I was briefly in Beijing a few wks ago getting acquainted with my future home. We made a stop in the Dongcheng District of Beijing, located to the Northeast of the Forbidden City. One of the key streets in this area is Nan Luo Gu Xiang. Down this street you'll cross many hutongs and get a taste of what life was like pre-Beijing Olympics. It's a nice narrow lane that reminds me of Taikang Lu in Shanghai and only because alot of the same stores there, are here too. Unfortunately, not too many exterior standouts for me here, with the exception of these wooden milk and newspaper boxes featuring carved characters and designs. Fresh milk is still delivered in China, even in the big cities. In Shanghai you'll see mostly metal, industrial looking versions. It was nice to see something made out of wood and a little bit more ornate but simple. The butterfly grille window was also spotted down this lane and what I liked about it was it was also created and carved out of wood---something you don't see alot in Shanghai.
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