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A Hutong Discussion

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发表于 2007-4-24 05:08:00 | 显示全部楼层 |阅读模式
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( ] e7 Z0 h) K6 C$ |8 w5 e# Q architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider: U- \* G4 i. }- @4 {9 a6 K Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian" ( |& w& s) i$ {8 R9 g/ icity. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture. 0 _4 Y! a8 P c5 q2 x$ _' YAccording to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, [2 w3 e: J: \1 W1 ? 3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of , ~& k9 l5 {7 oManchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within2 V8 y6 u0 I$ L2 z. F$ R hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among) X q$ Y/ | a( p2 ]% z- k# L/ N each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera 8 \: C7 y/ m& _( w4 `and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is4 u% t& N$ c* }* | harmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are , L$ c1 |( T' g: U- ~" y; ydescended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and 6 h0 t% W: _$ d# N3 z8 A! sforms of culture emerged in hutong.

I& c8 G# [- ]/ h( r( C5 ^ was born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great & g8 a# O( t, | p* c+ {+ E( X, `- [impression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished,8 y/ p# J* D7 o: d6 T and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong + q9 H# g. y7 y# ^! r( i, R. phas a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment" G5 Z) ?# E8 J0 N5 @ m of hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that % u" S& k) Z+ r8 Vno hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are% J2 i* P1 K, ] only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a; a: o/ t8 R/ D' f8 f5 W sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government & y3 K$ s0 { U1 n! ~1 q% G# bwant to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move+ T# C9 F$ C* _9 H to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is& \5 W! g: T+ i0 A, F "modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, ) e' q* v$ O; T+ o) K; b% e& }this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are # Y6 h+ }4 [0 y- `3 v: vstill 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 ; L1 m0 h" P8 b; D"progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make% K- z/ H, |4 K$ p money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was- h8 j( v1 c" r5 r; B a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a2 ^! @; T- c7 ]) G6 K' S! S parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across 8 Z8 f7 E$ q# F% a( w3 m5 ?the 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 ! y2 X/ l' ?* ~% |8 zimportance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for( |% ]8 m* j0 e0 ] development.

Hutongs! H/ |" T! S2 Z0 {1 T) v in the old days were residential area where people actually lived . [, d* ^1 G0 h0 B! x; M& ithere. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions ' o! ?4 ?0 h4 Z7 P- h1 I7 |in hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not6 r- m8 n2 `' Q; ^ have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you 0 K3 r) X1 R- N- h: Iwill have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs.; [# P& W) T- C/ V5 e5 D U Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date / D- y& `# d3 n9 P3 Q( [to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used4 ]8 S* s' J! [5 J to hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses 1 D. V, K2 `' |4 M2 G8 `support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically 8 R: C; e) i" p" Wunfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to 4 L# c: _, Z. Q* Blive in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose, 8 C& x1 Y& b* T: P8 ?hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the , g9 k% k3 l+ E9 p7 M! mbalance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the$ E' w# ~: T; ]% Y; \4 Q0 Y project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be# F! ~ C7 w) [7 ]9 V1 H renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong' F+ u2 k4 b4 Z6 a" _" I Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how 7 _ o( Q& v! U$ ipeople lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be 1 }# |# m6 _6 r: Q5 U$ \1 S3 D+ rtorn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished3 n2 B8 V0 r t memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress".4 d, b* Y- G% Y3 w, @4 v* C3 m Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are % g) S# G/ h' X2 C' H7 Daligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially L/ ]: t4 ^7 ^" knon-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image' W, R" e" S. d# |! y+ y of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these- M7 M' M6 L5 _; K1 o6 K& h Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those 5 n; ]% x% Y/ ]: Dpeople who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they. F' w" v( D# [ may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some 2 S. g' y+ |4 xof the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before 7 \4 u' }; l0 X" }: I" v"modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all& v* z8 G4 X- @% j people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise ; O. [3 I8 K8 Y" o/ v% v: ^, \apartments are the way to go? No.8 [$ ~3 ] ?3 {; |/ t3 I q8 K7 h1 M! O: V , v1 g+ C) |2 K0 ~1 T; Z* y+ O

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the & T& ]- }/ g8 `4 Y% P9 B' _( ysituation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this+ ]5 O- A$ c# J1 Q. Q1 B 'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make / f4 I$ c3 q z- w9 p9 T* E, A- @& X& Xno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so; I5 h5 d, Y# _7 v4 X fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant 4 i, l& y, K* M+ l) G5 uresistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless) m+ X+ a5 t9 D5 |* u4 Q& T Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is' y W- A) i8 y) e unlikely to happen too. Sad!
发表于 2007-5-22 20:37:00 | 显示全部楼层
Excuse me. May I use ur discussion in my dissertation about Beijing Conservation?
Thx a lot!!
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