The quiet definition of a city

Beijing's disappearing hutongs hold the key to the rich history and culture of the capital.

Ji Wei, a 21-year-old sophomore at a university in Beijing, rediscovered his passion for hutongs during his visit to the Shanghai World Expo.

At the Beijing Pavilion, he was impressed by a wall decorated by nameplates of 150 of the city's hutongs.

The wall has become one of the most photographed areas of the pavilion, with many people posing beside the sign of their favorite hutong.

"It is not the modern skyscrapers that defines a city but its historical buildings," Ji said.

A Chinese surnamed Sun, who moved to Belgium two decades ago, was touched to see the name of the hutong where he lived as a child.

The organizers say the wall has become a nostalgic trip for people who once lived in Beijing, as well as for visitors who had more than a passing trip to the city.

"There are about 2,000 hutongs left in downtown Beijing nowadays, and by consulting experts and referring to books, we selected the 150 to represent the city," Peng Lu, vice-curator of the pavilion said.

Hutong, more commonly understood as narrow lanes or alleys formed by lines of siheyuan (a compound with houses around a courtyard), truly represents the city, said Zhao Shu, a researcher on Beijing history and culture.

"The word hutong actually originates from the time the Mongols ruled China," Zhao, 69, said. "The word hot-tog is Mongolian for 'water well'.

When people would settle in an area, they would dig a well and live around it."

Thousands of the hutongs make up an "encyclopedia of Beijing", said Zhang Jinqi, a 51-year-old hutong lover who, in the early 2000s, started a project to document the vanishing hutongs and cultural heritage in the city.

"The name of a hutong often gives an indication to its origin, location or history. The Mishi (rice market) Hutong, for example, implies it used to have a market where residents came to buy rice."

"Or the Liujia Hutong, which hints that a big family surnamed Liu once lived there, and that the hutong was named after the family. There are many like that."

Zhang also maintains Memory of China.org, an archive of historical material from Beijing and other Chinese cities.

Besides being historically significant, the gray-tiled deep lanes record the days when neighbors were very close, with children regularly playing in the streets, Zhang, who has lived in the Yanjia Hutong, Xuanwu district, for more than 20 years, told METRO.

Even the gossip and communal chats represent a cordial lifestyle and culture of days gone by.

"Although some hutong areas have been replaced by highrise buildings, as long as the place still carries the hutong's name, the memories will always be there," he said.