What is all the fuss about?

When you arrive in Beijing you soon get the idea that the narrow hutong alleyways contain the very soul of China’s capital. But who built these charming maze-like neighbourhoods? History of the Hutong is the history of Beijing told through the hutongs. We will take on more than 2000 years of history and piece together a comprehensive narrative seen from street level. Utilizing a huge floor map of Beijing that we can stand on, old antique depictions of the city and other related archival material we will penetrate deep in to the urban maze of old Beijing in search for answers.

Where to start: Beijing Postcards, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Street (杨梅竹斜街97号)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

On January 8 1937 the body of a young foreign girl was found brutally mutilated at the foot of Beijing’s city wall. The murder shocked the foreign community in the capital and made headlines around the globe.

Based on the murder case we have created a walk that shows a largely unknown side of republican Beijing. At the center is the so-called Beijing Badlands, an area where white Russians and retired soldiers ran bars and brothels, catering to the respectable high society of the old Legation Quarter.

We will piece together the background story of a crime committed during the anxiety-filled days where China was on the brink of war with Japan. From the hutong where Pamela lived with her father, to the allegedly haunted Fox Tower where the body was found.

All of this is possible because by a remarkable coincidence all of the main sites of the crime case still exist to this day.

The unsolved murder of Pamela Werner was largely forgotten till the author Paul French stumbled upon an unlabeled box of dusty yellow paged files at the British National Archives. The documents mostly written by Pamela Werners father Edgar Chalmers Werner inspired Paul French to write his novel Midnight in Peking that became an instant bestseller when it came out in 2011.

The walk ends at the Beijing Postcards gallery where we will serve 1930 style cocktails and present archival material related to the case, not least a 200 pages long Chinese police report we've been able to obtain, that is not even mentioned in Paul French's book.

Where to meet: Near Beijing Railway Station

Cost: 450RMB per person

During the dynasties the Imperial Palace existed only as an idea to most people. It was the root of power. A mysterious presence that balanced heaven and earth. Present yet concealed right in the middle of the Capital. Stories of the castrated eunuch servants, the beautiful concubines and not least the vast amount of treasure in the palace were told all around the empire, but surrounded by a more than 10 meter high wall. No commoner could freely take a glance at the Imperial residence, in fact people did not even know what the emperor looked like. This was what earned the palace the name the Forbidden City. Today we can freely enter, hordes of people are everyday moving through the most sacred halls of Imperial China, but what is kept away from us, what we cannot readily access is the mindset, the ideas so deeply rooted in the imperial architecture.
“A Crash Course to the Forbidden City” is a humble attempt to unlock the meaning behind the chambers of the Palace. In a condensed and hopefully entertaining way, we wish to give you a comprehensive history of the palace from when it was built 600 years ago until when the last boy-emperor finally left in 1924.

Where to start: Donghuamen, East Gate of the Forbidden City (东华门)

Cost: 420RMB/person; 210RMB/child (for 7-12 years old)

Marvel at original historic maps of Beijing with a glass of whisky in your hand. Beijing Postcards will present details from 10 original Beijing maps in our collection, many of which we have just recently acquired. We will introduce the maps and focus on one noteworthy detail from each map and in this way frame the presentation.

Where to meet: Beijing Postcards Gallery, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Byway Dashilar (杨梅竹斜街97号)

Cost: 180RMB per person

What is all the fuss about?

When you arrive in Beijing you soon get the idea that the narrow hutong alleyways contain the very soul of China’s capital. But who built these charming maze-like neighbourhoods? History of the Hutong is the history of Beijing told through the hutongs. We will take on more than 2000 years of history and piece together a comprehensive narrative seen from street level. Utilizing a huge floor map of Beijing that we can stand on, old antique depictions of the city and other related archival material we will penetrate deep in to the urban maze of old Beijing in search for answers.

Where to start: Beijing Postcards, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Street (杨梅竹斜街97号)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

“The life and legend of Beijing’s most famous prostitute: Sai Jin Hua, a walk in Beijing’s old red light district” - the story of a very unlikely hero with tiny Lily feet.

