Discovering the charm of traditional hutong through Airbnb
Many visitors to Beijing enjoy staying in traditional
hutong (alleyways).
The neighborhoods, with narrow stairs, open courtyards and swooping eves hark to olden days at a time when the skyline increasingly sparkles with high rises.
This has inspired some residents like globetrotting documentary director Gu Yue to put his house on the globally popular short-stay homerental platform, Airbnb.
“Encountering different people is the best part of traveling,” the 39-year-old Beijing native says.
“I can communicate with them and learn about their cultures. Being an Airbnb host enables me to have such experiences.”
Gu moved to the United States at age 10 and returned 16 years later.
He resigned from GE Capital at age 24 and spent two years backpacking through 18 countries. Four years later, he hitchensure
A hutong provides a different lifestyle than a downtown hotel.”
Gu Yue, an Airbnb host
hiked from Beijing across 13 countries with 88 drivers to meet his girlfriend in Berlin.
“Although I’m often traveling, I’m proud of Beijing’s history and culture,” he says.
“I want to promote these among visitors.”
He recently renovated his rented courtyard home in the city’s historical Gulou area, near the ancient Drum and Bell Towers.
The floors and water are heated. The residence has a kitchen and three bedrooms, each with a bathroom.
A skylight and French windows provide good lighting and views of his courtyard, in which a tree towers and grape vines slither up a trellis.
The interior is decorated with travel books and items from around the world, ranging from small African ornaments to a skirt from an ethnic group in Pakistan.
He rents out one bedroom when he’s gone. His expat roommates and friends help guests, and he chats with visitors online if they like.
Gu joined Global Host Q&A, in which Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky answered questions from hosts, earlier this month. He’s the first Chinese Airbnb host to attend the event, he says.
“I’ve got a lot to worry about as a new Airbnb host. But I’m willing to learn,” he says.
“For example, can they find the place? Are they enjoying their stay?”
He’s happy to share local travel tips with visitors.
“First-time visitors’ agendas are topped by scenic spots and historical sites. I recommend they stroll along the hutong to encounter locals,” he says.
“Observation is the secret to making your trip less formulaic. A hutong provides a different lifestyle than a downtown hotel.”
Gu knows the best eateries, ranging from locals’ favorites to Western restaurants, hidden in zigzagging hutong.
He has stayed in many Airbnb homes during his travels.
“So, I also do my best to guests enjoy what I offer,” he says.
He recently stayed in an elegant century-old palace owned by an eminent family in Fez, Morocco. It was tastefully decorated with colored glass, crystal and handmade mosaic tiles. Airbnb guests’ fees are used for its upkeep.
“You can have a spectacular experience there. And it’s not expensive,” he says.
“It’s challenging for the family’s descendants to maintain such a spacious palace.”
He recalls his early years as a traveler.
“It’s hard at first. You don’t know what will happen. You might get sick or robbed.”
But his memories of those journeys are mostly fond.
“I collect travel experiences like some people collect shoes,” he says.
“Travel shows me the possibilities within myself, such as my connection with the world. The books you’ve read, the people you’ve known and the places you’ve been gradually shape your way of thinking.”