Fire Exit

Such a passage, called “hutong” in Beijing, “longtang” in Shanghai, and “xiangzi” in Yangzhou, served as fire exit in ancient times. With a narrower width on the north end than the south, it has a shape similar to the silhouette of a ship, conveying the garden owner’s, namely, a salt merchant’s wish for safe journeys of his commercial ships that would bring endless wealth to him.