In the increasingly metropolitan city of Beijing, an ordinary Chinese person would undoubtedly choose the comfort and convenience of apartment buildings over the hutongs, which have very little space – and sometimes force renters to share a common bathroom. 

Yet, it’s these hutongs that expats – especially those from developed countries – choose to live in. So what is it about the traditional old alleys, which many Chinese view as inconvenient and uncomfortable, that expats like? 

For some, the hutongs are a way to escape the urban jungle of steel and cement. Hidden among the viaducts and skyscrapers are hutongs that are “a little bit like magic,” described an expat we talked to. “The minute you step into them, all the noise from the traffic completely disappears and all that’s left is a calm and tranquil environment…you can walk around and get lost in this labyrinth that feels like a different world.” 

However, hutongs are becoming rarer as many of them have been demolished to make way for new roads and buildings since the mid-20th century.

Luckily, however, many hutongs have been designated as protected, to maintain some of the magic of old Beijing for both expats and locals.