A hundred years ago, in a country on the verge of collapse, a woman from the shadows stood up and defended her Chinese countrymen. Abandoned by the imperial government, and occupied by western forces looking for revenge, the fate of Beijing was placed on the narrow shoulders of a common courtesan. But who was this saint like figure? A plain prostitute or a Maria of the East? The lover of a German general? A Brothel Madam? An opium addict? Or a liar and a cheat?

Follow us, in the small footsteps of a very unlikely hero with tiny lily feet, through old opium dens and brothels still standing, when we look for answers. During this walk we will track down the life of Beijing’s most famous prostitute - Saijinhua, and create a portrait of Dashilar, the more than 600 year old commercial district of Beijing, and Ba Da Hutong - the old red light district. The Walk ends with an exhibition of related pictures from Beijing Postcards collection.

Where to meet: Beijing Postcards Gallery, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Byway Dashilar (杨梅竹斜街97号)

Cost: 300RMB per person

What is all the fuss about?

When you arrive in Beijing you soon get the idea that the narrow hutong alleyways contain the very soul of China’s capital. But who built these charming maze-like neighbourhoods? History of the Hutong is the history of Beijing told through the hutongs. We will take on more than 2000 years of history and piece together a comprehensive narrative seen from street level. Utilizing a huge floor map of Beijing that we can stand on, old antique depictions of the city and other related archival material we will penetrate deep in to the urban maze of old Beijing in search for answers.

Where to start: Beijing Postcards, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Street (杨梅竹斜街97号)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

​On the day before the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, the emperor left his palace and travelled to the Temple of Heaven. Drawn by elephants and with a 3000 man strong entourage, the son of heaven left his nest deep inside the Forbidden City at this exact time every year to perform the most important ritual of the empire, a ceremony that revitalized his powers and reconfirmed his status as the son of heaven. 

After fasting and purifying himself, the next morning the emperor humbly walked some hundred meters to take his place in the middle of the white marble altar where heaven and earth meet. Here he reported to the sky what had ocurred the last year in the empire and outlined his grand plans for the future, an obedient servant of heaven’s superiority.

The final leader to perform this ritual was the first president of China Yuan Shikai. It is quite telling that when he was scheming to abandon democracy and the republic to become an emperor in his own right in 1914 he chose this ritual as a way of supporting his claim to the throne. But heaven did not grant the little fat man an empire - instead he died in misery only a few years later.

Join us to explore the Temple of Heaven after dark. Illuminated at night, the altars are enhanced by an almost otherworldly beauty. Using a handheld projector we will display the history of the Temple, charting its path from a closed off Imperial altar ground to the beating heart of the city that it is today. We promise that the Temple of Heaven will reveal itself to you in a way you have never seen before. 

Note that with this evening walk it's not possible to visit the inside of the old architecture at night, but we will see the the architecture beautifully illuminated on the outside, something that is only possible on Friday and Saturday evenings or special holiday occasions.

Where to start: North gate of Temple of Heaven (天坛北门)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

On January 8 1937 the body of a young foreign girl was found brutally mutilated at the foot of Beijing’s city wall. The murder shocked the foreign community in the capital and made headlines around the globe.

Based on the murder case we have created a walk that shows a largely unknown side of republican Beijing. At the center is the so-called Beijing Badlands, an area where white Russians and retired soldiers ran bars and brothels, catering to the respectable high society of the old Legation Quarter.

We will piece together the background story of a crime committed during the anxiety-filled days where China was on the brink of war with Japan. From the hutong where Pamela lived with her father, to the allegedly haunted Fox Tower where the body was found.

All of this is possible because by a remarkable coincidence all of the main sites of the crime case still exist to this day.

The unsolved murder of Pamela Werner was largely forgotten till the author Paul French stumbled upon an unlabeled box of dusty yellow paged files at the British National Archives. The documents mostly written by Pamela Werners father Edgar Chalmers Werner inspired Paul French to write his novel Midnight in Peking that became an instant bestseller when it came out in 2011.

