Wandering in the Hutong
                                                                                                                                           James Chen

It is hard to imagine what it would be like without hutongs in Beijing. For people in this city, whether they have lived in one or not, the hutong means something special to them. In their dictionary of the mind, the word "hutong" is not only a local name for alley or passageway, but it is also one of the city's unique cultural emblems.
During the rapid development of the metropolis, this essential cultural emblem has gradually vanished from sight.  What makes cherishable memories are the stories have come out of the hutong, stories simple but meaningful.
Wu Yang has spent more than ten years wandering in the hutong, recording with his camera the most common scenes there. The hutong has become part of his life. He is also a member, a recorder living in the hutong.