According to historical records and folklore, there are three main explanations for the meaning and source of the word "Hutong" in academic circles at present:
1. Shuijing: In Mongolian, Turkic and Manchu, the pronunciation of the word Shuijing is very close to that of Hutong. Historically, Beijing mainly relied on wells, so wells became synonymous with residential areas and then streets, hence the word hutong.
2. Names left over from the Yuan Dynasty: Mongolians called the town "Haote". After the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, Mongolians also called the streets and alleys of the Central Plains "Haote" according to their own habits. Later, "Haote" evolved into "fire lane" or "alley", and then evolved into today's "hutong" and "hutong";
3. Great Harmony among Hu People: I think the word Hutong is a simplified version of the political slogan "Great Harmony among Hu People" in the Yuan Dynasty.