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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 7 _ Q5 T8 a" varchitecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider4 p& g% u- g2 @4 s/ z' k& n Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian" ) P" N4 N& h* h; R7 v! ^city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture. " r* A" p) d3 z$ X. @4 S3 O) j# MAccording to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty,4 K2 l, g3 _# ]: z' o3 ~+ ?, [ 3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of ! R+ R% G4 f) M5 |& f# vManchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within 3 {. V' R; d( V9 X' khutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among$ N: S8 \1 t: B( h) `& z. q5 q' c each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera" b; a7 l+ M2 i" R and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is ) e5 {# e7 z! B6 D8 T' N3 L5 Bharmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are ; O1 Y* Y2 U& T k) r. Odescended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and % N5 Z: k% b5 K" J) J' oforms of culture emerged in hutong.

I " u7 i! }& @% Q) fwas born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great1 @2 X* P( }9 \2 ?. z: b5 {$ C, { impression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished,& {& o0 S* A- _% `$ u and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong' |$ w0 S" j6 |/ F has a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment 5 v! Q+ I2 n8 [. g0 Eof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that 7 D: x3 c* G% `) ]no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are3 f7 D; r- v6 } only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a% P% t$ R7 X1 A& L5 a sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government 0 Z7 a( n0 E0 L9 rwant to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move h, P) {- t5 F" L+ F+ Z+ }! ? w9 ?+ @to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is 4 n/ ~/ s/ f# L8 a"modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, 5 v; i1 p* ^# Q/ |this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are 2 F3 X6 K8 b+ H" T/ g7 tstill 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 5 [3 E" u+ D! \"progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make" a" g/ D( V3 \: ?6 K money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was / q& W2 k8 M/ Z0 d( V0 |a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a+ J7 [! ^( f* T) m+ m0 b u1 W parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across 2 R8 `9 Z' H' B7 I# i$ F Vthe 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 , @6 Z8 {- G- eimportance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for+ F( ]" B7 w R! b& h development.

Hutongs7 ?" I. G2 N8 ` e% i! C9 v in the old days were residential area where people actually lived 5 z7 m" [& e# l) M$ B* [8 z# S4 Xthere. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions 9 K/ ^- d6 i+ Q/ d6 ?# L0 Y9 tin hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not( ]7 i3 n5 [: M4 _ have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you4 }. A2 P _' f5 C7 t& {# g- f will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs.1 ]3 p% S" {' o3 R7 S Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date9 }, V( O6 k# S# Q to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used ~# x" V2 n3 Bto hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses / c$ @: d& L" t8 M8 ], U# u4 \' [support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically! F; Z+ b( W. D1 `- |4 v unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to3 X6 D$ S" A7 p1 b4 B3 Y% D+ y live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,! a1 H `, y# h4 o' W# ?. U hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the3 w1 C* G3 Y" {2 E2 J, A: _" u balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the0 c: X8 t. B- N project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be 1 u. p+ X% P+ @+ g' L$ z1 yrenovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong . i; S$ b5 B* x, ]& uMuseum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how9 ?/ B3 \# x: J7 Q. P people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be, v& |/ M, d7 y% w8 o4 s torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished8 E4 A1 M- h0 r; Y$ L) K) a memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress".0 c, Q5 p* v+ G" c0 Z% `, A Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are, o" z9 ]+ a6 T6 |# D aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially / [# { R b3 R7 E8 S9 r/ Inon-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image ' m9 n* _8 M) P2 w |of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these% @3 r+ y: |' k Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those ( c! w' W4 }0 \% A* I3 Rpeople who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they2 `* `* l/ A" F may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some4 e0 p9 Z: ~, [) z9 z6 y of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before + |4 R$ q& R8 X3 D, z* a, Q/ @"modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all - z6 ]# h; _) L) N3 ]+ ~) l$ R0 ypeople needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise! G+ m* N) M5 R, ?: g D apartments are the way to go? No. ! c1 b! P0 R) c/ \4 e6 ~# S' f 8 {7 ?1 M/ n2 o% w - Y: V0 m }' n9 F {

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the/ o- \2 ~5 M+ u0 h situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this6 t+ s8 A7 B& R) | 'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make ! u9 v. m3 b6 N+ T9 Y! L: ano money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so ; \& e4 E& Z. Jfast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant& l- c" N5 @1 M5 n8 D, Y resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless$ N# }4 l0 i8 w' Z" D& q$ O Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is% G6 f0 _7 ^* G2 X7 E0 k4 R8 n 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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