made for us!
It’s a fine place to wander:
Tags: housing, postcard: China, recreation
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