Bespoke Beijing: Hutong Adventures & Cricket Fighters
Posted: May 11th, 2012 | Author: LumDimSum | Filed under: Hot Tips, Travel | Tags: Bespoke Beijing, Black Sesame Kitchen, C-Dice, Candice Lee, Cricket Fighter Liu, Drum Tower, Hutong Tour, LumDimFam | Comments Off
Bespoke Beijing Hutong Tour via Rickshaws
My family has been to Beijing multiple times so the usual must-see locations (Tiananmen & Forbidden City, Great Wall, Summer Palace, yada yada) have already been checked off. After traveling in Southern China for a week (Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing Huangshan, Hangzhou) we only had 3 days left to spend together in Beijing.
As you might suspect, I made them binge on a ridiculous amount of food at every given opportunity, but I also wanted to introduce them to Bespoke Beijing‘s recommended “experiences and experts” so they could see just how capable and uniquely awesome Bespoke’s services are.
One of my all-time favorite tours is Bespoke’s Expert Hutong Tour. Before I get into details, I should say off the bat that this is no ordinary Hutong tour. I am positive every travel company that exists in Beijing will offer some sort of Hutong Tour with a ride on a rickshaw through Beijing’s famous hutongs around the Gulou and Houhai area, but Bespoke’s Hutong tour is so much more.
“No other city in the entire world has hutongs. What does that tell you? That you should go see them of course! These ancient, labyrinthine alleyways are where ‘real’ Beijing life happens, so to help you navigate some of the most interesting bits, we’ll fix you up with Frank, an old Beijinger who’s lived in the hutongs his entire life.” - Bespoke Beijing
Having lived in the hutongs his entire life, Frank is the most perfect possible guide to show you through the hutongs and give you a deeper understanding of this fascinating side of Chinese history, culture and show you first hand an authentic picture of traditional hutong life as it once was. And what’s especially impressive and almost incomprehensible is how clear and articulate Frank speaks English. Very, very unexpected for someone who’s never left his hutong home in Beijing.
Our first stop in our Bespoke Hutong Tour was a visit to a private Hutong museum jam-packed with artifacts from old Hutong life. As soon as modern China started tearing down old hutongs to build up more skyscrapers, these genius collectors quickly got their act together and started gathering up antique furniture and useful household tools to proudly keep on display for curious visitors to check out.
Fun facts I enjoyed learning about were the various tools used by street salesmen to make a distinct sound to notify hutong communities of their services. For example, it was originally believed to be bad luck to say “cut your hair” in Chinese as hair sounds like the word for “growth” and “development” so who wants to cut short their personal growth and development? So instead of having a barber walk around shouting for everyone to “cut their growth”, he instead walked around with a specific device that makes a distinctive noise that everyone in the community recognizes as the sound that belongs to the neighborhood barber.
LumDimSum Snapshots of Beijing’s Private Hutong Museum:
Testing & Discovering the Meanings of Old Hutong Sounds
After visiting the hutong museum, we made our way to the Drum Tower to ascend its very steep staircase that leads directly into the main upper level where they regularly do a 5-minute drum performance with four drummers. This takes place every day right on the dot every 30 minutes. We arrived at the Drum Tower with only a minute to spare before the performance kicked off so timing was perfect (thanks again to Frank). Afterwards, Frank explained the traditional methods of keeping track of time to ensure that the drums are consistently reliable and pointed out the direct line outside that leads straight into Jingshan Park and the center of the Forbidden City, the heart of Beijing.
Drum Show at the Top of the Drum Tower
After these two spots, Frank walked us through a local wet market pointing out China’s quirky vegetables, popular spices and herbs, and local specialties like China’s renowned 1,000 year old eggs (that are not really 1,000 years old).
Afterwards, we hopped on two separate rickshaws pulled by two very courteous drivers who whizzed us around the hutong neighborhood, ending at the home of a local cricket trainer.
Walking into this one-of-a-kind home, we were surrounded by talking birds, pet fish, a pet dog and more insects than you’d like to imagine.
Meeting the cricket master was something my dad and brother were most looking forward to seeing in Beijing since my dad actually grew up in southern China playing with crickets as a child. Not only is this an unforgettable experience, Master Liu aka Cricket Liu is a hoot!
“On the quirky scale, this one’s a ten. In China, this is a serious sport and has been for centuries. This is your opportunity to meet Beijing’s most famous cricket trainer (yes, you heard right) and find out all about this ancient practice. You’ll get to meet the clients (read: insects) he’s currently working with, and hear all about the instruments and methods he uses to get them fighting fit. This colourful local character actually trains crickets and grasshoppers to fight in local competitions. A fascinating insight into a bizarre Chinese sport you won’t forget in a hurry!” - Bespoke Beijing
Frank’s impression of a Cricket
New Friends: Cricket Fighter Liu & LumFam
Perfect for both visitors and even Beijingers who are curious about this age-old Chinese tradition and to this day, a very popular gambling activity in China.
To book your own Bespoke Beijing expert Hutong tour, here’s everything you will need to know:
NEED TO KNOW
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How much does it cost? 560RMB for 1 person; 320RMB per additional person
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How long will it take? 3.5 hours
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When can I do it? Anytime, as long as you start before 3pm
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How far in advance should I book? At least 4 days Getting there The cost does not include transportation to and from the meeting point. You can get here by taxi, or hire a standard car for 460RMB. Start Point Square behind the Drum Tower End Point Square behind the Drum Tower Children Half price for kids under 6. Babes in arms go free.
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Any other costs I should know about? Nope! (A tip for the rickshaw driver is already included in the price, which Frank will pay to the driver after the tour.)
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What to bring: A healthy heart (you’ll need to climb some steep steps to the top of the Drum Tower) – and a willingness to be in close proximity to insects! Our favourite bit When Cricket Trainer Mr. Liu explains, in all seriousness, that the little metal case he is holding is actually the crickets’ ‘marriage bed’.
Team Camp Friends 
Team SABOTAGE
Team Cobra Kai
