Strolling through the hutongs, Beijing’s network of traditional narrow alleyways, one can easily get lost in their unique history-laden atmosphere. Among the capital’s thousands of old lanes, Shijia Hutong stands out for two reasons: its innate cultural value and the fact that it houses Beijing’s first hutong museum.
Walking into the alleyway’s courtyard No.24, visitors are greeted with decorations reminiscent of the early 20th century. The 1,000-square-meter Shijia Hutong museum, which welcomed its first visitors in 2013, consists of eight exhibition rooms, with the displayed items showing life as it was decades ago. The Memory of Time room holds more than 300 recordings capturing the sounds of old Beijing
