Begin inside a well-preserved three-courtyard Beijing residence. Unlike a typical hutong walk, where you usually only see courtyard houses from the street, this stop offers a rare chance to step inside and experience traditional Beijing residential architecture firsthand.

Using the existing spaces together with historical images, you’ll first understand the basic layout of a simple one-courtyard siheyuan, then see how additional courtyards create a larger and more hierarchical home.

You’ll also learn about traditional residential life and the story of Mei Lanfang, one of the most influential figures in Peking Opera.

Continue to one of Beijing’s best-preserved Qing-dynasty princely residences. Compared with an ordinary courtyard home, the scale expands into multiple courtyards, larger halls, residential compounds, and a private garden. Here, you’ll see how traditional courtyard-planning principles were adapted for the imperial elite.

Through the garden, you’ll also gain insight into classical Chinese landscape design. Stories of former residents such as Heshen and later Prince Kung will help bring part of Qing-dynasty history to life.

In the afternoon, reach the grandest scale of traditional Chinese architecture at the Forbidden City.

Starting from the Meridian Gate, follow the central axis through the major ceremonial halls of the Outer Court and the principal palaces of the Inner Court, including the Imperial Garden. Along the way, you’ll also learn about the emperor’s living spaces, such as the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and the residential areas of imperial consorts in the Eastern and Western Six Palaces.

By comparing the Forbidden City with the courtyard homes and princely mansion visited earlier, you’ll see how the same architectural principles were expanded to create the highest level of imperial space, hierarchy, and symbolism.