Where is the best place to go when visiting Beijing’s courtyard houses?

You can go to Nanluogu Lane. The south entrance is Di'anmen East Street. Go west to Di'anmen. There is a Di'anmen snack bar, which is halal and has many Beijing snacks. Then go west to the back gate of Beihai and Shichahai. At the southern end, heading west to the intersection and north is the gathering place for tricycles visiting Houhai

Nanluogu Lane

(the same name as a cultural tourism alley in Beijing)

Nanluogu Lane The lane is an alley located in the Jiaodaokou area on the east side of the central axis of Beijing. It starts from Gulou East Street in the north and ends at Ping'an Street in the south. It is 8 meters wide and 787 meters long. It was built at the same time as Dadu in the Yuan Dynasty. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Beijing, with a history of more than 740 years. It is also among the 25 planned old city conservation areas. Because the terrain is high in the middle and low in the north and south, like a hunchback, it is named Luoguo Alley. In the Qing Dynasty, the "Comprehensive Map of the Capital" drawn in the 15th year of Qianlong's reign (1750) was renamed Nanluogu Lane.

It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Beijing. It is the only traditional checkerboard-style residential area in my country that completely preserves the texture of the Hutongs and courtyards of the Yuan Dynasty. It is the largest, the highest grade, and the richest in resources. It is also the most rich in old Beijing Charming streets. The mansions and houses of various shapes in the surrounding alleys are colorful, thick and profound. Nanluoguxiang and the surrounding area were once the city center of Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was a place of great wealth and wealth. The streets and alleys here were crowded with dignitaries, and there were countless royal palaces. It was not until the fall of the Qing Dynasty that , the prosperity of Nanluogu Lane also slowly came to an end.

It has been completely transformed into a pedestrian street and is closed to vehicles.

From 0:00 on April 25, 2016, Nanluoguxiang will suspend receiving tourist groups. At the same time, due to the overload of tourists in the scenic spot, Nanluoguxiang took the initiative to cancel the title of 3A scenic spot.

On December 20, 2016, the Nanluoguxiang Historical and Cultural District Protection Guidelines were officially released and implemented.

Structural layout

In the urban layout of the Yuan Dynasty, "the ancestors on the left and the society on the right, facing the future market", Nanluogu Lane is an integral part of the "market outlook". In the Yuan Dynasty, with Nanluogu Lane as the axis, the area on the east side belonged to Zhaohuifang and the area on the west side belonged to Jinggongfang. In the Ming Dynasty, it belonged to Jinggongfang, Zhaohui. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it belonged to the Xianghuang Banner, and from the late Guangxu to the Xuantong period, it belonged to the Neizuo Third District. During the Republic of China, it belonged to the inner five districts. [3]?

Nanluogu Lane runs north-south, with 8 alleys on the east and west sides arranged neatly in a "fishbone shape", continuing the ancient "checkerboard" pattern. The entire block is like a big centipede. , so it is also called Centipede Street. It is said that there used to be two ancient wells in the northernmost part of Nanluogu Lane, which happened to be the eyes of this centipede. This overall texture of hutongs and courtyards is a concrete reflection of the checkerboard urban architectural pattern of Yuan Dadu.

The Nanluoguxiang neighborhood is bounded by Gulou East Street to the north, Di'anmen East Street to the south, Di'anmenwai Street to the west, and Jiaodaokou South Street to the east. The rectangular plot of land surrounded by these four streets is exactly the two squares of Dadu in the Yuan Dynasty. Taking Nanluogu Lane as the boundary, "Zhaohuifang" is to the east and "Jinggongfang" is to the west. Nanluogu Lane is the dividing lane between the two lanes.

