An ongoing passion for historic Beijing

Jiuguloudajie, south of the metro station, dates from the Yuan Dynasty. Venturing either west or east is like taking a walk back in time. The Gulou area offers many possibilities for exploration and photography, with many of its hutongs originating from the Yuan period. Walking east along Guowang Hutong, much remained familiar — the grey walls and tiled roofs of tree-shaded low-rise courtyard dwellings, children heading to and from school, three-wheeled bicycle carts pedaled by hawkers calling out for rubbish to be recycled, the distinctive clatter of beer bottles taken to or from small shops, knife-sharpeners plying their trade, pedicabs showing tourists around the homes of once-famed residents and so much more. As we walked, a monk from a temple in Shanxi ap-proached. He was also visiting, photographing the alleys.

Climatically, Beijing is located in a mostly dry zone. However, through many eras of history, partic-ularly the Yuan Dynasty, it was home to the emperors and their needs had to be met. East Central China, around Hangzhou and the Yangzi Delta, were humid and had abundant food output. Some of that had to come north, but how? The historic Grand Canal was significantly rebuilt during the Yuan and Ming eras to serve Beijing from nearby Tongzhou. Waterways connected it to the walled city with one flowing north of Dongzhimen to Jishuitan, where boats could pass through to Xihai and Houhai Lakes. Historic sketches show an area thronged with small wooden vessels. Around today’s Gulou West Street, the heart of old Beijing’s commercial district developed. It was a busy, busy place.