All change: Moving on from the hutong

It wasn't long after I first set foot in China that I was introduced to the ephemeral delights of Beijing's hutong, circa 2016.

Having had no previous experience of these age-old alleyways, I knew not what to expect. Would they be like the "snickelways" of York, England, which I had explored in my youth, or something more akin to the winding passageways of Manama's old souk, in my former home of Bahrain?

Turns out it was neither. They were unique and I was enchanted - not only by the architecture, but also by the vibrancy of the assorted bars, restaurants, galleries and boutiques that called these lawless lanes their home.