From south to north, the eight hutongs in the west are Fuxiang Hutong, Coiyi Hutong, Yuer Hutong, Maoer Hutong, Jingyang Hutong, Shajing Hutong, Heizhima Hutong, Qiangulouyuan Hutong, Hougulouyuan Hutong, Nanxiawazi Hutong, etc.; the eight east alleys are Chaodou Hutong, Banchang Hutong, Dongmianmian Hutong, Beibingmasi Hutong, Qinlao Hutong, Qian Yuanen Temple Hutong, Hou Yuanen Temple Hutong, Juer alley. These alleys had no names during the Yuan Dynasty, and their names gradually evolved after the Ming Dynasty. For example, Juer Hutong was called Juer Hutong in the Ming Dynasty, and later renamed Juer Hutong. It was only called Juer Hutong in the Xuantong period of the Qing Dynasty, and it continues to this day. Lifang is the basic unit of residential area organization in ancient China and also the basic unit of urban planning and construction. In the pre-Qin Dynasty, it was called "Li", "Lv" or "Lvli". Starting from the Northern Wei Dynasty, the name "fang" appeared. During the planning and design of Dadu in the Yuan Dynasty, the square system was still continued. The whole city was divided into 50 squares, and between the squares were wide and straight streets, like a chessboard. During the Ming Dynasty, Beijing was divided into 28 squares, and the two squares were combined to be called "Zhaohui Jinggong Square". In the Qing Dynasty, it belonged to Xianghuang Banner. In the more than 800 years of historical changes, the structure of the capital of the Yuan Dynasty has changed beyond recognition. However, the Nanluoguxiang area still preserves the historical remains of the capital of the Yuan Dynasty very completely. The layout of the hutongs is so complete, and there are so many colorful mansions and houses of various shapes in the hutongs.

Main Attractions

Prince Senggelinqin’s Mansion

The first alley east of the south entrance of Nanluogu Lane is Chaodou Alley. Not far from the west entrance of Chaodou Hutong, next to Gate No. 77, there is a sign indicating a key cultural relic protection unit in Dongcheng District, which reads "Prince Monk's Mansion".

Seng Wangfu was the royal residence of Seng Gelinqin in the Qing Dynasty. The original Monk Prince's Mansion was very large, with its front entrance in Chaodou Hutong and its back entrance in Banchang Hutong, spanning two alleys. The palace is divided into three roads: middle, east and west, each with four entrances. Among them, in addition to the main courtyard, the east road has four entrances to the east courtyard, forming a large building complex. After the Republic of China, the mansion was gradually auctioned off by the prince's descendants and divided into many courtyards. Nos. 71 to 77 of Chaodou Hutong (odd numbers), and Nos. 30 to 34 of Banchang Hutong (even numbers) were all within the scope of the original Wangfu.

The west entrance of Chaodou Hutong is the ancestral hall of Seng Gelinqin’s family, which is also a group of large buildings. The ancestral hall and the palace were built in an alley, which was rare in the Qing Dynasty. This place was rebuilt into "Lusongyuan Hotel".

Such quiet, elegant and antique courtyard hotels are rare in Beijing.

Jin Yunpeng's old residence

Go north along Nanluogu Lane. The third alley to the east is Dongmianhua Hutong. Not far from the entrance to the north is the Central Academy of Drama, which is well-known in China

Jin Yunpeng's old residence

. As China's top institution for studying stage and film and television performances, its area is not very large. Including the experimental theater, it only occupies the western part between East Mianmian Hutong and Beibingmasi Hutong. The Central Academy of Drama was originally the former residence of Jin Yunpeng, Chief of Army and Acting Prime Minister of the Duan Qirui government. Generations of Chinese drama and film stars have been cultivated here. Chen Baoguo, Chen Daoming, Jiang Wen, Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi... all studied and lived here.

After Jin Yunpeng bought this place, he demolished part of the courtyard and built several Western-style buildings. After Jin Yunpeng resigned at the end of 1921, he lived in Tianjin for a long time. In the 1960s, there were still several old buildings in the courtyard, which were used as office buildings and dormitories for single teachers. Another 40 years have passed, and all the old buildings have been demolished, leaving no trace of Jin's house.

Qi Baishi’s Former Residence

No. 13, Yuer Hutong, once lived in the house of Qi Baishi, a great master of Chinese painting. Next to the courtyard door hangs a sign "Beijing Artists Association". The yard is spacious and well-protected, with a large fish tank in the center. It has not been repainted here, revealing the original flavor of the old house door.