The walk ends at the Beijing Postcards gallery where we will serve 1930 style cocktails and present archival material related to the case, not least a 200 pages long Chinese police report we've been able to obtain, that is not even mentioned in Paul French's book.

Where to meet: Near Beijing Railway Station

Cost: 450RMB per person

​On the day before the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, the emperor left his palace and travelled to the Temple of Heaven. Drawn by elephants and with a 3000 man strong entourage, the son of heaven left his nest deep inside the Forbidden City at this exact time every year to perform the most important ritual of the empire, a ceremony that revitalized his powers and reconfirmed his status as the son of heaven. 

After fasting and purifying himself, the next morning the emperor humbly walked some hundred meters to take his place in the middle of the white marble altar where heaven and earth meet. Here he reported to the sky what had ocurred the last year in the empire and outlined his grand plans for the future, an obedient servant of heaven’s superiority.

The final leader to perform this ritual was the first president of China Yuan Shikai. It is quite telling that when he was scheming to abandon democracy and the republic to become an emperor in his own right in 1914 he chose this ritual as a way of supporting his claim to the throne. But heaven did not grant the little fat man an empire - instead he died in misery only a few years later.

Join us to explore the Temple of Heaven after dark. Illuminated at night, the altars are enhanced by an almost otherworldly beauty. Using a handheld projector we will display the history of the Temple, charting its path from a closed off Imperial altar ground to the beating heart of the city that it is today. We promise that the Temple of Heaven will reveal itself to you in a way you have never seen before. 

Note that with this evening walk it's not possible to visit the inside of the old architecture at night, but we will see the the architecture beautifully illuminated on the outside, something that is only possible on Friday and Saturday evenings or special holiday occasions.

Where to start: North gate of Temple of Heaven (天坛北门)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

During the dynasties the Imperial Palace existed only as an idea to most people. It was the root of power. A mysterious presence that balanced heaven and earth. Present yet concealed right in the middle of the Capital. Stories of the castrated eunuch servants, the beautiful concubines and not least the vast amount of treasure in the palace were told all around the empire, but surrounded by a more than 10 meter high wall. No commoner could freely take a glance at the Imperial residence, in fact people did not even know what the emperor looked like. This was what earned the palace the name the Forbidden City. Today we can freely enter, hordes of people are everyday moving through the most sacred halls of Imperial China, but what is kept away from us, what we cannot readily access is the mindset, the ideas so deeply rooted in the imperial architecture.
“A Crash Course to the Forbidden City” is a humble attempt to unlock the meaning behind the chambers of the Palace. In a condensed and hopefully entertaining way, we wish to give you a comprehensive history of the palace from when it was built 600 years ago until when the last boy-emperor finally left in 1924.

Where to start: Donghuamen, East Gate of the Forbidden City (东华门)

Cost: 420RMB/person; 210RMB/child (for 7-12 years old)

What is all the fuss about?

When you arrive in Beijing you soon get the idea that the narrow hutong alleyways contain the very soul of China’s capital. But who built these charming maze-like neighbourhoods? History of the Hutong is the history of Beijing told through the hutongs. We will take on more than 2000 years of history and piece together a comprehensive narrative seen from street level. Utilizing a huge floor map of Beijing that we can stand on, old antique depictions of the city and other related archival material we will penetrate deep in to the urban maze of old Beijing in search for answers.

Where to start: Beijing Postcards, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Street (杨梅竹斜街97号)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

Hear the incredible story of the summer of 1900, when 4,000 foreigners and Chinese lived under siege from radical mystic rebels for 55 days. Follow us into the old Legation Quarter to hear stories about the bombing of the French embassy, the wavering Qing Court and how 200,000 bullets flew into the sky without finding a single target. The walk ends at our hutong gallery for a small exhibition curated by Beijing Postcards of original photos and maps from the early 1900's.

