Hutong is an ancient urban alley unique to Beijing, with a history of over 800 years, crisscrossing around the imperial city. Hutongs are not only the transportation network of cities, but also the place where ordinary people live. As a stage for the development of Beijing's historical and cultural heritage, it has witnessed the changes in history and the style of the times, leaving many imprints of social life and preserving the authentic folk customs of old Beijing.
With the development of the times, memories of old Beijing hutongs have gradually blurred. I don't know if the things accumulated over hundreds of years will disappear one day. So, I slowly walk in this quiet hutong, searching for the imprints deep in the hutongs and using them to search for childhood memories
In the years of time, there are always some old things and memories that touch the softness of your heart. I hope the story of this trip can move you, and I dedicate this article to us born in the 1980s.

This used to be the examination hall for selecting students to study in the United States during the Qing Dynasty. It used to be home to powerful officials and wealthy merchants, and even Prince William of England came to visit. This is the Shi Family Hutong. A small alley has gone through half of modern history. The Shijia Hutong Museum is located at No. 24 Hutong.

The Shijia Hutong Museum is the first Hutong themed museum in Beijing. It was officially opened to the public on October 19, 2013. This is a Hutong Museum that records the history and culture of historians and carries the memories of old Beijing.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I looked up and saw this little guy - the wren. When it comes to bird raising, it was originally a hobby of the children of the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty. In the past, "carrying a cage to frame a bird" was a derogatory term for people who were idle and not engaged in production. However, later on, this hobby spread, and most bird farmers were mostly elderly people.
The bird cage hanging in the museum courtyard vividly reproduces a part of the life of the residents in the alley back then, allowing people to reminisce about the scene of life in the alley at that time. And the wren in the cage can also be considered a little star in the museum. It's common to whistle or say a few words, and with this little guy, the yard seems to suddenly become lively.

Standing in the courtyard of the museum, the uneven ground and decorations resembling those of the Republic of China era make people feel as if they have gone back to the old times. Although the courtyard is a renovated building, the bricks laid on the ground are not flat new bricks, but old bricks one by one.
In fact, as early as 2010, when planning to renovate the 24th courtyard of Shijia Hutong, the construction party had already collected the remaining old bricks from the renovation of the courtyard. The bricks used to lay the ground are all precious treasures picked up from the construction waste that residents need to dispose of. Some bricks still have foreign ash left on them, totaling over 8000 pieces, which is truly "repaired as old".

Speaking of the 24th courtyard where the Museum of Historian Hutong is located, it was originally the former residence of Ling Shuhua, a talented woman from the Republic of China era. At that time, she often held gatherings of famous painters and celebrities in her own courtyard, known as the "Miss's Big Study". Later, Ling Shuhua's daughter transferred the courtyard for public welfare. Due to the rich cultural heritage of the historian's hutong and the preservation of its original appearance from the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period, this museum was built to inherit the beauty of old Beijing's hutongs.

On the entrance of the multi-functional hall in the museum, the style of the courtyard gate of the Hutong Mansion is displayed in detail. If you walk into a alleyway, the first thing that catches people's eyes is the courtyard doors of various sizes and shapes, which are a unique and beautiful scenery in Beijing's alleyways. The color tone of Beijing Hutong is gray, which forms an extremely strong contrast with the magnificent and towering imperial city with red walls, further highlighting the majesty of the emperor. As the capital of a country, the strict hierarchical system during the feudal society was also vividly reflected in hutongs, from strictly regulated courtyards to various forms of courtyards, and even every brick and tile, all adhering to the ritual system and having clear levels.

The Shijia Hutong Museum has a total of eight exhibition halls, including Shijia History, People's Art Cradle, Modern Education, Lan Zhi and her companions, Hutong Celebrities, Time Memory, Nostalgic Life, and Century New Appearance. In addition, there is a sound experience in the Hutong.