This was originally the private residence of a minister in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Qing Dynasty. Because materials from the imperial palace were used privately during the construction, and the organizational system exceeded the hierarchy, it was impeached and the house was divided into several parts for sale. No. 13 The hospital is only part of it. After liberation, the Ministry of Culture bought it and Mr. Qi Baishi lived there. But not long after the old man lived there, he moved to Kuache Hutong in Xicheng. Therefore, Qi Baishi’s former residence mostly refers to Kuache Hutong.

The former residence of Qi Baishi has been opened to the public. The entrance fee is 5 yuan. There are sculptures of Qi Baishi in the courtyard. The main room has been restored to its original appearance. There are painting tables and quilts used by Mr. Qi Baishi. Other rooms have life introductions and You can also buy some souvenirs at the old objects exhibition. [4]?

Mao Dun’s former residence

Mao Dun’s former residence (4 photos)

No. 13 Houyuanensi Hutong is Mao Dun’s former residence. Compared with many deep residences in this area, Mao Dun's former residence is too ordinary and inconspicuous. It is just a small two-in-a-square courtyard. July is the 110th anniversary of Mao Dun’s birth, and his former residence has been reopened after renovation. A bust of Mr. Mao Dun stands in the yard in front of his former residence. The surrounding rooms are exhibitions of Mao Dun's life. The bedrooms, living room, study room, etc. in the backyard are still decorated as they were when the husband was alive. After liberation, Mao Dun lived in the dormitory of the Ministry of Culture at No. 203, Dongsitoutiao, next to Zhou Yang, Yang Hansheng and others. In 1974, he moved to Houyuan'en Temple until his death in 1981. He spent his last seven years in this small courtyard. Years of years.

No. 7 Houyuanensi Hutong is a building facing north and south, combining Chinese and Western styles. It was originally the residence of Zai Min (fū), the second son of Prince Qing of the Qing Dynasty. The architecture is a combination of Chinese and Western styles, with courtyards, Western-style buildings and large gardens. There are Western-style arched round pavilions and fountains in the garden, as well as carved stones from the Old Summer Palace. They are also a combination of Chinese and Western styles. This house also changed owners several times. It was sold to the French during the Republic of China. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, it became Chiang Kai-shek's residence from December 1945 to January 1949. Chiang Kai-shek stayed here when he came to Peiping. After liberation, this place served as the office of the North China Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Embassy of Yugoslavia, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, etc., and is now the Friendship Hotel.

Keyuan

The courtyards No. 7 to No. 15 (odd number) of Maoer Hutong were originally a group of large buildings. They were the residence and garden of Wen Yu, a great scholar in the late Qing Dynasty. Five hospitals are connected in parallel, covering an area of ??11,000 square meters. In the 10th year of Guangxu's reign, he became a bachelor of Wuyingdian. He accumulated a lot of wealth and carefully built his own house and gardens. The garden was completed in 1861. It was modeled after the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Lion Grove in Suzhou and was named "Key Garden". It covers an area of ??about 4 acres and is no more than 100 meters long from north to south and no more than 30 meters wide from east to west. Although it is not very big, it is sparse and well-organized. , is considered to be the most artistically valuable garden among private gardens in Beijing in the late Qing Dynasty. It has been listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit and is not open to the public.

This house has changed owners several times and has gone through many vicissitudes of life. During the Beiyang Government, after Yuan Shikai's death, Feng Guozhang acted as president and bought this house when he came to Beijing from Nanjing to take office. When Japan occupied Peking, the Feng family sold the house to puppet commander Zhang Lanfeng. After liberation, courtyards 9 to 11 served as the North Korean Embassy in China, and later were converted into guest houses and work dormitories. Although it has undergone several changes, this residential area has always been well preserved, and the overall layout has not been significantly changed.

