A glorious life through the eye of a hutong hunter

Born in Jiangxi province, Jie graduated from Tsinghua University and the Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Architecture de Paris-Bellevillein. As a researcher in School of Architecture in Tsinghua University, Jie works in the fields of cultural heritage protection and architectural design, protection and planning of historic districts.

"It's interesting to notice that people decorate their vehicles with colors and functional devices, such as a water-resistant canopy and gloves to keep their hands warm in winter. Like their homes in courtyards, their vehicles are also different and full of creative ideas," says Jie. "We want to present the hutong life with these paintings, which tell stories and showcase the unique hutong life."

Shijia Hutong Museum seems to be a great choice to exhibit Liu's watercolor paintings, which are small-sized and exquisite.

Located nearby the Chang'an Avenue and Wangfujing Street, Shijia Hutong Museum, which resides in the courtyard of Shijia Hutong No 24, opened in November 2014 with funding and support from the Prince's Charities Foundation (China) and the Chaoyangmen authorities. It is the first facility in Beijing established specifically to preserve hutong history. Shijia hutong has been home to a number of well-known figures, including writers Chen Xiying (1896-1970) and Ling Shuhua (1900-90), and prominent scholar and politician Zhang Shizhao (1881-1973).

Beijing's downtown hutong were mostly constructed in the 13th century, when the city became the imperial capital during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

According to Liu Jingyi, deputy director of the Shijia Hutong Museum, the museum offers exhibitions with Chinese and English descriptions, showcasing the history and development of Shijia hutong, along with stories from residents and celebrities.

"We've done a series of programs to show visitors what makes hutong life so appealing. Liu Cong's paintings are vivid and loyal to the people and their lives in hutong," says Liu Jingyi, a Beijing native, who graduated from North China University of Technology in Beijing with a major in urban planning. She furthered her studies in the United Kingdom, obtaining a master's degree in urban planning and development from the University of Reading in 2014. The following year, she started work at the Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning & Design, and began working with the Shijia Hutong Museum in 2016.

One of the museum's most distinctive features is "Sounds of the Hutong", situated to the rear of the display area. Visitors experience the sounds of traditional hutong life, including birds tweeting from trees or cages and the distinctive cries of street snack sellers and knife sharpeners.