【正确答案】Hutong There is a saying that the word 'hutong' originated from Mongolian, meaning 'well'. In ancient times, people tended to gather and live around wells. So the original meaning of 'hutong' should be 'a place where people gather and live'. Another explanation is that during the Yuan Dynasty, residential areas in the city were divided into several districts through which there were passageways for people to travel. Those passageways also functioned as isolation belts against fire risks. In Mongolian, passageways of this kind were called 'hutong'. Nevertheless, no matter what hutong exactly means, one thing is for sure: Hutong first appeared during the Yuan Dynasty.