Unless one has roamed through Beijing's old, narrow streets, known as hutongs, and penetrated inside the gates of the siheyuan, the old quadrangles, it would be hard for a foreign visitor to say, "I have been to Beijing".

The hutongs have existed in the center of Beijing for centuries. Several thousand lanes, alleys and quadrangles formed residential areas for ordinary people living in the capital, giving it a very distinctive character.

The atmosphere of peace and solitude has also nurtured numerous Chinese celebrities, such as writers Lu Xun and Lao She, painter Qi Baishi, and opera artist Mei Lanfang.

Today, as Beijing develops into an international metropolis, its lanes and alleyways are fast disappearing. But there are still more than 1,000 left.

A new pastime--roaming through the lanes by old-fashioned pedicab to visit the siheyuan and learn about the daily life of ordinary Beijing citizens-- has attracted more and more overseas visitors.

A day tour through hutongs gives visitors fresh insight into Beijing's local life.

* Start from the north entrance to the Beihai Park by pedicab to the picturesque Shishahai Lake area.

* Visit the Bell and Drum Towers to enjoy a bird's-eye view of the city.

* Visit the neighborhood in the rear of the Shishahai Lake area, a broad expanse of water surrounded by willows, locust trees and poplars, where people boat in summer and skate in winter. Then, walk in the nearby hutongs to drop in on one or two courtyard-style homes and, if arranged, have a meal with a family.

* Visit the mansion and garden of Prince Gong of the Qing Dynasty. The 1,000-room mansion is the most exquisitely decorated and best preserved among the princely mansions in Beijing. The garden covers 25,000 square meters, with artificial rockeries, covered corridors and pavilions. It is said that the Grand View Garden described in the novel A Dream of Red Mansions was modeled after it.

Departure 200 meters west of Beihai Park's north entrance, 8:50 am and 1:30 pm daily.

Tel: 66159097

from Beijing Review