Special streets boast interesting features

Longest: Dongxijiaominxiang

Stretching for 6.5 kilometers, Dongxijiaominxiang is the longest hutong in Beijing. It is situated to the east of the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, Tian'anmen Square and downtown Beijing, while Xijiaominxiang is to the west. This unique street combines the characteristics of a Chinese hutong with Western-style buildings that are well-arranged and varied in style.

Dongxijiaominxiang is conveniently located close to Tian'anmen Square, the Imperial Palace and Wangfujing Walking Street.

Narrowest: Qianshi

Qianshi is to the west side of Beijing Zhubaoshi Street, near the famous commercial area of Dashilan. It is the narrowest hutong in Beijing. It is 55 meters long, but only 0.7 meters wide and 0.4 meters at its narrowest part. Two people walking toward each other have to turn sideways to pass. At the end of the hutong is a courtyard, with an awning above and bedrooms alongside. The courtyard is a remnant of a monetary market during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), where ancient official currencies were exchanged, and was an early form of financial market.

Shortest: Yichidajie

Yichidajie, also called One Foot Street, is only about 10 meters long and located in the southeast, to the east of Glass Street. There are only six shops on the street: all three in the north are engraving shops and the three in the south are a winery, a smithy and a barbershop. The name of Yichidajie has been withdrawn and the street is now incorporated into Yangmeizhuxiejie, but the west of Yangmeizhuxiejie was originally Yichidajie. Yangmeizhuxiejie is located to the southwest of Outer Qianmen Street, 500 meters from the west of Dashilan Street. "The Eight Hutong" consist of Yichidajie and another seven nearby hutong, and this was where bookstores were concentrated in ancient China.

Broadest: Lingjing

Lingjing is an east-west hutong in Beijing Xidan District, and its broadest part measures 32.18m.

Most tortuous: Jiuwan

Jiuwan is located in the east of Xuanwu District. Its eastern entrance is connected to the Puchenshi hutong and the western entrance to Xiaoweiying. It is 390 meters long with more than 13 twists and turns, which is why it is called the most tortuous hutong in Beijing.

Oldest: Sanmiaojie

Sanmiaojie is behind the Guohua Shopping Mall, on Changchun Street, Xicheng District. It is a historical hutong that dates back 900 years, to during the Liao Dynasty (916-1125).

China Daily

(China Daily 12/01/2014 page7)