Nanluoguxiang- retail therapy

- Hidden Hutong

      Nanluoguxian is referred to as one of the most important stops for tourists when they travel though Beijing. This is especially true for those keen on retail therapy. It has several kilometers of shops, galleries and cafes. Many call it the most tourist friendly street in Beijing.

      It is a must see hutong. A hutong is a type of narrow street or alley that can be joined to other hutongs to form what can be considered a "neighborhood." They have the traditional architecture of Beijing with a modern crowd. Unfortunately, the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, many of the old hutongs of Beijing disappeared to make way for modern streets and skyscrapers. This caused an outcry for legal protection of these historic neighborhoods in the latter part of the twentieth century. Many hutong areas were then given protected status. Nanluoguxian has been one of these protected areas since 1990 and is sure to be around for tourists to enjoy for years to come.

    I'm excited to explore these neighborhoods and see what makes Nanluoguxiang a must see by so many people.

                                                                                                            -Taylor