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Dongsi Hutong is located on Dongsi North Street, Dongcheng District. It is a hutong with the characteristics of old Beijing.
On the east side of Dongsi North Street, there are 14 alleys named "Dongsi Toutiao" to "Dongsi Sisi Tiao" from south to north.
When Beijing sorted out its place names in 1965, the two alleys to the north of “Twelve Lanes” were renamed “Thirteen Lanes” and “Fourteen Lanes” respectively.
The Hutong has gone through 700 years of changes, but its structure has not changed to this day. There are ancient gatehouses and old-style shops on both sides of the streets.
The cultural relics surveyed and registered in Dongcheng District, such as Mianyi Residence and Baoquan Bureau Dongzuo Factory, are all located in this alley. Walking in the streets is like traveling through a time tunnel.
Attraction Location: "Dongcheng District, Beijing, China (北京市东城区东四胡同)"
History: Dongsi Hutongs are a network of traditional alleys (胡同) in Beijing, dating back to the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. They were originally residential areas for officials and commoners, preserving the historical urban layout of old Beijing. The area has witnessed centuries of local life and culture.
Architecture: The hutongs feature traditional courtyard houses (四合院), narrow alleys, red brick walls, grey tiled roofs, and wooden doors with engraved couplets. Some hutongs retain original stone-paved lanes and historic wells.
Cultural Value: Dongsi Hutongs are cultural relics representing the daily life, social structure, and architectural style of old Beijing. They are also an example of community-based urban living and have inspired local art, literature, and photography.
Other Information: Many hutongs now house boutique cafes, art galleries, and small shops, making them a combination of history and contemporary culture. Walking tours often include stories about local residents, famous historical figures, and traditional crafts.
Opening Hours: "Open 24 hours – public alleys, buildings may have specific visiting hours"
Contact Number: "N/A – public area"
Ticket Price: "Free to walk the alleys"
"Some museums or private courtyard tours may charge 10–50 CNY per entry"
Best Photo Spots: Traditional courtyard gates (四合院门口), narrow stone-paved lanes, local shops, murals, and colorful lanterns
Time Reference: 1–2 hours for a casual walk; 3–4 hours for detailed exploration with photography
Other Information: Early morning or late afternoon offers the best lighting. Weekdays are less crowded than weekends.
Luxury: Waldorf Astoria Beijing (北京华尔道夫酒店) – 10 min taxi
The Opposite House (瑜舍酒店, Sanlitun) – 15 min taxi
Mid-range: Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing (北京王府井铂尔曼酒店) – 10 min taxi
Novotel Beijing Peace (北京诺富特和平宾馆) – 12 min taxi
Budget & Boutique: Beijing 161 Dongsi Courtyard Hostel (北京161东四四合院青年旅舍) – 5 min walk
Beijing Double Happiness Courtyard Hotel (北京双喜四合院酒店) – 8 min walk
Must-Try Dishes: Beijing roast duck (北京烤鸭), Dongsi-style noodles (东四面馆), Hot and Sour Soup (酸辣汤)
Famous Spots: Dongsi Noodle Shop (东四面馆) – 5 min walk
Li Qun Roast Duck (利群烤鸭店) – 10 min walk
Local snack stalls along Dongsi Hutongs (胡同小吃)
Half-Day Cultural Walk: Dongsi Hutongs → Nanluoguxiang Hutong → Drum & Bell Towers
Transportation: Walk 10–15 min between attractions
Full-Day Historical Exploration: D1: Dongsi Hutongs → Confucius Temple & Guozijian Museum → Dongjiaominxiang
Transportation: Walk or short taxi rides 10–15 min
Two-Day Old Beijing Tour: D1: Dongsi Hutongs → Nanluoguxiang → Drum & Bell Towers → Lama Temple (雍和宫)
D2: Dongjiaominxiang → Confucius Temple → Wangfujing Street (王府井大街)
Transportation: Subway, taxi, and walking
I couldn't visit the museum in Dongsi on Sunday, but it was nice to visit the alleys. Unfortunately, I couldn't visit them because they were closed or used for other purposes. Fortunately, the sky was blue. I also saw the door of an old-fashioned photo studio, which was quite interesting.
Dongsi Street was called Cross Street in the Yuan Dynasty and was a very prosperous commercial street. During the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, four archways were built at the intersection of Dongsi Street, namely the East, West, South and North Archways. These are the well-known "Dongsi Archways", from which the place name Dongsi came. These four archways are all four-pillar and three-story style. The archway on the east side is inscribed with "Lü Ren", the archway on the west side is inscribed with "Xing Yi", and the archways on the north and south sides are inscribed with "Da Shi Jie".
#Beijing Tour#
Dongsi Hutong
Early in the morning,
Go out for a walk,
Say this sentence,
How do you feel?
I have rashly turned into an old lady👵.
Living near Dongsi,
Just strolling around.
There are many alleys.
Looks good on the outside,
If you go in,
The yard is actually quite messy.
There are public toilets in every alley.
Haha, this is what I saw.
Dongsi Hutong in Beijing is a place where you can get a glimpse of the old Beijing style and explore the past. If you want to go, I suggest you choose the three, eight, and nine alleys that are relatively well preserved. Of course, if there are anecdotes about people you want to find, then go there specifically.
Dongsi Hutong belongs to the Beijing Old City Historical and Cultural Protection Area. The courtyards, hutongs and streets in this area were developed on the basis of the street pattern of the Yuan Dynasty. It is an important traditional neighborhood in Beijing during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. I like the hutongs in old Beijing very much. It seems that there are many stories in each hutong, waiting for you to dig and explore! Beijing's hutongs are regarded as brick-built history, a "chronicle" with twists and turns. Especially in the Dongsi area, such hutongs can still have a bit of the feeling of old Beijing! So when you come to Beijing, you must see the old hutongs in Beijing, so that you will have a different feeling!
One of the historical protection areas of Beijing, in addition to Nanluoguxiang, there are also Longfu Temple, Dongsi Toutiao to Dongsi Sitiao, and a large area of old Beijing courtyards. Many celebrities have lived here. There is a Dongsi Hutong Museum in Dongsi Sitiao Hutong. In Banchang Hutong is the old house of Senggelinqin, the iron-hat king of the late Qing Dynasty.