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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 % t+ O; o& m; K( L2 a. xarchitecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider3 r( d* A+ f5 N& K) n8 Z Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"- g. v0 ^: U9 ?- T, m j city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture. . T4 J. c, H5 s* _! n3 {( CAccording to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, * o# Y+ d* \+ z3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of s/ M% Z* f1 H: ^" A: H Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within2 a' w) I) [* U9 G/ C' } hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among 2 |! T5 |- ~6 o% e! meach other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera) o" S2 X8 K( c, ]$ A7 e' X and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is) a, X, a4 W. P' y7 ~$ g3 |0 q; O harmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are5 w% n7 g% p* a- w/ N descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and# p$ s' j2 G: t8 t) s: j8 j forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I) y3 K9 |; [2 {& u was born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great : t5 Q3 ?& ?. ~impression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished, ; a$ N3 O' s. p4 y* Cand we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong ( f9 k# w1 Q' b9 X1 Ehas a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment' v- `8 J) C) G& k8 f8 k of hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that 4 L# x2 t3 i. Y* Y1 xno hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are- u" I$ K' I8 n: s1 n3 X* c* z only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a/ w5 V. [6 d5 R# O2 l sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government3 ?3 `* Y. B0 l& S( l want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move / u) @: ]& c3 J, _: F% \! Rto the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is& I6 g$ Y8 O) A5 `/ ^* U& @8 ^ "modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, 4 m3 k1 v0 |7 V2 H: I& @# q; Ythis movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are/ o+ Q8 C0 X3 T 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" K5 Z. V) w* R c4 a "progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make# O0 e& C' m1 W money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was$ V) |+ \$ L3 q; j& {: S' D! D a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a1 M: L. J2 t! x parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across ) K5 x6 [6 e" Q1 D0 U" l/ I( r1 \* ythe 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& \' ?, N# V- p# B' y) w/ V importance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for1 a0 v9 Z, n) i development.

Hutongs, }% L6 m$ f, m' N' C in the old days were residential area where people actually lived0 [$ C, n$ T4 j7 P1 ]; p there. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions; O1 | d$ Q5 D( t7 O x in hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not% m, s0 a4 D0 Q) I6 U/ D have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you, i& @' `, X. ^5 v, [9 Q will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs. 3 @6 X/ t, N" v4 \Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date 4 ?& b0 ^; u5 R5 i$ ^* Oto support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used # ^. A1 O8 i5 J6 [to hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses& D' r9 T. o8 f1 {7 |! [0 j support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically3 e* h, E0 S: A% P unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to+ v1 k+ E9 K7 j, H1 K# C* _ live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose, 6 g# I1 T1 G! q7 P* N2 H& U' s% bhutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the ! O' }" K4 d; h9 Tbalance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the0 i6 A" ?$ h& f5 S6 @ project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be * S# b0 C- t3 ?2 M- erenovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong U9 k- ~# u7 c" G& l) I$ [ Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how . ]& {9 A. a. [; V' z* dpeople lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be ' O& \) e2 d$ j* dtorn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished w `6 ]" Y: @8 N memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress". ; P9 G5 c, l: y$ _/ ONothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are / _8 R" o6 x2 H8 s/ L# yaligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially * x4 G: V% u8 fnon-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image! N9 b; P) ~* \- u5 h of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these ' [6 m" L$ d# R- |& V N9 nHutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those 0 J; w5 \% K/ i5 k% Cpeople who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they " m- E. ~' N Z7 S0 zmay appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some0 _" p2 z8 k3 p y$ e of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before+ w! {$ y9 b; ]7 `5 a1 P "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all 7 Y/ s+ r% x0 @' xpeople needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise ) s# n8 t N3 U5 A* L; \apartments are the way to go? No. ( h: M9 ?& D* w8 a m/ n , R( |. N4 |- b ! ~& z0 e8 p. L; Y i4 V" e

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the. H! m! @7 H/ s( l# O1 [- m5 R% i$ {' E situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this4 L. J1 E! p% i [7 d( [ 'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make " N3 p9 |* F0 H- U( F* Qno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so# I3 G, v: Y" _ i8 {6 k. f$ H+ Z fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant8 K7 G- j8 f: u( p! J+ ?' ]: E resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless3 w2 h9 v; i$ q; Z! o Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is & A% Q( m; |% ounlikely 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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