Why do Beijingers like to walk in hutongs?

The structure of hutong determines its cultural characteristics to some extent.

Because of the seclusion of hutong, people in hutong seldom contact with the outside world, don't know the outside information, and can't accept some new ideas, thus forming their small-scale peasant consciousness of being closed and conservative and content with the status quo, "turning a deaf ear to things outside the window and living a comfortable life with one heart".

The characteristics of the founders of Hutong affect their lifestyle, which in turn affects their ideology. Feudal orthodoxy is more serious. They don't want to resist, hold their position, accept adversity and obey the people.

The number of hutongs in Beijing

Beijingers say: There are 3,600 famous hutongs, but there are countless unnamed hutongs. "Hutong" is usually mentioned, mostly referring to small hutongs. 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.