Hutong Tourism Case Study

Have you been to Beijing? Do you know those winding and narrow lanes which have attracted tourists from home and abroad? In Beijing, hutongs are alleys formed by lines of siheyuan---a kind of traditional courtyard residence (Meyer, 2008). Hutongs have witnessed the long history of Beijing (Fang, 2009). However, since the mid-20th century, the number of Hutongs has dropped dramatically as they were demolished to give way to population and household divisions and were replaced with other high-rise buildings (Gu & Ryan, 2008). The decline of Hutongs may therefore be considered an inevitable problem in Beijing. In an attempt to preserve the Hutongs as an aspect of Chinese culture, countermeasures such as policy implementation (Ryan & Huang, 2013), designating the historic landscape (Qian, 2008), and developing hutong tourism (Wang, 1997) are proposed to solve the problem and drive
It provides opportunities for tourists from all over the world to view the vernacular houses and move around hutongs, from which tourists can experience the local customs, lifestyle and culture (Wang,1997). Remarkably, local cultural identity can be communicated to visitors through the tour (Wang,1997). Despite the fact that the rights and privacy of the residents may be invaded and tourism will probably increase ‘social interactions’, tourism can not only protect hutongs and courtyards, but also bring economic benefits for the city and create jobs to ease employment pressure (Ryan et al.,2013). In addition, hutong tourism combines urban modernization and heritage preservation appropriately, promoting plenty of good quality restaurants while maintaining the local cultural values. (Ryan et al.,2013). With the advanced facilities and new heat pump systems, the quality of life of local residents can also be