![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.kerry.net.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/Hutongs-Nov-28-2010-015.jpg\" "\\"Hutongs")
<\/a><\/p>\nThis was one of them.<\/p>\n
View through the open gate.\u00a0 Additional buildings have been added\u00a0since the \u00a0original design.<\/p>\n Another view through the gate.\u00a0 The power boards indicate the large number of households living in the compound.\u00a0 Compounds differ in size although none like this seemed overly large.<\/p>\n One of the hutongs with mother and child.\u00a0 This cross between a wheeled skateboard and a bike is popular with littlies.<\/p>\n One of\u00a0a pair of carved marble pieces at the entrance to\u00a0a gate.\u00a0 It is new as most are very worn.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Gate knocker<\/p>\n The entrance<\/p>\n There was even room for a garage.<\/p>\n Bird on a pole in the street.\u00a0<\/p>\n There were two sets of pole perches for the birds set amid the remains of a potted garden.\u00a0 The red object at the end is a rickshaw.<\/p>\n Entrance to a porcelain shop.<\/p>\n Some of the porcelain on display<\/p>\n The birds were moved andwere now sunning themselves in the open area near the Bell Tower.<\/p>\n The Bell Tower.\u00a0 The Drum Tower is connected to it by the same paving\u00a0\u00a0and is\u00a0a short distance away.\u00a0 They were used for marking time in ancient Beijing.<\/p>\n This the back of the Drum Tower at dusk from the street behind it.<\/p>\n I was taken to a courtyard home behind one of the hutong gates where residents are prepared to be disturbed for a price.\u00a0 These courtyards are called shiheyuan.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n