Photos: Wang Zi/GT

In local residents' minds, Nanluoguxiang is like a centipede with many little feet made up of the little lanes that cross it from east to west. Walking along the popular stretch, it's possible to duck down and investigate some of the lesser-known feet along the way.  

Little store mirrors the past

At the easternmost access of Yuer Hutong lives a 29-year-old Beijinger named An Ran who still remembers the flavor of old Beijing - literally. When An was a little boy, he still could see the traditional Beijing snacks sold on the street. The vendors would loiter around the hutong with carts full of snacks. Their voices were like a magnet that drew the local residents in the lane, but An was not among them, as his grandfather was a food vendor himself, which allowed An to taste the savory Beijing snacks right out of his family kitchen. 

Just a month ago he invested about 80,000 yuan ($12,383) and opened up a little restaurant serving the kinds of traditional Beijing snacks his family made, like bao hu, or stir-fry lamb with leeks; tang juan guo, suan mei tang, or syrup of plum; and bao hu shao bing, sesame seed cake with lamb stuffing. The tang juan guo contains chopped yam, jujube, and some other fruits. After the delicate cooking process of stewing and frying, the snack arrives on the table. 

"These snacks are all in the Hui ethnic tradition that has taken a certain amount of population in town for hundreds of years," said An, who is of the Hui ethnicity himself.

An's home is on the either side of the hutong in No. 1. As a pure Beijinger who grew up in this place, he certainly cherished his own lovely memory about this old courtyard. An said that many houses here in this lane have connections with either wealthy people or celebrities. No. 1 was no exception. An said that before 1949, here was the former residence of a commander of the Republic of China named Pang Shixun. Although this three-courtyard siheyuan has the faded painting of other old houses, the large structure indicates its previous status. Now this place is not just where An lives, but also where he prepares the food for his guests in the store.

The assembly of big names

On the west side of the lane is No. 31. A later renovated iron door tightly closed off from outsiders adds a sense of mystery to what is inside, but still I stopped by in an attempt to assuage my curiosity, which was piqued by the outstanding screen wall on its opposite side, which normally indicates the high social status of its original owners. Lin, a 60-year-old resident, satisfied my curiosity. "This door is now occupied by the later generations of the former general of the liberated army, Luo Ronghuan," she said. According to Lin, in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) this was a prince's mansion. "This screen wall is likely to be one of the last remaining witnesses," Lin said. 

During the Republic of China (1912-1949), a bank governor occupied No. 31 before the general's family moved in after 1949. At that time it was not just a single two-courtyard siheyuan as today; No. 33 on its side was also part of it. Interestingly, this house was also the dwelling of another famous commander called Su Yu who, like Luo, was one of the great army leaders and also the founders of the PRC.

One other person who also found related to this lane is Qi Baishi, the famous Chinese painter who was well known for painting small animals like shrimp. Officials presented Qi with a place for working and living at No.13, but he just lived here for only about half a year. 

Further down to the east, are several traditional stylish buildings that are under construction. Local residents said that this would become another site of attraction spots connecting Houhai and Nanluoguxiang together for visitors to explore easily. The construction has been going on for around a year. By the time it is completed, this hutong might be ready to have more visitors that hopefully will add some fresh but not ostentatious atmosphere to this lane.