We have recently discovered Sidelights on Peking Life from 1927, a book that easily qualifies as one of the best books on Hutong life in the capital that we have ever come across.

In 1912, the last emperor of China abdicated. One of the first things the new Republic did was to address the problem of creating a national language in China. The country’s multiple so-called “dialects” were so strong that they were in fact independent languages, with their own grammar and pronunciation.

The Boxer incident is one of the most fascinating, decisive and utterly contradictory events in Beijing’s modern history. Preston’s book is based on source material produced by the foreigners that were besieged inside Beijing’s diplomatic quarter for 55 days in the year 1900.

Undertaking a police investigation is also a kind of historical research. In the files attention will be directed at small details, habits and routines that are often difficult to connect with through other sources. The Pamela Werner murder case from 1937 is no exception.

Michael Meyer lived for two years in the Dashilar area. He interviewed residents and conducted research in many ways related to the Beijing Postcards project of today. “The Last Days of Old Beijing” is an extremely interesting peek into the world of the Hutongs around Dashilar around the times of the Olympics.