The naming of these different lanes is very interesting

In the twisted lanes one can experience the life of the ancient Beijing people. The bathrooms and public toilets can be found in these lanes. Shops sell all kinds of goods that satisfy the local people's daily needs. It is just like a community. Gossiping in these lanes is a common scene as it is the main way for people to strengthen their relationship. These lanes have witnessed the development of Beijing. Where there is such a lane, there is a story.

The naming of these different lanes is very interesting. In ancient times the names of them were passed by word of mouth among people; there were no signposts. It was not until the Ming and Qing Dynasties that the names were written down gradually. Generally speaking, the naming methods can be categorized into ten kinds. Some main naming methods were to name them after the symbol construction in a lane, the local language,  the markets and the local positions. For instance, the Skewed Tobacco Pouch Street, also called Yandai Xiejie, was named so because it is not straight. Mamei Hutong was named after the old Beijing language. In later years the government changed their original names into more formal ones, which sounds more refined. If one wants to know the original names of them, a tour to these feature lanes should not be missed.