Today, we explored a few of Beijing’s hutongs (alleys created by traditional courtyard residences). You can find many of these sprouting off of Emperor’s Avenue.

We went across town, and it was around here that a steady rain set in, so we don’t have photos of the crowded northern hutongs. However, we did stop to photograph the Bell and Drum towers here.

Up on the Bell Tower, you can see Drum Tower among the hutongs below.

In Drum Tower, you can hear the loud drums performed regularly throughout the day. Both the Bell and Drum Towers were at one point used as timekeeping devices.

We finished the day with pork dumplings at a restaurant near Tiananmen Square.