Juer Hutong

　　Juer Hutong is situated in the northwest of Dongcheng District, Beijing. It begins at Jiaodaokou South Street in the east, reaches Nanluoguxiang in the west, is adjacent to Houyuansi Hutong in the south, and connects to Shoubi Hutong in the north. It falls under the jurisdiction of Jiaodaokou Subdistrict Office. The hutong is 438 meters long and 6 meters wide, with an asphalt road surface. Currently, most of the northern side of the hutong has been demolished and rebuilt into buildings and courtyard houses.

　　During the Ming Dynasty, Juer Hutong was part of the Zhaohui Jinggong Fang and was called Ju'er Hutong. In the Qing Dynasty, it belonged to the Bordered Yellow Banner and was known as Juer Hutong during the Qianlong era. "Jue" has two pronunciations: one is "jie" and the other is "ju." "Jue" is the colloquial form of "ju." The latter pronunciation is considered correct here. By the Xuantong era, it was called Juer Hutong. The name continued after the Republic of China. In 1965, during the rectification of place names, it was renamed Jiaodaokou South Second Alley. During the Cultural Revolution, it was temporarily renamed - Road Eighth Alley before reverting to its original name. In 1979, Xiaojuer Hutong was incorporated, and the name Juer Hutong was restored.

　　Courtyards 3, 5, and 7 within Juer Hutong were the residences of Ronglu, the Governor-General of Zhili and Grand Secretary of the Qing Dynasty. Courtyard 3 served as the ancestral hall, courtyard 5 as the residence, and courtyard 7 as the garden. Ronglu later moved to Dongchang Hutong. Courtyards 3 and 5 were designated as cultural heritage sites under Dongcheng District protection in 1986. Courtyard 7 once served as the Embassy of Afghanistan. Courtyard 41 was originally a temple. Legend has it that the founding monk of the temple was the emperor’s stand-in monk.

　　Juer Hutong

　　Exiting Nanluoguxiang, you can easily reach Juer Hutong. This area is already part of Beijing’s Dongcheng District, and perhaps the most weighty part of the city lies here. The most sedimented aspects of old Beijing culture are presented here in the form of architecture. Every hutong here carries a prominent past and stories that send shivers down your spine. For example, courtyards 3, 5, and 7 of Juer Hutong in Dongcheng were the residences of Ronglu, a prominent official of the Guangxu Emperor during the Qing Dynasty. Courtyard 3 was the ancestral hall, courtyard 5 the residence, and courtyard 7 the garden. Ronglu later moved to Dongchang Hutong. Later on, courtyard 7 was used as the Embassy of Afghanistan. Courtyard 41 was originally a temple. Legend says the founding monk of the temple was a stand-in monk for the emperor. However, the details of these historical tales can be found in any book or website about old Beijing. Today, they serve merely as a striking backdrop to Beijing after the year 2000.

　　Walking here marks the beginning of heading toward the nighttime hub of the eastern part of the city—Sanlitun. It serves as something of a transition. Perhaps it is precisely because this place neighbors that bustling area while retaining the dense flavor of a history book that many foreigners who are enamored with China but not yet deeply immersed in life in Beijing have chosen to live in Juer Hutong. They casually chat with neighbors at the entrance of the hutong. The newly built houses in Juer Hutong have won awards for their architectural features, and over the years, a large number of foreigners who love Beijing—or are new to the city—have gradually gathered here.

　　Now, people from France, the United States, Italy, Germany, Finland, and many other countries live here. They may not be as deeply integrated into Beijing life as those living around Houhai, but they have gathered here by common consent because this place offers the appearance of a hutong along with a good internal living environment, sufficient to fulfill their Beijing dreams. Compared to the students in Wudaokou, their financial means are slightly stronger, allowing them—at the very least, collectively—to afford Juer Hutong’s perfect architectural design and spacious rooms.

　　At night, small groups of foreigners shuttle through the hutong as if returning home, giving the impression that foreigners in Beijing more easily integrate into local life. Looking back at the entrance of the hutong, the hurrying figures going home and the black shadows whispering under the streetlights create a surreal feeling—that everyone is family.

　　Gua'erjia Ronglu (1836–1903)　　Gua'erjia Ronglu (1836–1903), courtesy name Zhonghua, art name Lüeyuan, was a politician and official of the Qing Dynasty. He authored books such as Wuyi Gong Shi Lüe (Brief Account of Martial Valor Duke), Rong Wen Zhong Gong Ji (Collected Works of Rong Wen Zhong), and Rong Lu Cun Zha (Letters of Rong Lu). Due to Yuan Shikai’s betrayal and Ronglu’s “disclosure,” the Hundred Days’ Reform ended in failure, which earned Ronglu the deep trust of Empress Dowager Cixi. During the Boxer Rebellion, Ronglu was appointed by Cixi as the Minister Left Behind in the Capital, rising to power in turbulent times. Ronglu died of illness in 1903, posthumously honored with the title Wen Zhong, conferred the title of Grand Tutor, and promoted to the rank of First Class Baron. Biography In 1874, Emperor Tongzhi Zai Chun died, and Ronglu was involved in determining the succession of Emperor Zai Tian...  More+

　　Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development