After getting back to Beijing we had breakfast outside the train station and headed to our hotel. Our hotel was located in a historic hutong area in the heart of the city. Hutong means a type of alley or narrow street found especially in Beijing.
We wanted to stay in the hutong area, so we could have an unique experience that we would not get in other hotels.
Our hotel was located right in the middle of old preserved traditional homes. This gave us an authentic experience to the everyday life of the people, who still live in a hutong neighbor. Many of the hutong areas have disappeared over the years to make room for roads and modern building.
With wanting to keep with old traditions, our hotel had shadow puppet shows in the evening. Between the shows they gave us the history of shadow puppets. They are trying very hard to keep this dying art alive. They even offered a class to make your own shadow puppet.
We were able to go backstage and work the puppets for ourselves.
Dumpling making classes were also offered a few nights a week at the hotel.
Right down the street from our hotel there was a park and Lake Houhai. It was fun to walk to the park and see what the local people were doing. It was also a very pleasant walk around Lake Houhai
Men brought their birds to the park and they hung the cages in the trees. The birds were singing away, the birds seemed very happy.
One man was getting a haircut while his child rode her bike.
Some of the people were practicing a martial art with swords.
Others were playing hacky sack.
We continued our walk around the lake,
They even had a man-made duck island in the lake with duck houses.
There was a nice walkway around the lake.
We saw lots of interesting things, like
candied apples and candied strawberries for sale..
There were lots of interesting doorways.
There were dancers.
The lake was really pretty.
There were quite a few shops and restaurants.
We really enjoyed our time by the lake, in the park and walking through the narrow streets and alleys in the hutong neighbor.