❈ First Exhibition Hall, Historian History

In the early Ming Dynasty, the northern city wall of Yuan Dynasty was moved southward, and the area where Shijia Hutong was located belonged to Huanghuafang. The reason for the name of Shijia Hutong cannot be verified, but the widely circulated belief is that it was named after the "Shijia tycoon" who lived in this Hutong during the Ming Dynasty. It is also said that it was named after the Ming Dynasty minister Shi Kefa. In the Ming Dynasty, there were clear regulations on the management of hutongs: "Anyone who encroaches on the streets and alleys shall demolish them." At that time, the architectural system of hutongs was orderly, and now the architectural structure of Shijia hutongs is basically inherited from this.

In the 19th year of the Yongle reign (1421), Ming Chengzu Zhu Di officially moved the capital to Beijing and rebuilt the city of Beijing on the basis of the Yuan Dynasty capital. Thousands of bungalows were built in areas such as the Bell and Drum Tower, Dongsi, Xisi, and Chaoyang Gate. Part of them are recruiting non local civilians to live, while the other part is attracting investment and leasing to promote the prosperity of Beijing's commerce. For a while, hotels and inns lined up one after another, with shops and signs appearing one after another, and department stores gathering and dazzling. The "Imperial Capital Jisheng Map" depicts the prosperous scenery of Beijing, and the historical hutongs gradually prospered and flourished on this basis.
The book "Collected Hutongs of Wuchengfang Lane in the Capital" written by Zhang Jue in the Ming Dynasty records that during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, there were over 900 hutongs in the inner city of Beijing and over 300 hutongs in the outer city. Among them, the area where the Shijia Hutong was located belonged to Huanghuafang.

After the Qing Dynasty established its capital in Beijing, the overall layout of the capital remained largely unchanged. But the residential pattern of residents in Beijing has undergone fundamental changes, with the separation of banner residents. The inner city of the capital is divided into eight banners, guarding the imperial residence. The area of Shijia Hutong in the Qing Dynasty belongs to the Xiangbai Banner.
In the mid to late 19th century, the rule of the Qing Dynasty gradually declined, and the society in the capital became semi colonial. Under this influence, the phenomenon of urban and rural separation between Manchu and Han in Beijing began to change. In the map of Beijing in 1900, there was even chaos of coalition rule.
During the Republic of China period, a large number of people flooded into Beijing, and the powerful officials and new elites chose the increasingly prosperous Dongcheng as their residence. The Shijia Hutong was no longer exclusively owned by the banner people. After the Republic of China, there were many renovation projects in Beijing, especially to meet the needs of the time. The city's transportation system underwent significant adjustments, but it did not have a significant impact on the overall layout of Beijing.
After the liberation, with the progress of modernization and large-scale population growth, some dilapidated and dilapidated bungalows in the inner urban areas of Beijing were gradually demolished and buildings were built. At the same time, some original streets and alleys were merged, and the emerging phenomenon of "residential areas" emerged. Shijia Hutong also underwent changes in the new historical period. At present, there are 15 buildings and 82 bungalow courtyards in the Shijia Hutong community. Most of the buildings were built in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, while most of the flat courtyards have a well preserved style.

In the center of the first exhibition hall, there is a three-dimensional model sand table of the entire Shijia Hutong, which is nearly 21 square meters in size and scaled down in a 1:100 ratio. It can be said to be the treasure of the museum. This set of model sand tables was created based on aerial surveys taken in 1957 and 1959, as well as detailed information provided by many teachers from the Beijing Municipal Archives.
As the background of the model, the museum displays an aerial photo of Shijia Hutong taken in 2009. By comparing the model, it is clear to see the changes of Shijia Hutong over the past 50 years.

Such a delicate and realistic courtyard model, what is displayed here may not only be the historical rings of a hutong, but also a microcosm of the old Beijing culture that continues to this day.

The model of No. 23 Courtyard in Shijia Hutong. The 23rd Courtyard of Shijia Hutong is located on the north side of the middle section of Shijia Hutong, facing north and south. It is a courtyard with three entrances and four courtyards. This courtyard is already included in the "Complete Map of the Capital in the 15th year of Qianlong", and its layout remains the same to this day. General Peng Meizhi once lived here and fortunately preserved the general style of the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.

