In an ever-changing Beijing, it is easy to forget that China's vibrant and modern capital is still home to some of the country's oldest and most beautiful courtyard home. In the hutongs (old alleys) of old Beijing you can discover local life, still lived by many. In the alleys and hutongs of old Beijing you can really get a flavor of what life must have been like in an old imperial city when the Emperor ruled absolute. Choose from a morning or afternoon tour, and as well as exploring deep into a number of Beijing's old hutongs, this half day tour offers you a hard-to-find opportunity of visiting an old local resident's courtyard, and takes you through narrow alleys and lanes to scenic Houhai Lake. Finish the tour at Beijing's Drum Tower and get a bird's-eye view of the surrounding communities now under threat of urban development.