The author focuses on his childhood and， in his native Beijing tongue， describes his childhood life in the hutongs under the Drum and Bell Tower in old Beijing at the end of the 1940s. The book systematically compares the humanistic history of Beijing through interesting stories， introducing traditional cultures such as architecture， folklore， opera， food， nursery rhymes， and handicrafts， presenting a peaceful， relaxed， and open-minded social attitude， reflecting the development of history and social changes while bringing out the unique colors of life as Beijingers.