High-rise buildings and shopping malls are littered throughout Beijing. But smaller, less visible buildings in the alleys of this modern metropolis are an indispensible part of the city: the hutongs.

The gray-tiled old houses and alleys give a wonderful glimpse into traditional Beijing lifestyle and culture. People play, chat, eat and relax together in the hutongs, painting the picture of a lifestyle that is much different from life in the city’s high-rise apartments.

The four parts of this series aim to explore the hutongs in depth and meet all of the different kinds of people living there.

Grandma Wu has lived in her hutong house for about 60 years. Despite the area being old and a bit crowded, she is accustomed to the quiet life in the hutong’s courtyard. Grandma Wu’s son invited her to live with him in a high-rise, but she decided not to leave her kind-hearted neighbors and old friends behind. In this episode, we spend some time with Grandma Wu and get a peek into the life of an old Beijinger in an old Beijing hutong.

Related readings:

Fantastic Beijing - Hutongs	Deep in the Hutongs - Part2	New reflections on design and art in Beijing's hutong