What is an alley?

Hutong was originally Mongolian, which is said to mean well, but it is not known whether it is true or not. The names of hutongs come from various sources. There are calculations, such as three in Dongdan and forty in Dongdan. Some of them used to be royal storage places, such as Piku Hutong and Xijinsi Hutong (where firewood was stored). Someone once lived in this alley with a very famous person, such as Boundless Adult Alley and Stone Old Lady (who is a midwife) Alley. Dayabao Hutong was originally called Big Dumb Hutong, and there is probably a mute in the Hutong. Hutong is because there is a cobbler named Wang. Hutong was originally named Wang Widow Hutong. Some are places where certain industries are concentrated. Handkerchiefs Hutong probably sells handkerchiefs. Mutton Hutong must have sold mutton at first. Some hutongs are just like their shapes. Gao Yibo Hutong was originally named Gou Wei Hutong. Mutton Yibin Hutong was originally named Yangwei Hutong. Probably because these two hutongs look a bit like sheep's tails and dog's tails. Some hutongs don't know what it means, such as the Great Green Shamao Hutong.

Some hutongs are very wide, such as Dongzongbu Hutong and Tieshizi Hutong. Most of these hutongs are "doorways" on both sides, and the houses are fairly tidy. Some hutongs are very small, such as Erduoyan Hutong. How many hutongs are there in Beijing? Beijingers say; There are 3,600 famous hutongs and countless unknown hutongs. Usually when it comes to "Hutong", it refers to small Hutong.

Hutong is a network that runs through the street. It's very close to the city. It's convenient to make a soy sauce and two pounds of eggs, but it seems far away. There is no traffic here, it is always quiet. Occasionally, there are "screaming heads" with loads on their heads (like tweezers, when iron bars pass through), "vibrating boudoir" where scissors sharpen knives (more than a dozen pieces of iron are strung together, shaking and making noises), and the sound of blind fortune tellers playing piccolo (long gone now). Far from being noisy, these sounds are quieter in the alley.

Hutong and quadrangle are integrated. There are many quadrangles connected on both sides of the hutong. Hutongs and quadrangles are not only the living style of Beijing residents, but also the cultural form of Beijing residents. We usually say that the civic culture in Beijing refers to the hutong culture. Hutong culture is an important part of Beijing culture, even if it is not the main part.

Hutong culture is a closed culture. Most residents living in hutongs have moved to another place and are unwilling to move. Some have lived in an alley for decades, and some have even lived for several lifetimes. Most of the houses in the hutongs are very old, but the houses in the "roots" are not very good. The old house is purlin and the brick wall is broken. When it rains, it is often heavy rain outdoors and light rain indoors. When it rains heavily, you can always hear the sound of houses falling down. That's the house in the alley. But they don't want to "move their nest" and "the family is ruined and the family is ruined."

"Eight Hutong" is located in the north of West zhushikou Street and south of Cycas Xie Jie. From west to east are Baishun Hutong, Rouge Hutong, Hanjiatan, Shaanxi Lane, Shitou Hutong, Xie Jie, Wang Guangfu, Zhujiahu Hutong and Lishamao Hutong.

In fact, the "eight hutongs" mentioned by old Beijingers do not refer exclusively to these eight streets and alleys, but generally refer to the Dashilan area outside Qianmen, because there are nearly 100 brothels of different sizes in the hutongs outside these eight streets and alleys. It's just that the brothels in these eight hutongs were mostly first-class and second-class, and the prostitutes' "grades" were relatively high, so they were so famous.

Brothels in old Beijing are divided into several grades. The earliest brothels were distributed in the inner city, mostly official prostitutes.

Now there are several hutongs east of Dongsi South Street Road, which used to be the seat of official prostitutes in Ming Dynasty, such as Le Yan Hutong, where official prostitutes played music.

The street in the Office of Internal Affairs was called Goulan Hutong in Ming and Qing Dynasties, which was interpreted by prostitutes and artists holding railings and singing. In the future, "Goulan" became another name for brothels.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, officials and rich people invited prostitutes to accompany them to wine, play music and sing at banquets, which was called "posting", while on the side of prostitutes, it was called "posting".

By the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, brothels were mainly concentrated in Qianmenwai Street. First, it is more convenient for officials to go out to play because they are close to the inner city. Second, there is a railway station here, and there are many passengers coming from south to north; Third, Qianmenwai Street is a famous commercial street in Beijing, which is quite prosperous. Fourth, this area is the center of theaters, teahouses and restaurants, where eating, drinking and having fun can be integrated into one.

According to a statistical data in the late 1930s, there were 1 17 brothels registered and allowed to operate in eight hutongs at that time, and there were more than 750 prostitutes, which was only officially listed, not counting "wild prostitutes" and "secret prostitutes".

Prostitutes in old Beijing can be divided into "southern class" and "northern class". Generally speaking, the prostitutes in "Nanban" are mainly Jiangnan women with high grades, which are not only colorful but also talented. Most of these prostitutes are accompanied by powerful people, such as Beijing famous prostitutes Sai Jinhua and Fengxian Xiao. Prostitutes in the "northern class" are mainly women in the north of the Yellow River, who are good-looking, but have poor cultural literacy. Most prostitutes in "Eight Hutong" are "Nanban", so they are mostly first-class and second-class brothels. Most brothels in other areas are "northern classes". At that time, most of the officials and businessmen in Beijing were southerners. As a result, the "eight hutongs" have become the boundaries that these dignitaries often come and go.

