# Xiao Qian - The Small Alleys of Old Beijing

Author: Qian Xue
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: I was born and grew up in the small hutongs of Beijing. Because my father, whom I never met, was in charge of the switchboard at Dongzhimen in his lifetime, the northeastern corner of the city became my early world. In the 1940s, when I wandered overseas and longed for home, what I thought of was that corner of Beijing. That's where I began to know the world. Qian Xue is a renowned contemporary Chinese writer and translator, a true Beijing native. This book can be said to be "Old Beijing talking about Old Beijing"—authentic Beijing dialect. The siheyuan (traditional Beijing courtyard houses), the small hutongs of Beijing, the sugar-coated hawthorn skewers, the Beijing (a traditional Beijing snack), the local customs and traditions of Beijing, like smoke (smoky memories), are all vividly presented.