Shijia Hutong Museum

Shijia Hutong Museum
史家胡同博物馆

Address: 24 Shijia Hutong, Dongcheng district, Beijing
Hours: 9:30-16:30
Closed Mondays
General admission: Free

The museum is installed in a courtyard of Shijia hutong, a neighborhood that preserves much of the traditional traits of Beijing.

More than a dozen famous people have called this hutong home. Among them was Ling Shuhua (1900-1990), a talented woman who worked as a writer during the Republic of China (1912-1949). Ling often held salons in her courtyard. Her guests included social celebrities and artists, including the master painter Qi Baishi (1864-1957). The salon was known as the “grand study of Madame Ling”.

The courtyard was the home of Ling and her husband Chen Xiying (1896-1970). The museum offers a comprehensive introduction to the couple's life. The courtyard was converted into a museum and opened to the public for free in 2013. It soon got popular with lovers of traditional culture. Home to a large variety of exhibits, it showcases historical materials and objects that recall memories of old Beijing. Enamel mugs, provision papers, coal-purchasing certificates, old-fashioned clocks and cameras, gramophones and comic books all trigger feelings of nostalgia for hutong dwellers.

Visitors can also gain a better understanding of this block through the miniature model of its original style, based on the materials from the 1950s.