The Hutongs, or traditional alleyways of Beijing, are fading slowly, marking the disappearance of an 800 years old lifestyle. As the Chinese Capital grows, traditional homes are destroyed almost daily to make room for new infrastructures, buildings, skyscrapers or highways.

    The traditional neighborhoods are a bit more than 1000 today while their numbers were estimated between 3 000 to 7 000 in 1949, after the birth of the People’s Republic of China.

    Reportage made in 2010

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    Community life in the traditional alleyways of Beijing is predominant. As most homes are very tiny and warm in summer, inhabitants are usually seen sitting on their doorstep.

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    Children play next to their home, in a Hutong of Beijing.

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    A traditional alleyway, before sunset, in Beijing.

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    Cookers take a break from work in a traditional alley of beijing.

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    Poor Families often live in very tiny rooms, no larger than 5 meters square.

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    Chinese prostitutes wait for customers, in front of a hair salon, in a traditioinal alley of Beijing.

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    Chinese men play snooker, a very popular game in the alleyways of Beijing.

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    Card games and gambling in a Hutong of Beijing.

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    Elderlies play a local games, known as chinese chess game, in a Hutong of Beijing.

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    A worker takes a break in a traditional alley of Beijing.

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    The One child's policy in China applies to citizens from the Han ethny living in urban areas. Ethnic minorities and populations from rural areas, who migrate to the city in poor neighborhoods, present a higher natality rate.

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    Most houses lack basic services like water and sanitation, inhabitants use public bathrooms for showering, in almost all the traditional alleyways of Beijing.

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    Children playing in a traditional alleyway of Beijing.

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    Poor families often live in very small rooms, no larger than 5 meters square. Most of the day is spent outside in the alley.

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    A home at night, in a poor alleyway of Beijing.

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    A chinese man listens to music on a bridge that separates new buildings from traditional alleyways in Beijing.

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