Model of No. 51 Courtyard in Shijia Hutong. No. 51 Shijia Hutong, formerly known as No. 24, is located on the north side of the western section of Shijia Hutong. It faces south and was originally a three courtyard house. Later, the third courtyard house was separated and a new street gate was opened on the south side of the Internal Affairs Department Street, forming an independent courtyard. 51 Shijia Hutong eventually formed a two courtyard courtyard. To the south of the street gate, there was originally a "one character shadow wall" inside the gate, which was demolished in 1985. There are three main rooms and three east and west wing rooms in the second courtyard, surrounded by a calligraphy corridor; There is one ear room on each side of the main room. The interior decoration of the main house is in the style of the Qing Dynasty; The partition doors in the northern part of the building are composed of two octagonal screen doors. At the top of the screen doors, there is a pavilion style bookshelf with a railing facing upwards. There is a staircase leading to the bookshelf in the western room, and there are also blue screen windows inside. There are trees such as crabapple and apple planted in the courtyard, creating an elegant environment.
In 1960, Zhang Shizhao moved into this courtyard; After passing away, his daughters Zhang Hanzhi and Qiao Guanhua lived in this courtyard. In 2011, No. 51 Shijia Hutong was listed as a cultural relic protection unit at the municipal level in Beijing.

The building components of the courtyard house in the alley were collected from Dengcao Hutong.

Brick carved stone components

There are also new and old house numbers on the wall of Shijia Hutong

❈❈ Second Exhibition Hall, Cradle of People's Art

No. 20 Shijia Hutong and No. 56 Old House Courtyard are the cradle of Beijing People's Art Theatre. Several generations of artists, including the elderly, middle-aged, and young, have lived and worked here, and many classic performances of the People's Art Theatre are intricately linked to this place.

In 1950, the North China People's Art Troupe was expanded and renamed as the Beijing People's Art Theatre (now commonly known as "Elderly Art"), becoming a comprehensive artistic group that includes opera, drama, dance, orchestral music and other forms of art. The No. 56 courtyard of Shijia Hutong (now No. 20 courtyard) has been converted into a collective dormitory for theater actors. In the same year, Mr. Lao She wrote the play script "Longxu Gou" for "Elderly Art". The director of this play is Mr. Jiao Juyin, and all members of the crew are residents living in Courtyard 56. The performance of this play laid the foundation for the realistic artistic style of Beijing People's Art Theatre.
On June 12, 1952, the "Elderly Art" Drama Troupe merged with the former Affiliated Drama Troupe of the Central Academy of Drama, and established a professional theater under the jurisdiction of Beijing, the Beijing People's Art Theatre, in Theater 56. From then on, the older generation of "artists" in this courtyard began their pursuit of art and youth dreams, exploring and establishing the realistic artistic style of Beijing People's Art Theatre. Therefore, in a sense, this is the cradle of Beijing People's Art Theatre.

The costumes of the Beijing Chinese Theatre Academy founded by Jiao Juyin

❈ Third Exhibition Hall, Modern Education
In the second year of Yongzheng (1724), Shijia Hutong took root in the education industry. At that time, the Qing Dynasty established the Left Wing School at the west entrance of Hutong, specializing in educating the children of the Eight Banners. It can be said that the private school of Manchu education in the Qing Dynasty has a history of more than 200 years.
The left-wing school of Buddhism declined, and in the late Qing Dynasty, Shi Jia Hutong became a must visit place for students studying abroad. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Office of Tourism and Aesthetics, which used the Boxer Indemnity to study abroad, was located in this alley. In May 1909, the Qing government formulated the Outline of the Measures for Dispatching International Students, which consisted of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education to form the "Travel Aesthetics Affairs Office" responsible for exam selection, management, dispatch, communication, and other matters. This academic affairs office was first located in Houwei Hutong and later moved to Shijia Hutong for office, and the examination room was naturally also located here.
Although there are only three batches of students taking the exam here, the Tourism Administration has a lot of potential. Originally, the government intended to build Tsinghua Park back then, but the school was not built in a day. These three selection exams were held in Shijia Hutong, and the government no longer organized the exams. Instead, Tsinghua University, which had already been established, selected students to study in the United States. So it is not an exaggeration to say that the predecessor of Tsinghua University was in Shijia Hutong. Many celebrities passed the exam here, including Zhao Yuanren, who later became a linguist, Hu Shi, who served as the president of Peking University, Mei Yiqi, who served as the lifelong president of Tsinghua University, and the famous Chinese meteorologist Zhu Kezhen.

