China for centuries lived in a culture where walls were very important for protection of its citizens. The Great Wall of China was built to keep invading armies out of China, and in Beijing the citizens also built walls around their dwellings for protection. Today a modern Beijing is fast overtaking the ancient past. New modern high-rise buildings and apartments are fast replacing the traditional dwellings within the walled hutongs, but a few remain and can be visited by tourists. Within these walled hutongs you'll find individual residences and courtyards where thousands of Beijingers still live, many without modern conveniences. Many have opted to move into the more modern apartment buildings, but many still prefer the community style living of the hutong. On our tour we rode in a modern-day rickshaw ... powered by a human on a bicycle.

During our tour of the hutong we would ride trough the back streets and alleyways viewing what life is like for the residents, visit an American sponsored kindergarten, a bell tower, and, finally, have tea with a local family.

In the midst of our ride through the hutong, we stopped to visit an American sponsored kindergarten ... the Beijing Royal Bilingual Kindergarten. Arriving and entering the courtyard to the school we were immediately met by a group of children who greeted us and then began to perform a song and dance welcoming us to the school. Again, we found ourselves in the company of children and the photo opportunities were numerous. Enjoy the pictures ...