Beijing Hutong Day Tour with Folk Arts Learning
Overview
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Tour Description
Pick from your downtown hotel around 9:00am and drive to the south entrance to Nanluoguxiang Hutong. A trip to Nanluogixiang Hutong brings you back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271 – 1368) when the earliest hutongs and courtyard houses along Nanluoguxiang started to be built. The 800-meter long south-north Nanluoguxiang Hutong is lined with numerous trendy bars, yummy restaurants, unique hostels, lively themed stores and itinerant vendors. Its vernacular courtyard houses, grey-colored, accompanied by old trees, showcase the solid books of Beijing's traditional architecture.
Then get on a rickshaw to get through the zigzag and narrow alleys or hutongs. Two people share one rickshaw. You are not supposed to tip the pedicab driver since the tour cost includes the tip. Arrive at the old courtyard and begin your family visit. With the help of your English speaking your tour guide, you will have a detailed explanation of the old courtyard ( Siheyuan ) - its history, its layout, its Fengshui, and its traditional Chinese culture involved.
Learning the basics of papercutting and inside painted snuff bottles. Papercutting is one of the most popular handicrafts in Beijing. It in an art of paper, scissors and hands. They depicted ancient Chinese generals and beautiful women, Peking opera characters and facial masks, Chinese zodiac animals, and so on. There is a wider variety of papercutting patterns available than you can imagine. Snuff bottles were made out of many different materials including glass, jade, ivory, wood, metal, ceramic and porcelain, though probably the most commonly used material was glass. Chinese snuff bottles were typically decorated with paintings or carvings,a kind of folk arts desirable for today's collectors.
You are arranged to learn how to make Jiaozi (Chinese dumplings) in a local family. Chinese dumpling is one of the most important foods in Chinese New Year. Since the shape of Chinese dumplings is similar to ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots, they symbolize wealth. In northern China, the people eat the dumpling and noodles everyday. Today you will learn how to make Chinese dumplings from beginning to end with the guidance your hostess. After finishing your Chinese dumpling learning course, you will taste the dumplings made by your hostess and enjoy other delicious Chinese dishes as well as your lunch.
After lunch, Move on to Drum Tower. Ascending the 67-meter high and two-story Drum Tower dating from 1420 is sure to bring you back to the old Beijing by seeing the big drum tower and having bird's eye view of the surrounding communities of hutongs and siheyuan - existing traditional courtyards in Beijing.
Continue to feel Beijing long history by walking along Yandai Byway. Walk along Yandai Byway ( Tobacco Pipe Lean Street ), a quaint 800-year-old hutong located between Yinding Bridge and the south of the Drum Tower, used to be well-known for sellers of long-stemmed pipes in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), hence the name.
Passing through Yinding Bridge (Silver Ingot Bridge) , a narrow channel joining Qianhai Lake and the Houhai Lake, the hub of Shichahai area with surrounding quiet hutongs. Seeing the west mountain here is known as one of the eight old Beijing wonders.
Continue to walk along Qianhai Lake. It used to be part of the old Grand Canal of the Yuan Dynasty 600 years ago. And now it is circled by the former palaces of ministers, temples, well-kept Siheyuans (quadrangle) as well as residences of celebrities in the past.
Your driver is waiting for you by Hehua Market Decorated Archway, south of Qianhai Lake. Return to your hotel and end your half day trip to the Old Beijing.
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Then get on a rickshaw to get through the zigzag and narrow alleys or hutongs. Two people share one rickshaw. You are not supposed to tip the pedicab driver since the tour cost includes the tip. Arrive at the old courtyard and begin your family visit. With the help of your English speaking your tour guide, you will have a detailed explanation of the old courtyard ( Siheyuan ) - its history, its layout, its Fengshui, and its traditional Chinese culture involved.
 |
Learning the basics of papercutting and inside painted snuff bottles. Papercutting is one of the most popular handicrafts in Beijing. It in an art of paper, scissors and hands. They depicted ancient Chinese generals and beautiful women, Peking opera characters and facial masks, Chinese zodiac animals, and so on. There is a wider variety of papercutting patterns available than you can imagine. Snuff bottles were made out of many different materials including glass, jade, ivory, wood, metal, ceramic and porcelain, though probably the most commonly used material was glass. Chinese snuff bottles were typically decorated with paintings or carvings,a kind of folk arts desirable for today's collectors.
 |
 |
You are arranged to learn how to make Jiaozi (Chinese dumplings) in a local family. Chinese dumpling is one of the most important foods in Chinese New Year. Since the shape of Chinese dumplings is similar to ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots, they symbolize wealth. In northern China, the people eat the dumpling and noodles everyday. Today you will learn how to make Chinese dumplings from beginning to end with the guidance your hostess. After finishing your Chinese dumpling learning course, you will taste the dumplings made by your hostess and enjoy other delicious Chinese dishes as well as your lunch.