In the early years of the Republic of China, the Left Wing School was renamed as the Municipal Second Middle School. In the 1930s, the Second Middle School moved to the Internal Affairs Department Street, which was separated from Shijia Hutong. In the late 1930s, Shijia Hutong Primary School was established on the site of the former Municipal Second Middle School. Until now, these two schools are also among the top in the city and first-class good schools.

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The 24th courtyard where the Shijia Hutong Museum is located was originally the former residence of Ling Shuhua, a talented woman from the Republic of China era. Ling Shuhua's father, Ling Fupeng, came from a wealthy family in Guangdong. He passed the imperial examination in the 19th year of the Guangxu reign and was ranked as a jinshi along with Kang Youwei. He served as the governor of Baoding and Tianjin, the governor of Shuntian Prefecture, and the governor of Zhili. After the Republic of China, he was the first member of parliament. Ling Fupeng not only held high positions, but also excelled in poetry and had a passion for painting. Famous figures such as Qi Baishi, Yao Mangfu, Wang Yun, and Chen Yinke are all guests of the Ling family. Ling Shuhua was influenced by these cultural atmospheres and showed his talent for painting at a very young age.

Ling Shuhua studied under the renowned female artist and beloved painter Miao Suyun of Empress Dowager Cixi at an early age, and was also educated by Gu Hongming, who was known as the eccentric figure of the cultural and artistic world at that time, laying the foundation for classical poetry and English. At the age of seven or eight, she also studied under the famous landscape and orchid painter Wang Zhulin, and later learned painting from the female painter Hao Shuyu. At that time, Ling Shuhua often held gatherings of famous painters and celebrities in his own courtyard, known as the "Miss's Big Study".
This study predates Lin Huiyin's "wife's living room" by more than a decade, and was even more famous at that time. The most well-known guest of honor was actually Tagore. In the spring of 1924, Tagore was invited to visit Beijing. At that time, the Beijing Painting Society organized by Chen Hengke and Qi Baishi was going to have a meeting in Ling Shuhua's study. Ling Shuhua invited Tagore to attend the meeting because he knew a painter who accompanied him on his visit to China. As soon as Ling Shuhua met, he asked Tagore, "Today is a painting festival. Do you also know how to paint?" Tagore improvised and painted lotus leaves and Buddha statues on the sandalwood slices prepared by Ling Shuhua.

It was also during this painting festival that Ling Shuhua met Xu Zhimo and Chen Xiying, who were designated by Peking University to accompany Tagore. Later, these two became regular guests of Ling Mansion. She carried her conservative father behind her back and secretly fell in love with Chen Xiying for over two years. It was not until 1926, when the two lovers begged an elder to come forward, that Ling Fupeng agreed to her daughter's marriage to Chen Xiying. And the dowry of this talented woman is exactly 99 rooms with a backyard - the latter being the location of today's museum.

Later, Ling Shuhua lived abroad for more than 30 years, but still had a strong attachment to this room. At the end of 1989, Ling Shuhua felt that there was not much time left, and she made up her mind to return to her home in Beijing on the last days. In May 1990, on her deathbed, Ling Shuhua was carried on a stretcher by her daughter and grandson to the place where she was born 90 years ago - the Shijia Hutong Kindergarten where many celebrities later spent their childhood. It is said that when she was carried into the hospital, she whispered, "Mom, wait for me to come home for dinner."

❈ Fifth Exhibition Hall, Hutong Celebrities

The Shijia Hutong not only has a long history, but also has a large number of celebrities, involving the political, military, academic, artistic, and other fields. There have been so many social celebrities living in one Hutong, which can be considered one of the few in Beijing.

❈ Exhibition Hall 6, Memories of the Times
Hutong life is a microcosm of the folk life in old Beijing. These old objects carry precious memories of our parents or ancestors, allowing us to revisit this nostalgic era.

