Hutongs are windows into common Beijinger's culture and history

Hutongs are windows into common Beijinger's culture and history. It is said that there are still about 4.550 Hutongs left in Beijing. Most of them were built during the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1911), and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties. Traditionally only one family lived in one Siheyuan, but after the founding of the People's Republic of China, many families would live together in a single Siheyuan. Since most people have spent their entire lives in a single Siheyuan, everybody gets to know everybody else in their area and a single Hutong becomes like a small village within the larger metropolis of Beijing.