Pictures of Hutong Venues Before and After Bricking

原创 Charles L. theBeijinger

Beijing was irrevocably changed this past spring when a city-wide "urban revitalization" project bricked-up the storefronts to lots of our favorite neighborhood hutong bars and boutiques. The explanation at the time was that these businesses had violated local building codes, meaning that the entrances and windows used to welcome customers into their venues were illegal.

And, now, with many of these renovation completed, we can now see these hutongs the way the city wants them.

Here is a compilation made by WallArt (sohu.com/a/151753156_745001) that show the before-and-after changes of a number of hutong small businesses; the first photograph is from before the renovations, and the second is from afterward.

Compare the changes for yourself and see if you can still recognize these these stores and bars:

Ramo Restaurant and Bar
64 Fangjia Hutong