During China's dynastic period, emperors planned the city of Beijing arranged the residential areas according to social classes. The term "hutong", (original) meaning "water well" in Mongolian, appeared first during the Yuan Dynasty.
In the Ming Dynasty, the center was the Forbidden City, (surround) in concentric (同心的) circles by the Inner City and Outer City. Citizens of higher social classes (permit) to live closer to the center of the circles. The large siheyuan of these high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen often (feature) beautifully carved and painted roof beams and pillars (柱子). The hutongs they formed were orderly, lined by (space) homes and walled gardens. Farther from the center lived the commoners and laborers. Their siheyuan were far smaller in scale and (simple) in design and decoration, and the hutongs were narrower.
Hutongs represent an important cultural element of the city of Beijing. Thanks to Beijing's long history capital of China, almost every hutong has its stories, and some are even associated with historic (event). In contrast to the court life and upper-class culture represented by the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven, the hutongs reflect culture of grassroots Beijingers.
