Neiwubu Jie: Bygone Brothels and Ancient Mansions

2013年06月02日

If you're looking for Neiwubu Jie, north of the busy intersection of Dongsi South Street and Jinbao Street, don't trust the signs. The west entrance to the hutong is 10 meters further north than indicated. Once you find it and enter, as with so many hutong, the hustle and bustle on the main street of Dongsi is replaced by a more serene busyness, that of old Beijingers walking and biking down the lane.

Ming Dynasty brothel

During the Ming Dynasty, the hutong's name, Goulan, reflected its primary role as a street of brothels. In the book Heading for the Historical Sites of Beijing, historian Zhang Cixi explains, "Goulan Hutong used to have many brothels in the Yuan Dynasty. There was a big courtyard and a small temple inside. In the temple, a bronze statue of a seated woman is smiling. Dressed in a short gown, crossing her left leg, she looks pretty, coquettish and attractive." It is rare in history to mold a statue of a prostitute, but it is said to exist in Beijing, though the exact location of the statue is currently unknown.

When approaching from the west entrance, No. 67 is the first place one comes to with a "protected courtyard" plaque. The gap between the locked, gilded doors provides a glimpse of a chaotic courtyard. Could the statue be hidden within?

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