Qianshi hutong (Chinese: 钱市胡同; pinyin: qiánshì hútong) translated as money market hutong, is a Beijing hutong recognized as the narrowest in the city.[1] The street is located near to Qianmen, in the Dongcheng district.[2][3] For most of its 55-metre (180 ft) length it is 70-centimetre (2.3 ft) wide and measures 40 centimetres (16 in) at its narrowest point, requiring passersby to turn sideways.[3][2]
During the Qing Dynasty, Qianshi was a financial center of monetary exchange, home to 26 mints producing copper coins for nearly every bank in the city. [2] The lane narrowed as these banks expanded.[2] After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the lane lost its function following the reformation of the monetary system and the production of paper currency.[2]