On the morning of September 22, after breakfast, we got a glimpse of ordinary Chinese life on a tour of Beijing’s hutong. These old residential neighborhoods consist of acres of low, flat roofed buildings crisscrossed by narrow lanes. On a walking tour down some of these passageways, we found everyday life proceeding unconcerned with the great events of nations; children playing…the sounds and smells of food being prepared…merchants setting up shops…all the things that make one appreciate China’s humanity which is often overshadowed by the grandiose monuments that dominate the experience of most tourists.

In the hutong, the banner over one's doorway and the size of the statue at the entrance indicates the status of the resident in the neighborhood.

Typical vendor's stall.

Ginger finds a sign advertising Jack Daniels Whiskey (her favorite).

A side "street" in the hutong.

It was during our visit to Beijing's hutong that we made our first "home visit". The picture below is of a lovely 87 year old Chinese lady taken in the alley next to her flat. Her husband is suffering from advanced alzheimer desease and was unavailable. She welcomed us into her very small 3 room home, treated us to tea, and answered all our questions about her life in the hutong. She had her feet bound as a child which was the fashion. It hampers her getting around somewhat but she is very cheerful and very humorous. It was during this visit that we learned that everybody living in an urban area of China has a sewing machine, a cell phone and a rather nice T.V. set. She has a daughter who lives nearby who visits her daily.

Here is a picture of Ginger with our lovely hostess.

After this visit we left Bejing on an overnight train to Xi'an.