In the core area of Dongcheng District, Beijing, there is a Shijia Hutong with a history of more than 700 years. Known as “one hutong, half of Beijing’s modern history”, Beijing Shijia Hutong Museum, located at No. 24 Hutong, is the key to unlocking this legendary hutong and understanding the urban life of old Beijing. As Beijing’s first hutong-themed museum, it was rebuilt on the former residence of Ling Shuhua, a talented female writer of the Republic of China, and officially opened to the public in 2013. Unlike the grandeur of the Forbidden City and the elegance of the Summer Palace, it collects the fireworks, humanistic heritage and changes of the times of old Beijing hutongs in the most delicate and vivid way. It is not only an important window for the whole country to understand hutong culture, but also a hidden gem for foreign travelers to avoid crowds and deeply touch Beijing’s folk life. Every old object, every courtyard view and every sound clip tells the century-old story of Shijia Hutong, waiting for every visitor to slow down and encounter the tenderness and profoundness of old Beijing.
To understand Shijia Hutong Museum, one must first understand the unique status of Shijia Hutong. Shijia Hutong was first built in the Yuan Dynasty and officially named in the Ming Dynasty. It has been an extremely humanistic street in Beijing since the Yuan, Ming, Qing Dynasties, the Republic of China to the present. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was a gathering place for official residences, and the descendants of Shi Kefa, the Minister of War of the Qing Dynasty, once lived here; during the Republic of China, it became a gathering place for celebrities. In addition to the talented woman Ling Shuhua, many famous people such as the writer Shen Congwen, the dramatist Jiao Juyin and the painter Qi Baishi all left their footprints here; since modern times, Shijia Hutong has witnessed the urban changes of Beijing. The courtyards, buildings and living scenes in the hutong have become vivid witnesses of old Beijing’s folk customs and era development. With the historical context of this hutong as the core, Shijia Hutong Museum was rebuilt on the original pattern of Ling Shuhua’s former residence, retaining the architectural style of the quadrangle courtyard of the Republic of China, and condensing the historical evolution, celebrity stories, folk customs and life changes of the hutong into a courtyard, allowing foreign travelers to feel the unique charm of old Beijing hutongs in one stop.
The building of the museum itself is a “living exhibit” carrying the memories of the Republic of China. It was first built in the Republic of China and is a typical Beijing quadrangle courtyard building with blue bricks and gray tiles, vermilion doors and windows, winding corridors and a deep courtyard. The towering pagoda trees in the courtyard cover the sky and the sun, and the birdcages hanging on the small corridor adorn it. It is as if you walked into the mansion of a wealthy family in the Republic of China, quiet and elegant, without the seriousness and alienation of traditional museums. The museum retains the original pattern of the former residence, dividing the exhibition halls clockwise. The courtyard and the exhibition halls blend with each other, with scenery at every step. It not only has the charm of Chinese classical architecture, but also integrates the convenience of modern exhibitions. Entering the gate, the first thing that catches the eye is a simple screen wall carved with delicate patterns, and an old rickshaw model is placed next to it, instantly pulling people back into the streets of old Beijing; passing through the corridor, you come to the former site of the “young lady’s big study” where Ling Shuhua held literary gatherings in those years. This place once gathered cultural celebrities such as Xu Zhimo, Lin Huiyin and Zhou Zuoren. Today, the furnishings of that year are still preserved, with brushes, ink, paper and inkstones neatly arranged, as if you can still hear the poetry recitation of that year.
The core exhibition area of the museum is divided into 8 themed exhibition halls and 1 multi-functional hall, which respectively focus on the historical changes, celebrity anecdotes, courtyard life, folk customs and other contents of Shijia Hutong. Each exhibition hall has its own focus, progressing layer by layer, comprehensively and multi-angle displaying the rich connotation of hutong culture. It takes about 2-3 hours to visit all the exhibition halls. As the opening of the museum, the “Shijia Origin” exhibition hall details the development course of Shijia Hutong from its establishment in the Yuan Dynasty to modern times through old maps, historical documents, old photos and other exhibits, clearly presenting the changes of the hutong’s streets and lanes and the evolution of courtyards, allowing foreign travelers to quickly understand the century-old vicissitudes of this hutong and build a basic cognition of old Beijing hutongs. A large number of cultural relics such as tiles from the Yuan Dynasty, blue bricks from the Ming Dynasty and coins from the Qing Dynasty are also displayed in the exhibition hall. These inconspicuous objects are all silent witnesses of the millennium-old history of the hutong.
