Planning a hutong courtyard visit
Most courtyards in Beijing’s hutongs are private homes with closed gates, so walking the lanes rarely shows you what is inside. There are four ways in: former residences run as museums, courtyard hotels, restaurants and cafés, guided hutong tours that include a home stop, or a private visit arranged directly with a family. Golden Silk Courtyard is our family home near Shichahai; we host one private group at a time for a courtyard visit, a dumpling-making lunch or a hutong walk, in English or Chinese.
Former residences and courtyard museums, such as Prince Gong’s Mansion near Shichahai, are open to the public and show grand courtyard layouts. They are a good introduction to the architecture, but nobody lives there and you visit alongside other ticket holders.
Many courtyards have become hotels, restaurants or cafés. Booking a room or a meal lets you sit inside a courtyard, though the space has been adapted for business rather than kept as a family home.
Some guided tours, often by rickshaw or on foot, include a short stop at a local home. They suit travellers who want a full itinerary, but the home visit is usually brief and shared with a larger group.
At Golden Silk Courtyard a family member shows you the moon gate, screen wall and pomegranate tree of the home we still live in. Family records and oral history trace the courtyard to the Kangxi era. Choose a 1-hour courtyard visit from CNY 150 per person, a 90-minute dumpling-making lunch from CNY 250 per person or a 1-hour Shichahai hutong walk from CNY 300 per person.
Visits to private homes need to be arranged in advance. Send an enquiry with your date, group size and language; we usually reply within 24 hours and share the address and directions once the visit is confirmed. Please keep voices low in residential lanes.