Beijing Hutong under German Photographer's Lens

(Photo/Tanja Herko)

The hutongs in Beijing's old urban areas have a special magic that people cannot resist. Due to their original style and tranquility, hutongs are especially popular with foreigners.

The social life here often unfolds outside the house, and people share very close ties with each other. Here, neighbors are more than neighbors, but also friends and family. People in hutongs are always friendly and talkative. Elderly residents are deeply rooted in these alleys, most of whom have been living here for almost a lifetime.

With the rapid growth of China's economy in the 1980s, hutongs and their residents became the first to face the fate of eradicating the old and embracing the new. Aside from that, the increasing population posed an urgent demand for new living space. For this reason, many hutongs had to give way to tall apartment buildings.

Nowadays, people have come to realize the traditional values of the hutongs. They are not only a network of buildings, but buildings with unique souls. The remaining hutongs have now been adequately protected or rebuilt.