The courtyard of a siheyuan within the former Imperial City

　　We discovered this house together but the idea came from my husband

　　He was really fond of the siheyuan

　　During the SARS period we biked through the whole city hutong area

　　We decided we have to have such a house in the future

　　That time was really perfect time for us to bike through the whole city

　　Everything was closed down and nobody was walking in the street

　　We were living in an apartment – I am from Holland where everybody lives on the ground floor

　　Living in an apartment especially in China – I was not happy with that

　　I decided it was good to live in Beijing – especially the weather

　　In wintertime – clear skies, blue skies – so I was very happy here

　　I wanted to live in Beijing but I didn't want to live in an apartment

　　When we discovered the hutongs – this is the way of life – the way the houses are built I like

　　You must be surrounded here by a lot of history

　　Since we have moved here we have been told all kinds of stories, historical stories about the famous people

　　We are quite close to the canal, the Jade River where at one time the boats came all the way from Hangzhou

　　Where we are living, it is next to the main street – Beiheyan Dajie

　　In old time it was the canal running through this main street

　　Unfortunately it was filled with earth in 1960

　　Questions

　　1.Which part of historic Beijing is the courtyard in? The Imperial City

　　2.What was happening in Beijing when they first saw the courtyard? SARS

　　3.How did they travel at that time? By bike

　　4.Where did Tom not like to live? In an apartment

　　5.What was near the courtyard in historic times? A canal, the Jade River

　　Track two

　　The Imperial City is inside the old city walls

　　It is smaller but it is where the people lived who were connected to the court, to the emperor

　　All the people who worked there, who provided food or clothing or had a job in the Palace were living here

　　Our house is located within a temple, Zhonggu Temple just behind our house – demolished in the 1960's

　　There are lots of temples and old historic buildings in the neighbourhood

　　One that has been beautifully restored, the Temple Hotel

　　That is quite a fashionable place – in ancient times called Songzhu temple

　　That was the biggest lama temple close to the Forbidden City, ordered to be built by the emperor

　　You have a connection with the ground, the earth directly and a piece of sky above

　　It is definitely more close to nature

　　We have a weasel – we have a big tree in the yard and a weasel

　　It comes down to bite a neighbour's rabbit or small mice

　　We went to the archive bureau of Beijing to check out the first owner of this house

　　He was in charge of all the lanterns – to lit all the lanterns of the Forbidden City

　　Just like 'Raise the Red Lantern'

　　Questions

　　1.Where is the Imperial City? Within the city walls

　　2.Who were the people who lived in the Imperial City? Those with jobs in the Forbidden City

　　3.What used to exist where the house is? A former temple

　　4.What animal lives on the tree in their courtyard? A weasel

　　5.What was the job of the first house owner? Responsible for the lanterns in the Forbidden City