Hutongs, Drum Tower, and Bell Tower

The old residences of Beijing are neighborhoods of narrow, winding streets, called hutongs, off which short passageways connect to courtyards of the small homes.   Several of these hutong neighborhoods have been restored and provide both modern living space and a view of the old city life.

I hop on the Metro to Beixinqiao station, north of the Forbidden City and right at the entrance to Nanluoguxiang, also known as South Lugou Lane, 800 years old and one of the oldest alleys in Beijing.

Entrance to Nanluoguxiang

Nanluoguxiang is about 800 meters (1/2 mile) long, with sixteen hutongs branching off it, eight on each side.  Packed with cafes, bars, and boutiques, this is a vibrant and exciting place and I can feel the energy of people having a good time!

Map of Nanluoguxiang alleyway (South Lugou Lane) and hutongs branching off

 I wander down the alley, taking it all in.

Nanluoguxiang shops, cafes, and bars

I explore several of the sixteen hutongs, but the true living areas are down passages to small courtyards and I only get a few brief glances from the hutongs.

 Hutongs off Nanluoguxiang

After walking of the alley from south to north, I exit the hutong area and walk a few blocks over to the Bell and Drum Towers, at the top of the  Nanluoguxiang neighborhood.  Originally built in 1272, these towers provided the official time in Beijing through the Yung, Qing, and Ming dynasties (until 1924), with a morning bell provided by a the huge bronze bell in the Bell Tower and an evening drum from the 25 watchman's drums in the Drum Tower.

Bell Tower

Drum Tower

 People playing in the courtyard between the towers

This has been another interesting exploration and I move on to find a new adventure.

Yonghe [Lama] Temple in Beijing

Once an imperial residence, the Yonghe Temple is also known as the Yonghe Lamasery, or Lama Temple, a monastery for Tibetan Buddhist monks.  Started in 1694 as an official court residence, the property is still a functioning temple and very popular tourist destination.

Entrance to the Lama Temple

 A popular place!

The temple consists of five main halls off a central corridor, with worshipers throughout the complex.

 

 Burning incense and worshiping

The buildings are spectacular, inside and out.

 Great temple buildings

 Inside the temple buildings

It must be very distracting to worship here with all the tourists pushing by, taking pictures, and generally getting in the way.  But, everyone seems to get along and do their own thing.  Finally, deep into the temple, I come to the golden Buddha statues, sitting and standing.  Wow, truly impressive!

Buddha statues

I wander back through the complex, toward the entrance, watching worshipers pray and spin the prayer wheel and tourists gawk and photograph.  A few other buildings have displays that I pop in and view.

A few more sites, inside and out

Prayer wheel and temple map

It's been a busy day, with the Confucius Temple and the Lama Temple.  Time to head out and see some of the city itself.

Temple of Confucius in Beijing

The Temple of Confucius in Beijing is the second largest in China, after the one in Confucius' home town of Qufu.  Built from 1302-1306, the temple was used to offer sacrifices to Confucius until the early 1900s and consists of 22,000 square meters (237,000 square feet) of halls, houses, and courtyards.

I approach the temple down a beautiful tree-lined residential street and enter through the main gate.

Street outside temple

Entrance to temple

Just inside, I walk up to Da Cheng Hall, the main structure in the temple.  Originally built in 1302 and rebuilt in 1411, the emperors worshiped Confucius in this hall.

 Da Cheng Hall

Outside, the courtyards are welcoming places to rest and continue to explore.  I wander into one courtyard and find a monk instructing young attentive kids.

 Class in the courtyard

Off the courtyard is a room full of steles, stone slabs carved by, or in honor of, the emperors.  This group contains the forward, written by Emperor Qianlong in 1792, for thirteen Confucian classics written by Jiang Heng.

Emperor's foreword

Next to it are 189 stone steles engraved with the thirteen Confucian classics, a total of 628,000 Chinese characters that took twelve years to complete.

The Confucian classics

Back outside, I see more great buildings in the complex, with the interiors impeccably restored.

 Buildings in the complex

Interior

In the courtyards are small buildings with more stone steles ordered by various emperors to commemorate important events.

 Buiding and stele inside

And, some small museums provide information on Confucius and life in that era.

 Several small museums

I wander some, then head back out into the courtyards to find the next adventure, the Lama Temple down the road.

 Great courtyards

Back out on the street