A hutong is an ancient city street typically in Beijing. (surround) the Forbidden City, many were built during the Yuan, Ming and Qing (dynasty). In order to establish the strongest power, emperors planned the city and arranged the residential areas. center of the city Beijing was the royal palace—the Forbidden City.
At the end of the Qing dynasty, after (close) China came under the influence from abroad, many old hutongs lost (they) former neat arrangement.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, hutongs' conditions (improve). But in recent years, the houses in many hutongs have been pulled and replaced by modern buildings. And the hutong today is fading into the shade for tourists and local people.
However, in the urban district of Beijing houses along hutongs still occupy one (three) of the total area, providing housing for half population, so many hutongs (survive). In this respect, we see Beijing as an ancient yet modern city.
