Artists and craftsmen try to preserve the sounds of old Beijing
A new museum in the city keeps some of them alive
WITH ONE’S eyes closed, Beijing’s main roads sound like any Chinese city. All around is the roar of traffic, punctuated by honks from delivery scooters, recorded safety warnings from buses and the occasional bell of a rental-bicycle. But in the capital’s last hutongs, as its ancient grey-walled alleys are known, fragments of an older soundscape can be heard.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Bells and whistles”
From the October 9th 2021 edition
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