Traditional area brought back to life

Efforts have restored the capital's Caochang area back to a culture hot spot and a comfortable living space.

Nestled in the east of Beijing's Qianmen district, Caochang covers an area of about 16 hectares and is home to 17 hutong.

Traditional single-story houses featuring gray walls and black-tiled roofs sit neatly next to each other. Old-fashioned stone bricks and granite pave the road.