The “Celebrity Former Residence” exhibition hall is one of the highlights of the museum, focusing on the inextricable bond between Ling Shuhua and other celebrities with Shijia Hutong. As one of the three talented women of the Republic of China, Ling Shuhua lived in this courtyard for decades. She often held literary gatherings here to receive Chinese and foreign cultural celebrities, so this place is also known as the “young lady’s big study”. The exhibition hall restores the study and bedroom scenes of Ling Shuhua, displaying her calligraphy and painting works, letters and manuscripts, daily necessities, etc., including many letters between her and celebrities such as Xu Zhimo and Lin Huiyin. The handwriting is elegant and the emotion is sincere, allowing foreign travelers to get close to the talent and life of this talented woman of the Republic of China. In addition, the exhibition hall also introduces the life stories of Shen Congwen, Jiao Juyin and other celebrities in Shijia Hutong, showing the humanistic heritage of this hutong through old photos and text introductions, allowing foreign travelers to feel the life interest and feelings for the country and family of the literati in old Beijing.
The “Courtyard Life” exhibition hall fully shows the daily life scenes of the residents in old Beijing hutongs, and is the best window for foreign travelers to understand the folk life of old Beijing. The exhibition hall restores the living scenes of hutong residents in different eras, divided into two exhibition areas: the 1950s and 1960s, and the 1970s and 1980s. Every detail is full of a sense of the times. In the room of the 1950s and 1960s, the wooden furniture is simple and plain, with a bed, a table, two chairs and two boxes. The transistor radio was a “big item” at that time. Old New Year paintings are pasted on the wall, and coarse porcelain bowls and kerosene lamps are placed on the table, restoring the thrifty and simple life of the people at that time; the rooms of the 1970s and 1980s are gradually fashionable, with combined furniture, black and white TVs, sewing machines and other items, echoing the popular saying of “combined furniture and sofa bed, black and white TV in the center” at that time, vividly showing the improvement of the living standard of hutong residents. Most of these exhibits are donated by hutong residents, and each one carries the childhood memories and life warmth of the residents, allowing foreign travelers to intuitively feel the changes in the life of old Beijing hutong residents.
The “Sound Museum” is the most distinctive exhibition area of the museum and one of the favorite check-in places for foreign travelers. This small space, which is shaped like a recording studio, is equipped with professional audio equipment and collects more than 70 kinds of “old sounds” of old Beijing hutongs, classified by spring, summer, autumn and winter, wind, rain, snow and sunny days, including the peddling sound in the hutong, the bicycle bell, the bird song, the rain sound, etc. Foreign travelers only need to click the touch screen to hear the crisp peddling sound of rock sugar gourd, the mellow chat sound of the uncle in the hutong, and the pattering rain sound, as if they instantly travel through time and space, are in the old Beijing hutong, and immersive experience the fireworks of the hutong. In addition, a large number of hutong photography works are hung in the exhibition hall, including the white-clad girl in the sun, the old man mending in winter, and the old house being demolished. Every photo records the warmth and changes of the hutong, allowing foreign travelers to understand the human warmth behind the hutong.
In addition to the above exhibition halls, other exhibition areas of the museum also have their own characteristics: the “Hutong Changes” exhibition hall shows the changes of Shijia Hutong from the Ming and Qing Dynasties to the present through old photos and historical documents, witnessing the course of Beijing’s urban development; the “Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition” hall introduces the intangible cultural heritage skills of old Beijing, such as paper-cutting, dough figurine making, Peking Opera facial masks, etc., allowing foreign travelers to understand the cultural inheritance of old Beijing; the multi-functional hall regularly holds hutong culture lectures, intangible cultural heritage performances, calligraphy and painting exhibitions and other activities, providing foreign travelers with an opportunity to understand hutong culture more deeply. The eight exhibition halls are interrelated and complement each other, forming a complete picture of hutong culture, allowing foreign travelers to understand the history, culture and folk customs of Shijia Hutong in an all-round and multi-angle way.
