A Hutong Discussion

jhf0551

The following is a hutong discussion promoted by me on a Chinese history oriented forum:

Me:

As Beijing has been the capital of China for more than 800 years, its # [1 Y4 q- G' t! g1 b- K, {architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider * V8 s+ W7 P+ k$ B2 v: IBeijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian" & S D2 i, g2 b! }city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture. According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, 2 l( r" [; t9 D `& B9 {4 G# ^7 z3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of ) @+ E; a& f8 ?6 t* q: `Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is 6 ^' J& @* C3 g1 M! w7 Zharmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and + a* g! f* j- ~ x8 ?forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I was born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great impression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished, and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong ( s* U( t4 I, U4 D b" m) I, ?' Chas a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment 9 e- \2 V/ e% Y- {9 [of hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that : R$ u) a9 a1 S7 cno hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are 2 `% X+ V& Q8 H/ _only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a % c. o2 }7 r2 X0 Ssort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government 3 V( k; L8 y; n% A1 E; a* z9 Hwant to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move 6 W: H6 I% S: G1 n4 n1 |& o- ito the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is "modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, ) s: k+ v0 e# X' q) P$ K& ]this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are still living in compact apartment cells, Olympic Games will still be held in Beijing if four-combinations still stand.

Kimchee:

I think it's ashame how historical sights are destroyed due to - W: \. _8 z6 v+ u/ r' [) `8 k) ?/ o"progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across 6 `7 M( s; V D& g. y0 t/ r: kthe street is still there, but I thought it was a crime to do this.

Ashura:

While I do agree and support the perservation of properties of cultural importance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for 5 T6 \& R, `& q# _ Ndevelopment.

Hutongs . G) y4 X: }8 X8 hin the old days were residential area where people actually lived ) a7 c, Y, d9 [# v1 s0 Uthere. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions 8 _ J' ^* J& O7 s8 |) Gin hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs. Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date . o* s$ x W; w! g' |to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used to hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses " p# E& ?% P. Psupport a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose, ! W, E* p1 k) dhutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the G2 G- _2 _% j. r) ?balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be " b7 A' i4 ?* Irenovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be ) d1 B, |, W# f; C4 `" m+ otorn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress". Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image 7 R4 a3 M7 S: N9 [: S2 Mof the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those people who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some 6 a0 w# g& w/ v+ cof the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise apartments are the way to go? No. 1 J, E4 E" s) A! t% q7 E

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the " V& c. \+ v/ R9 w4 asituation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this 'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make + O( {8 H0 n2 b! Q8 q" qno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so 0 h+ J, j0 U! k, r- ^5 Gfast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant 3 e3 s. e6 h, P3 B! kresistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is * A$ i$ I+ d; aunlikely to happen too. Sad!

桉草

Excuse me. May I use ur discussion in my dissertation about Beijing Conservation?
Thx a lot!!