The interlacing hutongs and siheyuans scattered throughout Beijing are one of the most recognizable features of the capital. The gray pathways provide an insight into the lifestyle of locals today and centuries prior, appealing to tourists and oldtimers alike with their unique charm.

The front gate of Dongsi Hutong Museum

Now, the Dongsi Hutong Museum hopes to capture that magic and teach visitors about the way of hutong life through art installations, interactive presentations, and snapshots into the past. Dongsi itself is a fitting location given that it’s an area tic-tac-toed with lanes that stretch out and connect hundreds of small alleys in the heart of Beijing.

READ: Cultural Preservation Goes Far Deeper Than Bricks and Mortar for This Hutong Hero

It took three years for the Chitu Public Art Center to design and renovate the former weather-beaten siheyuan into a museum, which consists of five exhibition areas and exhibits spanning the centuries-long history and culture flourished at Dongsi area.

This mirrored arch, one of the museum’s numerous art installations, bridges the outer and inner courtyards

After entering the yard, visitors are greeted by a second gate, an indispensable part of siheyuan, which acts as a divider between the outer and inner courtyards as well as beautifying the complex. The striking red color has been achieved by mixing the paint the traditional way, namely, a mixture of pig blood and abrasin oil.

The exhibition area to the left of the yard features old photos of streetscapes and scenes of daily life in the surrounding neighborhood. Those looking for Instagram-friendly photos will find plenty of fodder in the room hiding behind the glass wall; an exhibition of eaves tiles that are made from traditional and modern materials – one of the museum’s ingenious installations that sets it apart from some of its stuffier counterparts.

The hanging tile display is another example of how the designers modernized the space

There are also short videos that explain some of Beijing’s century-old brands, traditional local foods, and daily life, as well as four black and white videos with actors dressed in authentic historical garb who explain things such as how one would greet people with different social statuses during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912).

Actors reenact vestiges of Qing dynasty culture

Another highlight of the exhibition is the collection of old daily items donated by residents living nearby, including big vats for keeping fish and lotuses, gate piers, tiles, and old chests, providing an insight into daily life in the hutong. Additionally, there are intricate models of old streets and courtyards to help visitors get a closer look at the architecture and learn about the many famous residences nearby.

Who says learning doesn’t have to look great?

According to official records, there were just over 6,000 of these narrow hutongs in Beijing in the late 1980s. Since then, they’ve witnessed rapid demolition and reconfiguration, imbuing the approximately 1,000 hutongs left with a fair dose of nostalgia, especially for those who grew up within their warren-like grasp. Such figures make museums like this one all the more important in remembering the beauty of the past before it’s too late.

Looking for more hutong history? Try the Shijia Hutong Museum.

Dongsi Hutong Museum
Tue-Sat 10am-5pm. 77 Dongsisitiao Hutong, Dongcheng District (6402 7581)
东四胡同博物馆：东城区东四四条77条

This post first appeared on our sister site, the Beijinger.
Photos: 金伟琦, Huang Chenkuang

As I prepare to apply to grad school, I’m slowly getting used to the idea that I won’t be in Beijing this time next year. The prospect of leaving brings with it powerfully complicated emotions, but as a freelancer I’m lucky enough to have the time and freedom to bid the city a long goodbye.

With this in mind, I put together a Beijing bucket list with places I always meant to visit but never got around to. These range from the jaw-droppingly obvious (Yiheyuan, Yonghegong) to the obscure (Lao She Memorial Hall), terrifying (winter swim in Houhai), and pointless (loitering by the North Korean Embassy).

That’s the premise that brought me to the Poly Art Museum this weekend. Despite its bizarre location in an office building, I was stunned by the small but exquisite collection of Buddhist stone carvings and Chinese bronzes. 

Located on the ninth floor of the imposing New Poly Plaza, the museum is administered by a state-owned enterprise specializing in arts and culture.

Though my boyfriend and I visited on a Saturday, there were only a handful of other people there. We started with the room of Buddhist stone carvings from the Tang, Northern Wei, and Northern Qi dynasties. Most of the pieces weren’t glassed in at all, allowing us to take full advantage of the fact that pictures were allowed.

In between snaps and accidental triggers of the motion sensor alarm, we exclaimed "Wow, look at this one! It’s so well-preserved!" over and over again like twin broken records.

We moved on to the main hall, which housed a show-stopping collection of bells, jars, wine vessels (zun and guang), lamps, and decorative elements from the Shang and Zhou dynasties – widely considered to be the pinnacle of bronze production in ancient China.

Some of the artifacts looked remarkably contemporary, like this rabbit guang that wouldn’t seem out of place at a twee lifestyle boutique in Gulou:

Others were downright silly:

And others puzzling (is that a moose Shrek with hands for antlers?):

There were many animal motifs as well as taotie, an animal-like mask with protruding eyes and without a lower jaw whose significance in Shang ritual bronzes is still debated by scholars.

The real centerpiece of the collection, however, was in a room to the right of the main hall:

These are four of the 12 bronze animal heads looted from the Old Summer Palace by Western forces in 1860. Designed by an Italian Jesuit for the Qianlong Emperor, the heads once stood around a fountain and spewed water.

Two years ago, one of France’s richest men acquired two more – the rabbit and the rat – and pledged to return them to China (VPN required), but no sign of them yet. The location of the rest are unknown.

"Sounds like the premise of a Jackie Chan movie," I quipped. My boyfriend whipped out his phone; a quick Google search revealed that, sure enough, there is already such a thing.

CZ12 is a 2012 Hong Kong action film starring Jackie Chan as a mercenary tasked with recovering the 12 animal heads. The movie culminates with an evil corporation that threatens to throw the valuable dragon head into an active volcano if no bids are received for it by noon on a specific day, causing Jackie Chan to sacrifice himself for its safe return to China. Seriously.

However, the animal heads currently on display at the Poly Art Museum are reproductions. An employee explained that the artifacts are often on loan to other institutions; she estimated the originals will be back in Beijing around Spring Festival.

All in all, the Poly Art Museum was a surprisingly pleasant way to spend 45 minutes to an hour. The premises were clean and well-lit with useful supporting materials such as diagrams showing cross-sections of ritual bronze vessels and clear impressions of faded designs in stone carvings. There’s a bathroom on the same floor just outside the museum.

I would opt to take visitors with limited time or a passing interest in Chinese art and culture here over a larger museum. At only RMB 20, admission is a steal.

More pictures:

Poly Art Museum 保利艺术博物馆

New Poly Plaza is located on the southwest corner of Dongsishitiao Bridge. There are two entrances: one on the north side of the building and one on the south side. If one is locked, head to the other. Tell the front desk you’re going to the museum and buy your ticket there, then take the elevator up. Audio guides available in Chinese.

RMB 20. Daily 9.30am-4.30pm. 9/F, New Poly Plaza, Chaoyangmen Beidajie, Dongcheng District (6500 8117)
 东城区东城区朝阳门北大街1号新保利大厦9层

Sijia Chen is a contributing editor at beijingkids and a freelance writer specializing in parenting, education, travel, environment, and culture. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, The Independent, Midnight Poutine, Rover Arts, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @sijiawrites or email her at sijiachen@beijing-kids.com.

Photos: Sijia Chen