Page 78 - JCAU-7-2

Journal of Chinese

Architecture and Urbanism

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Analyzing the relationship between the

18 -century Beijing hutong system and urban
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landmark roads using spatial network analysis: A

case study of Dongcheng district

Ning Lu * and Sang-Hyun Lee 2
1
1 Department of Urban Planning and Design, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing,
People’s Republic of China
2 Department of Architechture, College of Architecture, Myongji University, Yongin, Gyeonggi,
Republic of Korea

Abstract
The hutong system, originating during the Yuan dynasty (1271 – 1368), has
undergone significant transformations while retaining its essential role in urban
functionality and social interactions. Despite extensive qualitative studies on
its historical and contemporary dynamics, quantitative analyses of its original
*Corresponding author: configurations and integration with Beijing’s broader road network remain limited.
Ning Lu
(luning@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn) This study examines the Qianlong Jingcheng Quantu (Emperor Qianlong’s Complete
Map of Beijing), a detailed cartographic representation of Beijing drafted in the 15
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Citation: Lu, N., & Lee, S. (2025). year (1750) of Qianlong’s reign (1735 – 1796), which provides critical insights into
Analyzing the relationship between
the 18 -century Beijing hutong historical urban planning. Using spatial network analysis, the research measures
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system and urban landmark roads regional accessibility and demonstrates how the hutong system, through a series
using spatial network analysis: A of orderly spatial connections, integrates with landmark roads to form a complex
case study of Dongcheng district.
Journal of Chinese Architecture and yet highly accessible urban spatial network. The analysis reveals that the high
Urbanism, 7(2): 4608. mobility efficiency within the intricate hutong system is rooted in its structured
https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.4608 spatial connections with landmark roads. These connections facilitate dynamic
Received: August 21, 2024 interactions between the hutong system and the extensive urban road network,
Revised: October 24, 2024 thereby enhancing the overall functionality and flexibility of Beijing’s urban
development.
Accepted: November 8, 2024
Published online: December 18,
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2024 Keywords: 18 -century Beijing; Qianlong Jingcheng Quantu; Hutong system; Landmark
road; Spatial depth; Spatial network
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an open-access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution-
Non-Commercial 4.0 International 1. Introduction
(CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits all
non-commercial use, distribution, Hutongs (胡同; hutong), the unique traditional streets and alleys of Beijing, trace their
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is origins to the construction period of Yuan Dadu (元大都; Grand Capital of the Yuan
properly cited. dynasty [1271 – 1368]), established in 1276. These narrow, winding paths have borne
Publisher’s Note: AccScience witness to China’s transition from a feudal society to a modern metropolis, playing a
Publishing remains neutral with pivotal role in shaping urban functionality and fostering social interactions. Academic
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional interest in Beijing’s hutongs spans diverse dimensions, such as their historical evolution,
affiliations. social ambiance, cultural attributes, and spatial configurations. A review of the literature

Volume 7 Issue 2 (2025) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.4608