InsaneJournal

The culture of Beijing Hutong
Hutongs are are an ancient but slowly disappearing attribute of Beijing. A Hutong generally refers to a fairly narrow street lined by Siheyuan (quadrangle and courtyard houses), which is then linked by other alleys to create a small neighborhood. Beijing hutong become more and more popular with foreigners.
Within 1276, the final of remnants the Tune Dynasty were finally destroyed through the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan, grand son of Genghis Khan. Kublai Khan arrange the Yuan Dynasty (basically 1271-1368) and made his capital in Beijing. The word "Hutong" is said to originate from the Mongol word "huto", significance water well, available which many early Hutongs increased. The name was gradually adopted by all residents with Beijing hutong tours to mean a little street or alley.
That houses lining Hutongs are called Siheyuan (quadrangle and courtyard). In Beijing these are typically rectangular compounds, with buildings on all four sides. A whole lot of Siheyuan is surrounded just by high walls, with these walls creating a upright passage. The size and amount of decoration of Siheyuan within Beijing reflected the social status with the residents, with those of high administrators and merchants often significant with elaborate decoration, while those with the poor were often crowded and with only basic decoration.
1000s of Hutongs were built for the Forbidden City, while using the majority built during your Yuan, Ming together with Qing Dynasties. The Hutongs by which high officials resided were closest to the imperial palace and produced in ordered rows from north to south Beijing hutong tour. Lower level businessmen and normal residents lived in crude Hutongs far on the north and south of the Forbidden City.
http://www.beijingimpression.com/beijing-tour/beijing-hutong-tour.shtml