The relationship between the former residences of celebrities in Beijing and Beijing Hutongs

The Hutongs in Beijing have very particular names and are a reference for us to study the society of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. After Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, made Beijing his capital, most of his heroes lived in Beijing, and many alleys were named after them.

For example, the hutong where the residence of Yongkang Hou Xuzhong is located is called Yongkang Hou Hutong, which is today's Yongkang Hutong in North City. The hutong where the residence of Wu'an Hou Zhengheng was located was called Wu'anhou Hutong, and later it was mistakenly called Wuwanghou Hutong, which is today's Xisibeibatiao.

In the early Ming Dynasty, General Xu Da lived in Beijing for a long time. His eldest daughter married Zhu Di, the then King of Yan. When Zhu Di attacked Nanjing, Xu Da's fourth son Zengshou informed Zhu Di and was killed by Emperor Jianwen. After Zhu Di entered Nanjing, he caressed the corpse and cried bitterly. After he came to the throne, he posthumously named Xu Zengshou the Marquis of Wuyang, and soon after he was granted the title Duke of Ding. The street where Duke Ding Xu lived was called Dingfu Street, which is today's Dingfu Street in North City. .

As for today’s Sanbulao Hutong, it is the former residence of Zheng He, the Sanbao eunuch. Zheng He was known as Sanbao Dad, and the alley where he lived was called Sanbao Dad Hutong, which was later mistakenly called Sanbu Lao Hutong. Wuliang Lord Hutong in Dongcheng, today's Hongxing Hutong, is a misname of Wu Liang Lord Hutong. Wu Liang was a general under Ming Taizu.

The commercial economy developed after the middle of the Ming Dynasty. At that time, some individual workers also left names for the hutongs where they lived with their outstanding labor. For example, in the Ming Dynasty, there were workers named Tang who washed cloth in Nancheng. The alley where they lived was called Tang Xibai Street, which is today's Tang Xibo Street in Chongwen District.

There is a Fenfang Liuli Street in Xuanwu District, which is a misname of Fenfang Liujia Street. There was a handicraft worker surnamed Yao in Dongcheng who was good at casting pots. The hutong where his home was located was called Yao Zhuguo Hutong. Later it was mistakenly called Yao Zhiguo Hutong, which is today’s Zhiguo Hutong near Beijing Station West Street.

There is a Tofuchen Hutong in Beicheng, which was later called Doufuchi Hutong. Another characteristic of the Ming Dynasty was that there were many paper horse shops used for making sacrifices, which reflected the prevalence of religious activities in the Ming Dynasty. Among the names of the hutongs are Wangzhima Hutong and Hezhima Hutong. Today they are also called Wangzhima Hutong and Heizhima Hutong.

The names of Beijing’s hutongs are actually people-centered, and some hutongs are named directly after people. There are also many alleys not named after people, but there are former residences of famous people, such as the former residence of Kang Youwei in Mishi Hutong, the former residence of Tan Sitong in the northern half of the alley, the Zhongshan Guild Hall where Dr. Sun Yat-sen visited, and the Xiao Yangjia Hutong on Zhuchao Street. It is the birthplace of Mr. Lao She. There is Mei Lanfang’s former residence on Huguosi Street, Mao Dun’s former residence in Houyuanensi Alley, Cheng Yanqiu’s former residence in Xisibeishiao, etc. Although the names of other types of alleys are not directly named after people, they are also directly related to people's daily lives.

Hutong names such as Wen Chengxiang Alley, Zhang Zizhong Road, and Zhao Dengyu Road were all named by people to commemorate the national heroes, thus clearly expressing people's admiration for the national heroes. This shows that the name of the hutong is not only a practical reference, but also has an aesthetic function and humanistic tendency.