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Home → Beijing Tours → Beijing Theme Tour → Beijing Hutong Tours - BHR-02


This half day tour gives you an unique opportunity of visiting Mr.Bai Dacheng, the China's only craftsman carrying on the tradition of making bristle dolls (Zongren), then visiting a 300-year old courtyard and experiencing a 20-minute rickshaw drive through the zigzag and narrow alleys or hutongs.

You also expect standing on the Silver Ingot Bridge ( Yinding Bridge ), a narrow channel joining Qianhai Lake and the Houhai Lake, the hub of Shichahai area with surrounding quiet hutongs, and then wandering along the Yandaixiejie ( Tobacco Pipe Lean Street ), a quaint 800-year-old hutong.

Going up the 67-meter high and two-storey Drum Tower dating from 1420 is sure to bring you back to the old Beijing by seeing the big drum tower and having bird's eye view of the surrounding communities of hutongs and siheyuan - existing traditional courtyards in Beijing.

Book now! Visiting Mr. Bai Dacheng requires a pre-arranged appointment, so book in advance to avoid disappointment.

Tour Highlights:
. A private tour - your own tour guide & driver
. Meeting Mr. Bai Dacheng, the well-known craftsman
. Detailed account of the manufacturing of bristle dolls
. Immersed in the 300-year old courtyard
. Detailed account of the hutong and courtyard culture
. 20-minute pedicab drive through the most typical hutongs in Beijing
. Passing through quaint 800-year-old Tobacco Pipe Lean Street
. Ascending the two-storey Drum Tower

Schedule Details:
Departs:
Daily
Departure Point:
8:30am from your midtown hotel
or
1:30pm from your midtown hotel
Duration:
3-4 hours (approx.)
Return details:
Transfer back to your midtown hotel

Beijing Hutong Tour B Virtual Tour:

8:30am or 1:30pm - Pick from your midtown hotel in Beijing and have around 30 minutes private transfer to Mr. Bai Dacheng's house in the Shichahai area.
9:00am or 2:00 pm: Arrive at Mr. Bai Dacheng' house and begin the one hour visit inside. With the help of your English speaking tour guide, Mr. Ba Dacheng or his son Icen Bai will give you a detailed explanation of the making of Figurines of drama characters (bristle dolls) made of the hair of a pig or a horse, cloth and silk, which has been listed as a city-level intangible cultural heritage in Beijing.






Then walk to the 300-year old courtyard nearby for a half hour visit.

This courtyard is a private residence of the Zhu family. It can be dated to the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644 ), and it is also one of the most complete existing courtyards in Beijing.

First let's look at its Ming Dynasty front gate and high steps. In the feudal society the number of the steps and the hexagonal poles protruding from the top beam were strictly regulated as a symbol of social rank. You can find the 4 steps leading up to the main gate, and the 4 poles protruding from the top beams, indicating the owner was a 3-rank army officer at that time. The gate is painted vermilion with copper door knockers. The gate is located at the southeastern corner of the courtyard built according to Fengshui.





2. Why the owner was an army officer, not a civil official? The stone piers ( mendun ) are an indication of position and wealth of the former occupants of a old hutong courtyard home in Beijing. If the stone piers were circular, then host was an army officer. If square, the host was a civil official. So the host of the Zhu Family was an army officer.


The rear parts of the stone piers are set astride the gate to either hold the gate and serve as the central axis.


3. Entering the front gate, you find a screen wall to shield the house from outsiders'view for privacy. Superstition holds that it also protects the house from evil spirits. Remember both the front gate and the screen wall are located in the southeast corner of the courtyard. Turn left, you enter the yard of the old courtyard.


4. The layout of the 300-year old courtyard


5. The building positioned to the north and facing the south is considered the main house. The main house receives the most sunlight, thus serving as the living room and bedroom of the owner or head of the family.







6. The western side rooms receive less sunshine, and serve as the rooms for eldest children or less important members of the family. Now the descendants of the courtyard still live in the the west rooms. You can see the western rooms from the outside.



7. The eastern side rooms receive the second less sunshine, and serve as the rooms for younger children or less important members of the family. Now most of the eatern rooms are vacant as showrooms. Still one of the eastern rooms is now used as a kitchen room.









8. The opposite rooms (or southern side rooms). The southern side rooms receive the least sunlight, and usually serve as a reception room and the servants' dwelling, or where the family would gather to relax, eat or study.







After visiting the old courtyard, take a 20-minute pedicab drive through the zigzag and narrow alleys or hutongs. Two people share one rickshaw. The tips for the rickshaw drivers have been included in the tour expense. You don't have to tip the rickshaw drivers after the tour.








10:30am - 11:00am - Drop off at the the Silver Ingot Bridge ( Yinding Bridge ), a narrow channel joining Qianhai Lake and the Houhai Lake, the hub of Shichhai area with surrounding quiet hutongs. Walking along the Yandai Xiejie ( Tobacco Pipe Lean Street ), a quaint 800-year-old hutong located directly north of Yinding Bridge between Qianhai and Houhai and the south of the Drum Tower, used to be well-known for sellers of long-stemmed pipes, hence the name.






11:00am - 11:40am - Ascending the 67-meter high and two-story Drum Tower dating from 1420 is sure to bring you back to the old Beijing by seeing the big drum tower and having bird's eye view of the surrounding communities of hutongs and siheyuan - existing traditional courtyards in Beijing.




Return to your midtown hotel in Beijing after the half day tour.

Optional add-on:
If you are interested in the Chinese tea culture, after the day tour, you are transferred to a nice tea market in the center of Beijing. There you see a tea performance and learn how to conduct your own kungfu tea ritual. The knowledge of tea, tea selection, steeping and savoring will be explained. After a simple tea ceremony, you are free on your own in choosing your favorite tea, teapots and teacups.

Price Details for this tour:

Tour Enquiry

Cost: in US$ per person
Travelling Party	Tour Cost Per Person
1 person	$130
2 persons	$76
3 persons	$66
4 Persons	$62
5 persons	$59
6 persons	$56
7 persons	$54
8 persons	$52
9 persons	$50
10 persons and above	$48

Booking Note:

1. Just wear casually for the hutong culture experience half day tour.
2. Tipping for the rickshaw driver is included. So you don't have to tip the pedicab driver on the spot.
3. It is a private tour. You have your own tour guide and car driver ( for city transfer).

Inclusions:
1.All private transfers
2.Entrance tickets for
3.20-minute Rickshaw hutong tour
4.English speaking tour guide.
5.The above private escorted tour is customized for you, your family or your friends exclusively. No other travelers will join in your group.
Exclusions:
Tips to your English speaking tour guide and car driver
Available:
Daily

Quick Booking or Enquiry

Tour Code: BHR-02

We thank you for your interest in our travel service. For a fast response, submit this basic Quick Reservation or Enquiry form below by clicking "Submit", and we'll get back to you by e-mail within 12 to 24 hours. For urgent booking, call us at 0086 10 67160201 ext 1006, 1007. After office hours, please call 0086 13520598855.
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