House Residence

No. 35 and No. 37 Maoer Hutong are the homes of the Guo Bole family. Not many people may know about the Guo Bole family. To put it simply, it is the natal family of Wanrong, the queen of the last emperor Xuantong. In the parlance of the Qing Dynasty, it should be called the "houdi". When Xuantong got married, it was already the 11th year of the Republic of China, but he still fulfilled the conditions for preferential treatment to the Qing royal family promulgated in the early years of the Republic of China, so he spent a lot of money on the "rear residence" and repaired it. Wanrong's father Rongyuan, because his daughter was "concubine", his stepfather was granted the title of "third-class Cheng'en Duke" according to the etiquette system. This mansion became the Cheng'en Duke's Palace, and it needed to be greatly renovated to meet the specifications of the palace. . For example, the original one-room courtyard gate was changed to a three-room mansion gate, and the inner and outer screen walls, left and right screen doors were all rebuilt.

The three gates of the mansion have been built with walls and turned into three inverted rooms. On the back eaves wall of the seven south rooms, two doors were opened, becoming No. 35 and No. 37.

In particular, it should be mentioned that Mr. Zhu Jiaxin, a Chinese cultural relics expert and Qing history expert, known as the "national treasure" in the cultural relics world, is located at Nos. 13, 15, 35 and 37 of Mao'er Hutong and No. 71 of Chaodou Hutong. I have lived in all of them and have detailed descriptions of these mansions. When he was a child, he lived in No. 13 and No. 15 Courtyards and saw with his own eyes the repairs and renovations of the "rear mansion". Mr. Zhu is a researcher at the Palace Museum and a member of the National Cultural Relics Appraisal Committee. He has conducted extremely in-depth research on Beijing’s history, geography, cultural relics, and folk customs. His death on September 29, 2003 is indeed a great loss to China's academic and cultural circles.

Qiyuan

No. 35 Qinlao Hutong is also an exquisite house. It was once the residence of the Suo family, the minister in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Qing Dynasty. The courtyard is not very big, but it is very exquisite. There is a small garden in front of his study, named Qiyuan. There are stone rockeries, verandas, pools and pavilions in the garden, as well as a boat-shaped open pavilion. Although it is small, it has a profound artistic conception, which is quite similar to the artistic conception of Jiangnan gardens. There is also a boat-shaped open pavilion imitating the Jiangnan garden building with a unique shape. In 2003, it was announced as a municipal cultural relic protection unit in Beijing. ?

Juer Hutong

Juer Hutong is an alley east of the northernmost end of Nanluogu Lane. In 1990, the architectural master Wu Liangyong presided over the design of the Ju'er Hutong dilapidated house renovation project, which organically updated the small alley in this ancient alley. It not only retains the charm of the old Beijing courtyard house, but also is suitable for modern people to live in. In 1992, it was designated by Asia It was awarded the "Asian Architecture Gold Medal" by the Architectural Association and the "World Habitat Award" in 1993.

In the middle of the alley, there is a 2 to 3-story building with black tiles and white walls in the north. This small courtyard has the beauty of Jiangnan folk houses and the charm of old Beijing courtyards. It is also very harmonious with the surrounding architectural styles. This is the renovated new courtyard house in Ju'er Hutong based on the urban planning theory of "organic renewal". , believes that in the reconstruction of old cities, it is necessary to retain good and historically valuable buildings, repair dilapidated but still usable buildings, demolish dilapidated and dilapidated buildings, and make a gradual transition, which not only preserves the continuation of the historical context, but also forms an organic overall environment. These new courtyard houses have the dual characteristics of unit-style apartment buildings with strong privacy and courtyard-style residences with a strong sense of neighborhood. They are organically unified with the old hutong pattern, protecting the style of the ancient capital, and are a successful exploration of the transformation of Beijing's old city. . The east entrance of Juer Hutong, No. 3, 5, 7 and No. 6 Shoubi Hutong, was the residence of Ronglu, the Governor of Zhili and Minister of War in the Qing Dynasty. The original residence was very large and divided into three parts. The west part is a Western-style building. , with a garden in the middle and a Chinese-style courtyard with five fronts in the east. After liberation, part of this house was used as the Afghan Embassy, ??and was later divided into several parts and converted into staff dormitories. The layout has been destroyed and the protection condition is poor.