The Skewed Tobacco Pouch Street

烟袋斜街胡同

People say that the real culture of Beijing is "the culture of hutong" and "the culture of courtyard". How true that is. Often, it is Beijing's winding hutongs that attract tourists from home and abroad rather than the high-rise buildings and large mansions.

Hutong is a typical lane or small street in Beijing that originated during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). "Hutong" is a Mongolian word, meaning "water well". During that time, water well is the settlement around which people lived. There are tens of thousands of hutongs surrounding the Forbidden City. In the past, Beijing was composed of countless courtyards. Hutongs were formed when people left a passageway between two courtyards to make entering them more convenient.

As the symbol of Beijing City, a hutong has its own layout and structure, which makes it a wonder in the world. When taking a bird's eye view of Beijing, you will find the combination of hutongs and courtyards just like an orderly chessboard with delicate gardens, fine rockeries, and ancient ruins. Hutongs have witnessed the development of Beijing. Where there is a hutong, there is a story.

And today's destination is 烟袋斜街，and its English name is Skewed Tobacco Pouch Street.

Yandaixie Street (Tobacco Pipe Lane) begins from Di An Men Wai street and intersects with Xiao Shi Pai Hutong and Yaer Hutong. It is in the direction of Northwest-Southwest with a length of 232 meters. Legend has it that residents of the north were favor of smoking, which encouraged a booming business of tobacco pipes along the street. Hence the name. There is a tobacco pipe shop named “Shuang Sheng Tai”to the east of Yandaixie Street. In the front of the shop stands a wooden tobacco pipe of a man’s height, thick like a bowl. With its red fringes attached to the golden tobacco pan, it is very eye-catching and can be the biggest tobacco pipe in Beijing. According to ancient books, during the reign of Qian Long emperor of Qing Dynasty, this street was originally named Gu Lou Xie street. As this shop sign of big tobacco pipe became known near and far, the street name was changed to the present form.
  

  Besides, Yandaixie Street itself is indeed shaped like a pipe. The narrow lane is like a pipe stem; the east entrance is like pipe mouth and the west entrance turn to the Sycee bridge looks like holder of tobacco. Nowadays Yandaixie Street has become a linkage of three scenic spots: the Bell and Drum Tower, Di An Men, and Houhai. With the plan of the ShiChaHai city development committee, the street now takes a new look after reconstruction and opening of tourists-targeted ethnic handwork shops and various bars. Foreign visitors always frequented this unique street. At night, colorful lights shroud the place in romance and prosperity.

    Yandaixie Street connects the past and present of Beijing. The Bell and Drum Tower displays genuine Old Beijing characters with its magnificence and majesty, while entering Yandaixie Street you come to experience modernity and commercial atmosphere. This 300-meter witnessed the social transformation from the Ming Dynasty to today.

        Beijing's Hutongs

  Hutong culture History
   Protection of Hutong
      Famous Hutongs    Nanluoguxiang (Nanluoguxiang Hutong, 南锣鼓巷) 
                                     Beijing Liulichang Culture Street