Australian Andrew Morton lived in a traditional Chinese courtyard house amid Beijing's iconic hutong alleyways for about five years while in China for work and study.

He considers the experience one of the highlights of his time in the country before leaving the Chinese capital seven years ago.

"You can see the relationship between the people who live in the hutong, they're more than neighbors," said Morton, who works as a commercial analyst in Sydney.

"They look after each other, making sure that everyone is ok. It's that mix between this great, historical setting and the everyday quotidian life," he added.

On April 16, Morton, 36, deepened his understanding of Chinese history and culture this time from watching a hutong-set play based on a major literary work.

Four Generations in One House, drawn from the 1940s novel by acclaimed writer Lao She (1899-1966), premiered live to a packed hall as part of a weeklong Australian tour by the National Theatre of China.

The work focuses on Chinese family ties and their wartime struggles in the capital's hutong when China was attacked by Japanese invaders.