The yellowed old photos in the shop window, the furniture, objects, diaries, and photos that have been touched for a long time, and the waves that gradually fade away but occasionally flash in the depths of memory, together illuminate our past. In everyone's life, there are things worth cherishing. These old objects may seem insignificant to others, but they hold special significance for the parties involved. Perhaps they are not expensive, perhaps they have already been shelved. But they have witnessed the bits and pieces of life in this ancient alley

In the exhibition hall of Time Memory, there is a small workshop like a recording studio, which collects the authentic sounds of old Beijing. The room is equipped with professional audio equipment, and as long as you click on the touch screen, you can hear different "alley sounds".

The beautiful children's sound of Beijingers, the opera sound of the complex, the cry of Bingtanghulu in the alley, the cicadas singing low, the leaves rustling, the pigeon whistling from far to near, and from near to far
You just need to enter here, travel through time and space through the sound, feel the story behind the sound, and meet the ancient city of Beijing

❈ Exhibition Hall 7, Nostalgic Life
Various old objects recreate the scene of alley life at that time.

"Memories of the 1950s and 1960s" - Decorative items inside the house
When the People's Republic of China was first established, everything was in ruins and people's living standards were not very prosperous. During this period, the residential areas of urban residents were mostly small, with brick flooring, large white walls, wooden doors and windows, one bed and one table, two chairs and two boxes, and simple wooden furniture made of plywood. Human sewing machines, semiconductor radios, mechanical watches, and other items were all major items of this period. Boiling rice in a honeycomb coal stove, writing with a fountain pen, wearing green military hats and military coats, and having enamel cups and bowls were all classic memories of the 1950s and 1960s.

How do the bicycle lights light up? It still depends on the thing next to the bicycle tire called the "motorcycle light". It is actually a storage battery that relies on the tire's rotation to generate electricity when in contact, with a voltage of about 2V.

"Memories of the 1970s and 1980s" - Decorative items inside the house
Since the reform and opening up, the economy has developed rapidly, and people's living standards have significantly improved. People have begun to pay attention to their living environment. During this period, home furnishings underwent earth shattering changes. "Combination furniture, sofa beds, black and white televisions in the center, three brick houses and cement floors, renting a truck to pick up the bride." became a popular phrase among people in the 1970s and 1980s. Combination wardrobes, black and white televisions, single door refrigerators, horizontal bar washing machines, transistor radios, and other household appliances became symbols of this period.

The small bamboo cart in the photo is really impressive. I used to ride it when I was young, and now when I think about it, it's full of memories.

❈ Exhibition Hall 8, Century New Appearance
Here is an exhibition of the achievements of the toilet revolution stage in Dongcheng District.

In addition to visiting the museum, you can also rest and enjoy the cool under the small courtyard pergola. As the saying goes, Beijing's courtyard houses not only have ancient architecture and historical and cultural stories, but also are filled with flowers, plants, and trees. As the saying goes, "Spring has a hundred flowers and autumn has a moon, summer has a cool breeze and winter has snow." A small courtyard with sparse flowers and trees is so desirable.

There is a common saying in old Beijing that goes, "A pomegranate tree in a fish tank under a canopy, a fat dog and a fat girl." This is a vivid portrayal of the life of well-off families in the old capital. In the small courtyard of the Shijia Hutong Museum, several pomegranate trees were also planted.

Regarding pomegranates, ancient literati and ink scholars have written countless poems, such as Su Shi's "A light rain passes, a small lotus turns, and the pomegranate flowers bloom as they wish"; There is also Yang Wanli's saying, "It is the pomegranate that knows the beginning of summer, and every year at this time, a flower blooms." But I prefer Li Shangyin's saying, "It used to be a lonely golden ash, with no news of pomegranate red.".

Next to the Shijia Hutong Museum, there is also a cultural and creative society that is filled with elements of old Beijing life, but also blends with the cultural creativity of the new era.

The products in the small shop all have the charm of old Beijing, and many childhood toys can be seen here.

The tiles are painted with many interesting scenes of life in the alleys.

The common alleyway signs have also become rare creative objects.

※ Tips for the Shijia Hutong Museum:
Museum address: No. 24 Shijia Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Ticket price: Free
Opening hours: 9:30-16:30 every Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Monday)