 |
After lunch, Move on to Drum Tower. Ascending the 67-meter high and two-story Drum Tower dating from 1420 is sure to bring you back to the old Beijing by seeing the big drum tower and having bird's eye view of the surrounding communities of hutongs and siheyuan - existing traditional courtyards in Beijing.
 |
Continue to feel Beijing long history by walking along Yandai Byway. Walk along Yandai Byway ( Tobacco Pipe Lean Street ), a quaint 800-year-old hutong located between Yinding Bridge and the south of the Drum Tower, used to be well-known for sellers of long-stemmed pipes in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), hence the name.
 |
Passing through Yinding Bridge (Silver Ingot Bridge) , a narrow channel joining Qianhai Lake and the Houhai Lake, the hub of Shichahai area with surrounding quiet hutongs. Seeing the west mountain here is known as one of the eight old Beijing wonders.
 |
Continue to walk along Qianhai Lake. It used to be part of the old Grand Canal of the Yuan Dynasty 600 years ago. And now it is circled by the former palaces of ministers, temples, well-kept Siheyuans (quadrangle) as well as residences of celebrities in the past.
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Your driver is waiting for you by Hehua Market Decorated Archway, south of Qianhai Lake. Return to your hotel and end your half day trip to the Old Beijing.
Price List for this tour (Price per person in US dollars)
| Price without shopping stop | |
| Travelling Party | Tour Cost Per Person |
| 1 person | US$ 215 |
| 2 persons | US$ 125 |
| 3 persons | US$ 105 |
| 4 - 5 persons | US$ 95 |
| 6 - 9 persons | US$ 85 |
| 10 persons up | US$ 75 |
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| Price inclusion: 1.Air conditioned vehicle 2.Entrance fees 3.Learning folk arts as listed 4.Lunch 5.English Speaking tour guide 6.The above private transfer is customized for you, your family or your friends exclusively. No other travelers will join in your group. |
Price exclusion: 1. Gratuities to drivers and guides 2. 2.Travel insurance for your coverage of injury or accident |
Available:
Daily
Remark:
Our tour guide will contact you on the evening before your tour date by calling you or leaving a message at your hotel room and fix the pick-up time for next day morning.
Reservation Notes
| ● | Personal online booking information below must be provided or book by email  ：Full Name, Nationality, Gender, Names of Travelers, Flight No., Arriving Time and Start Date. You are also welcome to call us at (+86)18611964400 ( 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Monday through Saturday). Tour Beijing will not refund any losses due to missing or incorrect information. |
| ● | All rates on Tour-Beijing.com are subject to reconfirmation from our trip advisors when an actual booking is being made. |
| ● | Child definition: from Age 3 to 11 Years. Contact our trip advisors to check if discount rate is available for your kids. Basically, children under 1.2m in height will get child discount rate, except bus tours. |
| ● | All tours listed on website are all based in English Speaking local guides. For other languages, please contact our trip advisors for new quotations |
| ● | Cash or Prepayment (Paypal, credit card payment, wire transfer, AliPay, WeChat Pay). Both RMB and USD are acceptable. Your actual mode of payment will be confirmed by your trip advisor. Basically, only bus tours (day tour) accept cash payment on the day. |
| ● | When your booking is confirmed, you will get a confirmation email or call from us, which includes the confirmed detailed itinerary with prices. |
| ● | When your booking is confirmed, you will get a confirmation email or call from us, which includes the confirmed detailed itinerary with prices. |
| ● | The cancellation fee: to be confirmed by trip advisor, based on different itineraries and different policies. |
| ● | The schedule can be adjusted by your tour guide due to the actual traffic condition. |
| ● | You are strongly recommended to book this tour at least 35 days in advance to secure the land arrangement involved and avoid the risk of being canceled. |
About Us
We are not just a travel website, we are a real and reputable travel agency based in Beijing offering help and advice that a travel website cannot provide. Just send us an email or give us us a call, one of our staffers will be your personal travel consultant.
Any problems during your trip? Want to cancel or change your trip? Your travel consultant is a phone call away from getting your problem solved.
International Call: (+86)18611964400
Email :
Company Location
Add: West 2-2, No. 143 Bazhuangzi, Fengtai South Road, Fengtai District, Beijing.
Office Hours:
Any problems during your trip? Want to cancel or change your trip? Your travel consultant is a phone call away from getting your problem solved.
International Call: (+86)18611964400
Email :
Company Location
Add: West 2-2, No. 143 Bazhuangzi, Fengtai South Road, Fengtai District, Beijing.
Office Hours:
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| Monday | 9AM–6:00PM |
| Tuesday | 9AM–6:00PM |
| Wednesday | 9AM–6:00PM |
| Thursday | 9AM–6:00PM |
| Friday | 9AM–6:00PM |
| Saturday | 9AM–6:00PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
Questions & Answers:
Here is only for Questions and Answers. ( For anyone who wants to have an enquiry or customized tour, please email us to 
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