Meet With Culture | Siheyuan: Tranquil Retreat in the Capital

Hutongs are the most distinctive residential complexes that preserve the lifestyles of old Beijing. The crisscrossing alleys form a chessboard that displays the soul of Beijing. The city's soul is just rooted in siheyuan, which represents a unique living culture that embodies the concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. The layout of siheyuan buildings is compact and rhythmic, and every inch of light and shade between the red walls and grey tiles tells the stories of the past.

The map of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) capital Dadu drawn by Liu Bingzhong clearly shows Shijia Hutong. As part of the planned framework of Dadu, the alley almost remains unchanged since the very beginning. The siheyuan buildings along the alley are important cultural symbols of Beijing's long history. 

When Shijia Hutong is mentioned, for many the first thing coming to mind is Shijia Primary School. 

In 1909, the Qing government used the Gengzi indemnity returned by the United States to set up an overseas education office in Shijia Hutong to select students to study in the United States. Back then, the office was located in today's Shijia Primary School.

Later, the office established the academy of graduates who once studied in the United States, which was the predecessor of Tsinghua University. It is safe to say that Shijia Primary School is an indelible cultural icon in China's modern education history. 

From 1909 to 1911, Hu Shi, who later became president of Peking University, and Mei Yiqi, who later served as president of Tsinghua University, as well as Zhao Yuanren, a famous linguist, and Zhu Kezhen, a meteorologist, all embarked on the road of studying in the United States here. Shijia Hutong is really a cradle of talented people!

Shijia Hutong is also a cradle of Chinese drama, where Beijing People's Art Theatre was born. In the early days of the People's Republic of China, the North China Art Troupe settled in Shijia Hutong. In 1950, the troupe was renamed Beijing People's Art Theatre. In 1952, the theatre's drama troupe officially established Beijing People's Art Theatre at No. 20 Compound in the alley. In this siheyuan, older-generation artists such as Jiao Juyin, Ouyang Shanzun, and Zhao Qiyang staged one and another classical dramas.

Cultural profundity and traditional lifestyles are intertwined here, constituting the unique temperament of Shijia Hutong. With the passage of time, the siheyuan buildings in Shijia Hutong gradually got rid of their past glory as residences of historical celebrities, and evolved into a neighborhood mainly inhabited by ordinary people.

The Shijia Hutong Museum is the first hutong-themed museum in Beijing. The inscription on the plaque was written by Shu Yi, the son of famous Chinese writer Lao She. 

No. 24 Compound in Shijia Hutong is a single-courtyard siheyuan featuring grey walls and tiles, which was originally the ancestral residence of Ling Shuhua, one of the three most talented ladies in the Republic of China period (1912-1949). After drifting overseas for many years, in her late years, Ling Shuhua decided to donate the siheyuan to the local government for public use. In 2011, the local government and the Royal Foundation of the United Kingdom set up a renovation workshop, transforming the siheyuan into a museum while retaining its original layout.

Facing south, the Shijia Hutong Museum covers an area of about 1,000 square meters, and consists of eight exhibition halls and a multi-functional hall. Here, we can learn about the architectural system of hutongs and siheyuan as well as the history of Shijia Hutong. 

The sand table of Shijia Hutong in the museum is a model based on the 1957 mapping and 1959 aerial photos. These miniatures of residences with black bricks and grey tiles vividly reproduce the appearance of the entire alley more than 50 years ago.

Siheyuan is not only an architectural space, but also contains profound cultural connotations. It is a carrier of traditional Chinese culture, and its construction pays attention to feng shui (geomancy) and building direction, and even the details such as decorative carvings and paintings also reflect traditional folk culture. Siheyuan residents in the same neighborhood often visit each other, drink tea together and chat on culture and arts as well as daily life, constituting a natural and harmonious living space.

Beijing siheyuan is a shining gem of traditional Chinese architecture, which shows the traditional wisdom and life philosophy of the Chinese nation with its square and orderly architectural layout and cultural connotation of harmonious coexistence. Each siheyuan seems vibrant with life, connecting individuals living in the capital and their stories. The stories it carries are closely related to the destiny of this country and nation. In modern times, siheyuan has transformed into a living environment full of vitality through green, healthy and sustainable development. In the future, the siheyuan ecosystem will be a Chinese model of sustainable human settlement where man and nature coexist in harmony.

(Executive Producer: Wang Xiaohui; Production Supervisor: Xue Lisheng; Line Producer: Yu Li; Chief Planner: Ding Suyun, Cao Chuanchuan; Planner: Li Ying; Translator: Liu Haile)