The change of the name of old Beijing hutong

The names of some hutongs have not changed since the Yuan Dynasty, such as Zhuanta Hutong.

There are more than 30 hutongs that haven't changed much since the Ming Dynasty, such as Menlou Hutong, Luoer Hutong, Cui Hua Hutong, Wool Hutong, Hair Hutong, Pine Hutong, Shi Jia Hutong and Dengcao Hutong. However, the names of many hutongs have been changed repeatedly with the change of dynasties, and the most hutongs have five or six previous names.

Like Caishikou Hutong in Xuanwu Gate, it was originally called Rope Craftsman Hutong in Ming Dynasty, but it was misinformed as Fairy Hutong in Qianlong period of Qing Dynasty, and later renamed Prime Minister Hutong.

There are also some hutong names, which are vulgar at first, and then gradually refined, such as Shilu Hutong changed to Lishi Hutong, Houhui Hutong changed to Zhao Ji Hutong, Liu Shou Hutong changed to lean meat Hutong, Dung Hutong changed to Yongming Hutong, smelly skin Hutong changed to Shoubi Hutong, Niuxue Hutong changed to study abroad Hutong and so on. These are basically homophones with good meanings, not unpleasant words. It belongs to homophonic conversion, which sounds similar to the original sound. Everyone in the alley is willing to accept it, so it can be circulated.

But if it is imposed on others without the approval of the masses, there will be no shouting. For example, during the Cultural Revolution, under the influence of the ultra-left ideological trend, some slogan words with obvious slogans were forcibly added to the names of hutongs, such as Daijia Hutong was renamed Red Guards Hutong, Beidouya Hutong was renamed Hongxiaobing Hutong, Doujiao Hutong was renamed Hongdi Hutong, and zhushikou West Street was renamed Hongwei East Road, but the result was only called for a while and soon disappeared.