Where to start: Chongwenmen Subway Station, Exit B (崇文门地铁站B口)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

During the dynasties the Imperial Palace existed only as an idea to most people. It was the root of power. A mysterious presence that balanced heaven and earth. Present yet concealed right in the middle of the Capital. Stories of the castrated eunuch servants, the beautiful concubines and not least the vast amount of treasure in the palace were told all around the empire, but surrounded by a more than 10 meter high wall. No commoner could freely take a glance at the Imperial residence, in fact people did not even know what the emperor looked like. This was what earned the palace the name the Forbidden City. Today we can freely enter, hordes of people are everyday moving through the most sacred halls of Imperial China, but what is kept away from us, what we cannot readily access is the mindset, the ideas so deeply rooted in the imperial architecture.
“A Crash Course to the Forbidden City” is a humble attempt to unlock the meaning behind the chambers of the Palace. In a condensed and hopefully entertaining way, we wish to give you a comprehensive history of the palace from when it was built 600 years ago until when the last boy-emperor finally left in 1924.

Where to start: Donghuamen, East Gate of the Forbidden City (东华门)

Cost: 420RMB/person; 210RMB/child (for 7-12 years old)

What is all the fuss about?

When you arrive in Beijing you soon get the idea that the narrow hutong alleyways contain the very soul of China’s capital. But who built these charming maze-like neighbourhoods? History of the Hutong is the history of Beijing told through the hutongs. We will take on more than 2000 years of history and piece together a comprehensive narrative seen from street level. Utilizing a huge floor map of Beijing that we can stand on, old antique depictions of the city and other related archival material we will penetrate deep in to the urban maze of old Beijing in search for answers.

Where to start: Beijing Postcards, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Street (杨梅竹斜街97号)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

​On the day before the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, the emperor left his palace and travelled to the Temple of Heaven. Drawn by elephants and with a 3000 man strong entourage, the son of heaven left his nest deep inside the Forbidden City at this exact time every year to perform the most important ritual of the empire, a ceremony that revitalized his powers and reconfirmed his status as the son of heaven. 

After fasting and purifying himself, the next morning the emperor humbly walked some hundred meters to take his place in the middle of the white marble altar where heaven and earth meet. Here he reported to the sky what had ocurred the last year in the empire and outlined his grand plans for the future, an obedient servant of heaven’s superiority.

The final leader to perform this ritual was the first president of China Yuan Shikai. It is quite telling that when he was scheming to abandon democracy and the republic to become an emperor in his own right in 1914 he chose this ritual as a way of supporting his claim to the throne. But heaven did not grant the little fat man an empire - instead he died in misery only a few years later.

Join us to explore the Temple of Heaven after dark. Illuminated at night, the altars are enhanced by an almost otherworldly beauty. Using a handheld projector we will display the history of the Temple, charting its path from a closed off Imperial altar ground to the beating heart of the city that it is today. We promise that the Temple of Heaven will reveal itself to you in a way you have never seen before. 

Note that with this evening walk it's not possible to visit the inside of the old architecture at night, but we will see the the architecture beautifully illuminated on the outside, something that is only possible on Friday and Saturday evenings or special holiday occasions.

Where to start: North gate of Temple of Heaven (天坛北门)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

“The life and legend of Beijing’s most famous prostitute: Sai Jin Hua, a walk in Beijing’s old red light district” - the story of a very unlikely hero with tiny Lily feet.

A hundred years ago, in a country on the verge of collapse, a woman from the shadows stood up and defended her Chinese countrymen. Abandoned by the imperial government, and occupied by western forces looking for revenge, the fate of Beijing was placed on the narrow shoulders of a common courtesan. But who was this saint like figure? A plain prostitute or a Maria of the East? The lover of a German general? A Brothel Madam? An opium addict? Or a liar and a cheat?

Follow us, in the small footsteps of a very unlikely hero with tiny lily feet, through old opium dens and brothels still standing, when we look for answers. During this walk we will track down the life of Beijing’s most famous prostitute - Saijinhua, and create a portrait of Dashilar, the more than 600 year old commercial district of Beijing, and Ba Da Hutong - the old red light district. The Walk ends with an exhibition of related pictures from Beijing Postcards collection.

