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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, its3 r6 ~' x: M* l( B0 R$ x' r architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider ; V4 a% o& N% Q7 L& a7 yBeijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"3 j- U( l) n" e7 h4 J city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture.; _3 g" Y1 I* u# [. ] According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty,) ?2 a: q- f2 o# ? 3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of6 s: L7 D* a. i+ o6 c* t( w3 C+ O Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within + h6 _1 \! f" P/ ?& D! Hhutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among 1 i4 L u# X6 Q1 x: y c) deach other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera+ u; p* A8 O$ h4 y7 B6 g6 T and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is 6 j d: k! ~+ \- Y% \' eharmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are 6 `( h' m2 l8 z! Mdescended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and 6 g. ?; u& ?( W$ P- O; xforms of culture emerged in hutong.

I 7 M' G: x9 V/ n+ kwas born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great $ V) v5 U9 ^. \$ B- Aimpression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished,# _3 B; Q& l" T. w& C1 _) b and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong4 m, n5 ~6 y9 e has a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment 0 O3 M# }; f) {/ Aof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that' S& o- D8 I& p; E no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are. I$ F% o. B: Y$ M# o$ M+ x% U only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a $ j/ `1 H0 {$ }% Y. _% M$ [sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government! V) j( }7 C% s# ?5 @ want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move 2 n" D4 m2 B5 L3 ]8 ~9 fto the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is 5 h8 C% C5 g2 G K1 i: K& E"modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact,/ Y, Y# b3 G Z. ~% P this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are 9 W- @$ ?: `/ t! a) ]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 to6 e: ] E" |% x, y4 M" P2 m "progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make & ~! A: B7 T! O! W. xmoney for big business... including the very town I live in. There was 5 A5 N. q7 f3 j7 K% za beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a ' P4 E- o: ~, K( N, `0 e) m. j! ]) xparking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across8 m8 \& `" `7 m+ V, }" o 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& o6 _4 u' Y: g J importance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for 7 F1 F8 L h% V" z3 xdevelopment.

Hutongs) ]0 ~) i D' D8 n in the old days were residential area where people actually lived ; b) K# A& l0 O Y$ n- [2 zthere. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions5 m6 v6 r+ k: {* O5 S$ l$ d9 ~. A in hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not $ U0 k6 O L$ e @have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you $ q$ T$ w. x( n: [9 Rwill have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs. 7 g9 ]! y, z7 A q1 c9 ^Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date + @, S7 Z, \4 j" A' ]8 _- tto support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used! t: Y6 _0 X( v8 W9 X to hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses ! s2 C1 H9 F( |1 B h& ]& F& }! nsupport a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically( }4 X. ~" H$ b1 \8 ?5 A unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to 5 M, F1 r; C4 H7 x+ Dlive in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,. S5 x; k) U2 j" M# m9 }2 w hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the' A9 X8 S! \5 v2 h' b, ] balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the) s5 E9 S3 U* g% R. O' S project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be+ J+ z/ P% ]6 J" |- q" h6 F; W" j renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong% G: c3 a! J$ |4 @; e1 d( ? Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how: ]! B q2 R5 S( a; n. M M people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be& q5 v' O% D" y) f5 u torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished' v: t) U4 X! r' e$ P6 j8 C" B memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress".' G# s8 ~( s% Z1 d) n4 @/ l& a1 x Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are; J8 I$ m6 b7 S z aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially $ U/ K" y4 a* {4 Rnon-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image . s1 |1 J5 D3 R# u) [4 u( _of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these ' u. ]1 S/ F' Y# o# e, `" \Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those % n S9 y6 O* q6 f7 \people who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they 4 H5 z7 z) a4 | f- Gmay appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some8 g7 p8 O& n) p2 ` of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before' x& S% b5 T B$ m ]6 e( W "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all, }# `" O; v0 R+ ]- H1 { people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise/ s8 t- }# M% c2 X4 |( m; { apartments are the way to go? No.' t8 g( q3 U2 v) C5 ] 8 h* X5 y; v+ z' {1 h + m) ]9 F# @7 W6 b" ?

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the " h, u' s, S( d; s/ @, \5 A' U2 x2 Esituation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this 9 G, \9 P$ ?, M3 }'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make) a8 ~, d% Z# |, B no money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so3 A2 }) \2 { c6 ]8 q0 u5 o fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant 1 j1 s% ?/ Y# t5 ]% sresistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless8 Y( r% f( Y7 |: ?' y Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is. J2 w0 j- t, z* f 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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