Fading sounds of old Beijing

On a recent trip, Lisa and I spent a memorable afternoon in the hutongs, or alleyways, of old Beijing.  These ancient neighborhoods have streets that are too narrow for modern automobiles, so we visited the area by rickshaw.  We rolled past small shops, men playing board games, schoolchildren in uniform, and dozens of locals who were traveling to and fro on their bicycles.  Then our middle-aged driver invited us into his home, served us tea and beer, and incongruously showed us the Mel Gibson poster on his living rooom wall.

These memories came flooding back recently as a result of an NPR piece on the “lost sounds of old Beijing,” which was centered on the city’s historic hutongs, many of which are now being demolished to make way for modern apartments and offices.  Even if it’s not a trip down memory lane, it’s an intriguing glimpse into old China.

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