For foreign travelers, it is very convenient to get to Shijia Hutong Museum. Located in the core area of Dongcheng District, it has convenient transportation around and is close to many popular scenic spots. Foreign travelers can take Metro Line 5 to Dengshikou Station, exit from Exit A, and walk about 10 minutes to reach it; they can also take Metro Line 6 to Dongsi Station, walk about 15 minutes; in addition, they can take many bus routes such as No. 106, 108, 111, 684 to Dongsi Intersection South Station, and walk for a short time to reach the museum entrance. The museum is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM every Tuesday to Sunday (last entry at 4:30 PM), closed on Mondays (except legal holidays), and open to the public free of charge all year round. No ticket is required, only valid ID (passport is applicable) is needed for registration, which greatly facilitates foreign travelers’ visits.
It should be noted that loud talking and fighting are prohibited in the museum, and carrying flammable, explosive and dangerous goods into the museum is prohibited; taking photos is allowed in the exhibition hall, but using flash is prohibited to avoid damaging the exhibits; the temperature in the exhibition hall is comfortable, so it is recommended to wear comfortable clothes; there is a rest area in the museum for tourists to rest; in addition, the museum is equipped with multi-language audio guides (including English, French, Japanese, Korean, etc.). Foreign travelers can rent them at the service desk, with a rental fee of 20 yuan per unit and a deposit of 100 yuan (refundable). The audio guides detail the exhibits and historical background of each exhibition hall, helping foreign travelers better understand hutong culture. The best time to visit Shijia Hutong Museum is about 2-3 hours. It is recommended to go on working days, when there are fewer tourists, so you can quietly appreciate the exhibits and feel the cultural atmosphere; when going on weekends, it is recommended to avoid the peak hours from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
There are many other famous scenic spots and delicacies around Shijia Hutong Museum, which are very suitable for foreign travelers to visit in combination to deeply feel Beijing’s historical culture and market fireworks. A 5-minute walk from the museum is Shijia Hutong itself. Strolling in the hutong, the blue brick and gray tile quadrangle courtyards are scattered, the old brick carvings on the walls, the door piers at the door, and the red lanterns hanging on the branches all exude the charm of old Beijing. Occasionally, you can see hutong residents chatting and playing chess at the door, feeling the most real hutong life; a 15-minute walk can reach Nanluoguxiang, which is the most popular hutong cultural block in Beijing, with many shops and delicious food. Foreign travelers can buy characteristic cultural souvenirs here and taste old Beijing snacks; in addition, there are scenic spots such as Dongsi Hutong, Wangfujing Pedestrian Street and the Palace Museum nearby, which are not far away and can be visited together. In terms of food, there are many old Beijing characteristic restaurants around, where you can taste old Beijing characteristic snacks such as fried sauce noodles, stewed pork intestines, pea cake and donkey rolling, as well as many Internet-famous restaurants to meet the taste needs of different travelers.
This museum hidden in the depths of the hutong has no noisy crowds or commercial impetuosity, only profound humanistic heritage and strong fireworks. With the quadrangle courtyard as the carrier and old objects as the medium, it presents the millennium-old history, celebrity anecdotes, folk customs and life changes of Shijia Hutong, allowing every visitor to understand the other side of old Beijing——not the imperial majesty, but the warmth of the people; not the grand narrative, but the delicate daily life. For foreign travelers who are eager to deeply experience Beijing’s culture and understand the folk life of old Beijing, Shijia Hutong Museum is definitely a must-visit hidden gem. Here, you can slow down, listen to the old sounds of the hutong, touch the traces of time, feel the tenderness and profoundness of old Beijing, understand the inclusiveness and charm of Chinese hutong culture, and leave an unforgettable travel memory.
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