Slums in Beijing

However, some Beijing neighorhoods have many features of slums - ramshackle slummy buildings, illegally-built houses, foul-smelling public lavatories, piles of garbage, the hidden troubles for possible fires.

Though poor areas with bad housing, the Beijing-style slums are still safe places strictly controlled by the government, unlike those slums commonly seen as "breeding grounds" for social problems such as drug addiction, alcoholism, crime, high rates of mental illness, and suicide.

I don't know how many slum dwellers there are in Beijing, nor the complicated system surrounding these informal communities.

Today I just show you around a run-down area between Xingfu Dajie ( Happiness Street ) and Chongwenmen Waidajie (Chongwenmen Outer Street).

The slum walking route starts from the east end of Dongbi Street, going through Dongtang Street and Xitang Street ann finishing at the west end of Xitang Street.

Walking into the east end of the Dongbi Street, a vendor selling cheap stuff - socks, combs, hair knots...

A street front food stand sells steamed buns, fries pies, deep-fried dough sticks, soya-bean milk

Making deep-fried dough sticks, a favorite food for breakfast

Enjoy eating out with the company of her dog

Continue to stroll along Dongbi Street, you will find many ramshackle buildings.

Off the main Dongbi Street, you will see narrower lanes lined with shabby single-storey brick houses

At the Xitang Street, peep into a run-down courtyard built to hide their squalor, and old and grim rooms.

Most of the local residents live happily by making an easy living in a much more difficult competitive living situation here in Beijing.

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for Beijing guided tours:

Further Readings