Hutong is an ancient city alley peculiar to Beijing. Beijing has more than 4,550 Hutong. Those surrounding the Forbidden City and taking Prince Gong's Residence, as the center are the best preserved.
The buildings in Beijing hutong are mainly compounds with houses around a courtyard, also known as quadrangles. Narrow passages between these quadrangles linked one with the other are hutong. The hutong in Beijing was mainly formed in the Yuan (1279-1368), Ming and Qing dynasties.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 hutong's conditions improved. In recent years, the houses in many hutongs have been pulled down and replaced by modern buildings. Many hutong dwellers have moved to new houses. Tourists may have a tour of the 700-year old hutong in Beijing by tricycle.