Where to meet: Beijing Postcards Gallery, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Byway Dashilar (杨梅竹斜街97号)

Cost: 300RMB per person

Hear the incredible story of the summer of 1900, when 4,000 foreigners and Chinese lived under siege from radical mystic rebels for 55 days. Follow us into the old Legation Quarter to hear stories about the bombing of the French embassy, the wavering Qing Court and how 200,000 bullets flew into the sky without finding a single target. The walk ends at our hutong gallery for a small exhibition curated by Beijing Postcards of original photos and maps from the early 1900's.

Where to start: Chongwenmen Subway Station, Exit B (崇文门地铁站B口)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

What is all the fuss about?

When you arrive in Beijing you soon get the idea that the narrow hutong alleyways contain the very soul of China’s capital. But who built these charming maze-like neighbourhoods? History of the Hutong is the history of Beijing told through the hutongs. We will take on more than 2000 years of history and piece together a comprehensive narrative seen from street level. Utilizing a huge floor map of Beijing that we can stand on, old antique depictions of the city and other related archival material we will penetrate deep in to the urban maze of old Beijing in search for answers.

Where to start: Beijing Postcards, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Street (杨梅竹斜街97号)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

Hear the incredible story of the summer of 1900, when 4,000 foreigners and Chinese lived under siege from radical mystic rebels for 55 days. Follow us into the old Legation Quarter to hear stories about the bombing of the French embassy, the wavering Qing Court and how 200,000 bullets flew into the sky without finding a single target. The walk ends at our hutong gallery for a small exhibition curated by Beijing Postcards of original photos and maps from the early 1900's.

Where to start: Chongwenmen Subway Station, Exit B (崇文门地铁站B口)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

The Evolution of Modern Beijing is the story of how Beijing has developed over the last hundred years to become the city it is today.

What was the city like under imperial rule? How did it change after the last dynasty collapsed? What did the decision to move the capital to Nanjing in 1928 mean for Beijing? How did the Japanese occupation impact the city? And how come it is so difficult to find a piece of Cultural Revolution architecture? Join us as we search for answers to these questions and more.

We start the walk at the Urban Exhibition Center, where from the impressive miniature models we will get an idea of what the city looks like today and what it looked like during the dynasties.

To explore what came between then and now, we must venture into the hutongs. Walking through the narrow alleyways we will also discover the enormous changes that Beijing underwent following the communist liberation in 1949, when up through the 1950s Beijing was shaped like a “little Moscow”. Suddenly, for the first time in Beijing's history, the city became an industrial center. Production was even moved in to the densely populated hutong districts, when the communist powers sought to change society through the capital’s working class.

When we finally end the walk at the Beijing Postcards gallery, we will look at a display of original maps from our collection, tying together Beijing's development from a walled enclosure to the city of ever-expanding ring roads that we know today.

Where to meet: Beijing City Planning Exhibition Hall (北京城市规划展览馆) 100 meters from Qianmen Subway Station, Exit B

Cost: 300RMB per person; 150RMB/child

​On the day before the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, the emperor left his palace and travelled to the Temple of Heaven. Drawn by elephants and with a 3000 man strong entourage, the son of heaven left his nest deep inside the Forbidden City at this exact time every year to perform the most important ritual of the empire, a ceremony that revitalized his powers and reconfirmed his status as the son of heaven. 

After fasting and purifying himself, the next morning the emperor humbly walked some hundred meters to take his place in the middle of the white marble altar where heaven and earth meet. Here he reported to the sky what had ocurred the last year in the empire and outlined his grand plans for the future, an obedient servant of heaven’s superiority.

The final leader to perform this ritual was the first president of China Yuan Shikai. It is quite telling that when he was scheming to abandon democracy and the republic to become an emperor in his own right in 1914 he chose this ritual as a way of supporting his claim to the throne. But heaven did not grant the little fat man an empire - instead he died in misery only a few years later.