The grades of the "Eight Hutongs" are also different, with Baishun Hutong, Shaanxi Lane, Rouge Hutong and Hanjiatan as the first class. First-class brothels, also known as "Yin Qing Small Class", as the name implies, "Yin Qing" mainly drinks tea, talks about chess and plays chess, not just the flesh and blood business. In and out of Yin Qing's small classes, most of the clients are powerful people, and of course there are literati.

Most brothels in Stone Hutong are second-class, and second-class brothels are also called "tea rooms".

Wang Guangfu Xie Jie, Jia Zhu Hutong and Lishamao Hutong are mostly third-class brothels.

First-and second-class brothels are mainly named as "courtyard", "pavilion" and "pavilion", while third-and fourth-class brothels are mostly named as "room", "class", "building", "shop" and "Xiachu".

Walking into the current "Eight Hutong", we can still appreciate the style of the year from the architecture of some old houses and buildings.

Baishun Hutong used to have Taiping Hall and Jintai Hall. The guild hall was later converted into a residential building. It is said that Li Wenzao lived in this hutong when he went to Beijing to appear before Emperor Qianlong. Today, the old house in this hutong is relatively well preserved. At that time, the brothels arranged from the west entrance of Hutong included Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Meijin Courtyard, Xinfeng Courtyard, Feng Ming Courtyard, New Accord, Penghua Courtyard, Lanxiangban, Songzhu Courtyard, Quanxiangban, Fangqun Courtyard and Mei Fong Courtyard.

Hanjiatan is now called Hanjia Hutong. According to historical records, Li Yu, a famous dramatist, lived here during the reign of Kangxi. After the "Huizhou Class Four" entered Beijing, Sanqing Class was once located in Hanjiatan, and the Old Beijing Pear Garden was located in No.36 Courtyard. Most of this hutong is a "southern half" brothel. There are more than 20 famous brothels such as Magic Color Pavilion, Jinmeilou, Man Chun Courtyard, Jinfeng Lounge, Yanchun Lounge, Meixian Courtyard and Xu Qingyuan.

There are 16 first-class brothels in Shaanxi Lane, among which Sai Jinhua, a famous prostitute in the late Qing Dynasty, is the most famous. Now the architecture and layout of this brothel are well preserved. Sixi Class, one of the "Four Classes in Huizhou", was once located in this alley.

Rouge Hutong used to be called Rouge Lane, North Lian Baishun Hutong and zhushikou West Street in Nantong. There are more than 10 first-class brothels in Rouge Hutong, among which the flower room is a large quadrangle with three entrances and one exit, accounting for almost half of the Hutong. According to Mr. Li Jinlong's research, this courtyard was named Sujia Courtyard in the Ming Dynasty, and the famous prostitute Su San (Yutangchun) once lived here. Its main entrance has undergone several changes, and now it is the Baishun Hutong Neighborhood Committee.

Stone Hutong, with its south entrance in West zhushikou Street and its north entrance in Tieshuxie Street, was once the seat of Wangjiang Guild Hall and Longyan Guild Hall in the late Qing Dynasty, and was a second-class brothel gathering area. This hutong is relatively long, with 24 secondary brothels, including Camellia House, Sanfu Class, Hayes Class, Guixi Courtyard, Yin Gui Class, Yunliangge, Jinmei Inn and so on. Now almost all of them have become residential houses.

Xie Jie, Wang Guangfu, now called Palm Xie Jie, is connected to Shamao Hutong of Da and Xiao Li in the east and Stone Hutong in the west. The house in this hutong is rather shabby.

Once upon a time, there were three-level brothels here, including Jiuxiang Tea Room, Juqianyuan, Gui Xiang Courtyard, Shuangjin Xiachu, Quanle Xiachu and Yuelai Store. Li Shamao Hutong was originally divided into Da Li Shamao and Xiao Li Shamao, but now it is changed into Da Li Hutong and Xiao Li Hutong. Xiao Li Shamao is one of the "Eight Hutong". This hutong is very small, with a total number of 2 1, but in old Beijing, brothels account for nearly 20 yards. The brothels here are mainly third-class, and the famous ones are Shuangfeng Building, Meixin Building, Yongquan Building, Tianshun Building, Quansheng Building and Liansheng Store. Because this hutong is close to some theaters and restaurants, there are also several second-class brothels.

Zhujiahu Hutong is divided into Liuwei Hutong and He Miaomiao Hutong. There are more than 20 third-class brothels in this hutong, including Yichun House, Lu Shengyuan and Hongshun. Qingfeng Lane, Qingfeng Avenue, Zhumao Hutong, Yan Jia Hutong and Xiyangmao Hutong, which are connected with Zhujiahu, are also the gathering places of brothels and earthen kilns in old Beijing, but they are not as famous as the "Eight Hutong".

Love is always blown away by wind and rain. The fragrant fireworks Liuxiang in the past has long been a historical relic. Fortunately, the "Eight Hutong" is very difficult to rebuild because there are too many old houses, so the renovation of dangerous houses in Beijing has not yet set foot here, and it can only be preserved when the streets are full of construction.

Spotted corners still honestly reveal their secrets. On this sunny late autumn morning, the sun lit up these old houses through the smog that has been lingering for hundreds of years. The silence of the old house is something that vicissitudes of life know endlessly.