Beijing preserves traditional lifestyles

Living in a courtyard in a hutong only about 300 meters from the famous Yonghegong Lama Temple, Wang Man, 31, has a sense of traveling between ancient and modern Beijing, often passing historical sites on the way to her workplace, which is an example of modern architecture.

Born in Xi'an, the capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, Wang, with her husband, Lin Yuyang, embarked on life in a Beijing hutong when they moved into the courtyard in April 2020.

"Daily contacts in the hutong's neighborhood, the convenient transportation, and a variety of restaurants and cafes with foreign flavors attracted us to live here," says Lin, who is originally from Taipei, Taiwan.

The young couple's experience is the same as that of millions of Beijing residents, and was made possible under the city's protection and development efforts.

In 2021, the municipal legislature passed a revised regulation specifying that heritage, including hutong, should be preserved, encouraging further development and utilization of historical cultural blocks.

According to 2020 statistics released by the local government, the capital city is home to over 21.8 million people, about 38.5 percent of whom are from outside Beijing－on China's social media platforms, those people are recognized as "new Beijingers".

Known as "Uncle Li", the landlord of the courtyard Wang lives in is about 64 years old and has lived in the city for more than 60 years. In 2015, he renovated his property, which became the starting point for him to enjoy a transcultural life with people from different cultural backgrounds living in one courtyard.

Since 2015, over 25 tenants have rented his courtyard, including youngsters from other provinces, as well as people from the Republic of Korea, Italy and Australia.

Li recalled memories when he invited a British tenant to have a taste of the persimmon grown in his courtyard. The man was surprised by the yellow juice of the Chinese fruit.

He asked Li, "What is that?"

Li replied, "It is a sweet Chinese fruit."

As an old Chinese saying goes, "The neighbors to whom we bid good day are better than kinfolk far away." Tenants in the courtyard gradually fell in love with life in the hutong, in which they could experience more Chinese tradition compared to living in a modern apartment.

"Life in a hutong makes me recall my childhood," says Wang, who grew up in Xi'an, a city that is home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Silk Road's Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor and the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.

Beijing, however, boasts seven such areas, with the Central Axis of Beijing currently in the process of applying for inscription.

The Central Axis of Beijing is 7.8 kilometers long, starting in the south of the city from Yongding Gate and ending with the Drum Tower and Bell Tower in the north. Most of the essential buildings in the old city of Beijing are constructed along this axis.

"The protection of Beijing's world heritage will improve the lives of residents, and encourage sustainable development of the city," says Lyu Zhou, a professor with the School of Architecture, Tsinghua University.

"When it comes to Beijing, I am new and still learning, but I am willing to live here for a long period of time," says Lin.

Xinhua