In the Hutongs of Beijing

After a few days of relaxation in Shanghai we started a little road trip to the north.

shanghai-trainstationThe new Shanghai train station was as big as an airport and actually looked like one, too. The situation was quite similar: crowds waiting for their time to leave, security checks and passport controls at every stairs and boarding 30 minutes before departure – no earlier access to the platforms.

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Once arrived in central Beijing we couldn’t find our hotel at first. Our accommodation at Kelly’s Courtyard was a typically traditional Beijing hutong (alley) house somewhere off-street around some narrow alleys. The picture above is taken from the roof top of the building.courtyard-1

It was an original courtyard house with small guest rooms around the patio – with antique wooden walls with windows and antique furniture.

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Each guestroom had it’s own unique decoration.courtyard-2

In the morning the courtyard was used as the breakfast room, which was nice as you could enjoy your morning coffee in front of the open door of your own room.