Join us to explore the Temple of Heaven after dark. Illuminated at night, the altars are enhanced by an almost otherworldly beauty. Using a handheld projector we will display the history of the Temple, charting its path from a closed off Imperial altar ground to the beating heart of the city that it is today. We promise that the Temple of Heaven will reveal itself to you in a way you have never seen before. 

Note that with this evening walk it's not possible to visit the inside of the old architecture at night, but we will see the the architecture beautifully illuminated on the outside, something that is only possible on Friday and Saturday evenings or special holiday occasions.

Where to start: North gate of Temple of Heaven (天坛北门)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

What is all the fuss about?

When you arrive in Beijing you soon get the idea that the narrow hutong alleyways contain the very soul of China’s capital. But who built these charming maze-like neighbourhoods? History of the Hutong is the history of Beijing told through the hutongs. We will take on more than 2000 years of history and piece together a comprehensive narrative seen from street level. Utilizing a huge floor map of Beijing that we can stand on, old antique depictions of the city and other related archival material we will penetrate deep in to the urban maze of old Beijing in search for answers.

Where to start: Beijing Postcards, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Street (杨梅竹斜街97号)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

During the dynasties the Imperial Palace existed only as an idea to most people. It was the root of power. A mysterious presence that balanced heaven and earth. Present yet concealed right in the middle of the Capital. Stories of the castrated eunuch servants, the beautiful concubines and not least the vast amount of treasure in the palace were told all around the empire, but surrounded by a more than 10 meter high wall. No commoner could freely take a glance at the Imperial residence, in fact people did not even know what the emperor looked like. This was what earned the palace the name the Forbidden City. Today we can freely enter, hordes of people are everyday moving through the most sacred halls of Imperial China, but what is kept away from us, what we cannot readily access is the mindset, the ideas so deeply rooted in the imperial architecture.
“A Crash Course to the Forbidden City” is a humble attempt to unlock the meaning behind the chambers of the Palace. In a condensed and hopefully entertaining way, we wish to give you a comprehensive history of the palace from when it was built 600 years ago until when the last boy-emperor finally left in 1924.

Where to start: Donghuamen, East Gate of the Forbidden City (东华门)

Cost: 420RMB/person; 210RMB/child (for 7-12 years old)

​On the day before the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, the emperor left his palace and travelled to the Temple of Heaven. Drawn by elephants and with a 3000 man strong entourage, the son of heaven left his nest deep inside the Forbidden City at this exact time every year to perform the most important ritual of the empire, a ceremony that revitalized his powers and reconfirmed his status as the son of heaven. 

After fasting and purifying himself, the next morning the emperor humbly walked some hundred meters to take his place in the middle of the white marble altar where heaven and earth meet. Here he reported to the sky what had ocurred the last year in the empire and outlined his grand plans for the future, an obedient servant of heaven’s superiority.

The final leader to perform this ritual was the first president of China Yuan Shikai. It is quite telling that when he was scheming to abandon democracy and the republic to become an emperor in his own right in 1914 he chose this ritual as a way of supporting his claim to the throne. But heaven did not grant the little fat man an empire - instead he died in misery only a few years later.

Join us to explore the Temple of Heaven after dark. Illuminated at night, the altars are enhanced by an almost otherworldly beauty. Using a handheld projector we will display the history of the Temple, charting its path from a closed off Imperial altar ground to the beating heart of the city that it is today. We promise that the Temple of Heaven will reveal itself to you in a way you have never seen before. 

Note that with this evening walk it's not possible to visit the inside of the old architecture at night, but we will see the the architecture beautifully illuminated on the outside, something that is only possible on Friday and Saturday evenings or special holiday occasions.

Where to start: North gate of Temple of Heaven (天坛北门)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

Learn Beijing history on the run!

Join us on the day of the Moon Festival to participate in our Hutong Scavenger Hunt on the doorstep of the old city!

