Dongsi Hutong Museum opened to the public on October 19th in Dongcheng District of the central Beijing. The museum offers visitors more knowledge about Beijing’s iconic traditional alleys and courtyards.
Dongsi Hutong Museum covers more than 1,000 square meters. The museum is located in a 28-room traditional courtyard in Dongsi Community that was built in the 1940s. The museum is divided into five exhibition areas and features exhibits such as old city-wall bricks, chimes, and structural parts of traditional Chinese buildings.
Hutong is a type of narrow alley commonly found in north Chinese cities, especially in Beijing. According to an official of the Dongsi Community, Zhang Zhiyong, it took three years to renovate the traditional courtyard and build it into a museum. Many residents in the neighborhood donated some old objects to the museum after learning about the plan. Zhang said that Dongsi Hutong Museum could not only help preserve the memories of courtyards and the Hutong culture, but also become a frequent place for nostalgic people in Beijing.