The brick of the dusty courtyard homes filtered the thunder from the bars. There are very few lights in a hutong at night.
The densely packed lanes, many too narrow for cars, are lined with brick courtyard homes.
Today, the old center of Pingyao is a place of 40, 000 people crammed into narrow alleyways and courtyard homes hidden behind decrepit wooden doors.
In 2009 all its courtyard homes were demolished.