Navigate through the multi-layered history of Beijing and walk in the footsteps of warlords, red guards, imperial officials, and prostitutes with tiny lily feet to explore the old cultural melting pot of the Dashilar district. Pay attention as you pass by Republican brothels, communist factory halls, Qing dynasty mansions, and Beijing’s first stock exchange..., you will meet local residents that all have a story to tell.

You don’t need to have prior knowledge of history or Chinese language skills to take part, but the clock will be ticking as you desperately try to make sense of it all... 

Where to start: Beijing Postcards, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Byway (杨梅竹斜街97号)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

What is all the fuss about?

When you arrive in Beijing you soon get the idea that the narrow hutong alleyways contain the very soul of China’s capital. But who built these charming maze-like neighbourhoods? History of the Hutong is the history of Beijing told through the hutongs. We will take on more than 2000 years of history and piece together a comprehensive narrative seen from street level. Utilizing a huge floor map of Beijing that we can stand on, old antique depictions of the city and other related archival material we will penetrate deep in to the urban maze of old Beijing in search for answers.

Where to start: Beijing Postcards, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Street (杨梅竹斜街97号)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child

During the dynasties the Imperial Palace existed only as an idea to most people. It was the root of power. A mysterious presence that balanced heaven and earth. Present yet concealed right in the middle of the Capital. Stories of the castrated eunuch servants, the beautiful concubines and not least the vast amount of treasure in the palace were told all around the empire, but surrounded by a more than 10 meter high wall. No commoner could freely take a glance at the Imperial residence, in fact people did not even know what the emperor looked like. This was what earned the palace the name the Forbidden City. Today we can freely enter, hordes of people are everyday moving through the most sacred halls of Imperial China, but what is kept away from us, what we cannot readily access is the mindset, the ideas so deeply rooted in the imperial architecture.
“A Crash Course to the Forbidden City” is a humble attempt to unlock the meaning behind the chambers of the Palace. In a condensed and hopefully entertaining way, we wish to give you a comprehensive history of the palace from when it was built 600 years ago until when the last boy-emperor finally left in 1924.

Where to start: Donghuamen, East Gate of the Forbidden City (东华门)

Cost: 420RMB/person; 210RMB/child (for 7-12 years old)

“The life and legend of Beijing’s most famous prostitute: Sai Jin Hua, a walk in Beijing’s old red light district” - the story of a very unlikely hero with tiny Lily feet.

A hundred years ago, in a country on the verge of collapse, a woman from the shadows stood up and defended her Chinese countrymen. Abandoned by the imperial government, and occupied by western forces looking for revenge, the fate of Beijing was placed on the narrow shoulders of a common courtesan. But who was this saint like figure? A plain prostitute or a Maria of the East? The lover of a German general? A Brothel Madam? An opium addict? Or a liar and a cheat?

Follow us, in the small footsteps of a very unlikely hero with tiny lily feet, through old opium dens and brothels still standing, when we look for answers. During this walk we will track down the life of Beijing’s most famous prostitute - Saijinhua, and create a portrait of Dashilar, the more than 600 year old commercial district of Beijing, and Ba Da Hutong - the old red light district. The Walk ends with an exhibition of related pictures from Beijing Postcards collection.

Where to meet: Beijing Postcards Gallery, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Byway Dashilar (杨梅竹斜街97号)

Cost: 300RMB per person

What is all the fuss about?

When you arrive in Beijing you soon get the idea that the narrow hutong alleyways contain the very soul of China’s capital. But who built these charming maze-like neighbourhoods? History of the Hutong is the history of Beijing told through the hutongs. We will take on more than 2000 years of history and piece together a comprehensive narrative seen from street level. Utilizing a huge floor map of Beijing that we can stand on, old antique depictions of the city and other related archival material we will penetrate deep in to the urban maze of old Beijing in search for answers.

Where to start: Beijing Postcards, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Street (杨梅竹斜街97号)

Cost: 300RMB/person; 150RMB/child