Thread by @thatdanmacklin

I’ve moved out of my #Beijing hutong home after three happy years – that’s not long compared to my neighbour, Mr Wen, who’s lived in the same courtyard since the 1970s. A short thread. (1/8)

This courtyard once belonged to a scholar, Fu Xihua (傅惜华), who filled it with his vast book collection. He died in 1970 after being struggled against. Over the years, more people moved into the yard until at one point it accommodated 7 families/around 35 people. (2/8)

Most hutong homes today are the ramshackle relics of traditional quadrangles (四合院) that have been endlessly extended and subdivided since the mid 20th century, interspersed with some intact or rebuilt courtyard homes. These were the views from our roof. (3/8)

In the 2000s, a local court ruled that this property belonged to the Fu family based on deeds from the Qing era, evicting the families that had moved in. The four wings of the courtyard were divided among Fu Xihua’s 4 children, all now in their 80s. (4/8)

The family then started rebuilding the property into several attached dwellings, one of which was where I lived. All that remains of the original courtyard is this porch. Mr Wen said that some of its bricks and tiles date to the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735-1796). (5/8)

He also told me that beneath the courtyard is an underground tunnel leading to an air raid shelter at Dongzhimen, built during Sino-Soviet tensions in the 1960s. The entrance was sealed up after people got lost inside the tunnels (which probably look something like this). (6/8)

I enjoyed my time living in a hutong – it was quieter than any modern apartment I’ve lived in. You feel closer to the history of the city, to the seasonal changes, and to neighbours living in close proximity. (7/8)

I’ve also come to appreciate the hutong’s informal economy of scavengers and traders. They are the lifeblood of the community. This shifu helped me and my partner move to our new place on his took took! (8/8)