Hutongs of Beijing

The alleyways and small streets that make up the traditional neighborhoods are fast disappearing. Some are done up like a clean, sanitised version of what once was, and some of them are crumbling and exist outside of the tourist's normal view. We did the tourist thing and got a tour of what must be the Beverly Hills of Hutongs...very beautiful area next to HuoHai Lake, where Madame Sun Yat Sen once lived. It was calm and quiet and hard to believe anyone would prefer the huge boulevards and highrises that are replacing these.