Wander the Old Hutong

To get a sense of Beijing's past, wander through the tiny alleyways, or hutong, starting at the central Houhai lakes and heading east through the narrow lanes, which once defined the entire city. Traditional siheyuan, four-sided buildings with a courtyard in the middle, once housed a single family, but as the population exploded they were split between up to ten families. Though most still don’t have plumbing, many have been renovated by private owners. After a couple of blocks you will arrive at Nanluoguxiang Hutong, an official "Olympic Lane." This has become one of Beijing’s most sought-after areas to live in, and both sides of the newly paved street now have small, unique cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. “There’s 780 years of history here,” says Dominic Johnson-Hill, owner of Plastered, a popular t-shirt shop. “It’s always been a commercial trading street and now the theme is different, but it is being preserved.”