My live in Beijing

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    Beijing is expecting hundreds of thousands of tourists to arrive during the 2008 Olympics. And hotels in the city are poised to benefit from this huge surge in business. But aside from the standard luxury hotels, a new type of hostel is emerging to the delight of many tourists.

     Grey brick walls and a narrow alley, this is a typical Hutong in downtown Beijing.
     Hidden deep within the winding Hutongs is the Templeside House Hostel. It's built in the style of the traditional Beijing courtyard house, called the "Si He Yuan" with grey-tiled roofs and red wooden window frames. All these are characteristics of traditional Beijing architecture.

     Liu Ying said, "This is a typical ancient Beijing Si He Yuan courtyard. The garden provides a tranquil retreat from the high-rises and the traffic. More importantly, this is a place whereone can get a real taste of local life in the city."

     Most of the people who stay in these courtyard hostels are young foreign travellers. Some are fascinated by their unique architecture, while others find it fun to wander through the maze of a winding Hutong.

     Danish tourist said, "It's quiet and beautiful. I love the architecture. I've been here for 2 weeks."
     Many tourists discovered this special hostel on the Internet. They were curious about how locals in Beijing live and thought living in a traditional courtyard house would help them get to know the real city.

     British tourist said, "I've been to some other cities in China, and stayed in the sort of quite solid hotels, and I think this hotel would be quite a bit different, it's typical Beijing. I think it would be nice to be here."

     Shi Xing is a Beijing local who runs this courtyard hostel with her husband. They've already received bookings from overseas guests for next year's Olympic Games. Shi Xing hopes their hostel will become a platform to promote traditional Beijing culture.

    "The Si He Yuan is like a mirror of old Beijing. We hope our courtyard hostel can fully reflect the traditional culture of ancient Beijing, and let overseas tourists know more about the city and its culture," says Shi Xing, Proprietor templeside house hostel.

     It is estimated that there are more thanone thousand Hutongs and quite a number [give a rough number if you can; "quite a number" is coming straight after what you say about Hutongs] of Si He Yuan left in downtown Beijing. Many expect more courtyard hostels to be built for the approaching Olympics. Such hostels notonly showcase traditional Beijing culture, they're also a good way to preserve these precious relics.