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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( T5 `$ C! e1 |+ ~, h! S architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider( f$ l6 H. a) ~$ x Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian" " i4 S' I4 B1 `* q9 z6 N* vcity. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture.2 T2 A2 B+ W, i( k% x According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty,' y% R+ F7 j& Z: i3 {6 T 3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of" l1 S- w! }4 P$ v1 I Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within/ a" O, l( }5 |2 U a hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among - ^1 l' }9 n( U% q( f) {7 qeach other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera # T5 p7 [9 y2 B# band Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is1 U5 J' M1 t' u( w& B: r9 _ harmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are q9 P+ o7 u, G8 f: xdescended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and6 T! ^: V3 Y. g1 N& P forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I ; J T' ^2 o/ H# P. d5 mwas born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great / L3 ~5 V" a; b5 himpression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished, % G$ L# ~6 f4 h+ b1 Y, }/ ]; k8 Zand we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong % L1 [- {% C) R/ J* ihas a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment 5 G! a! r( Y" Y+ \4 dof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that 5 o- v4 C% V0 d4 K0 kno hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are; ?4 w+ g) _$ R$ g4 x2 }9 A only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a 5 o! {; @$ @7 J7 f6 H! \0 t: A _sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government4 B- C2 k+ k2 l) ~# g6 T# i0 j) ] want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move, z+ k# v! u' A. G7 m to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is. n, d4 ?: t( B1 S. p$ D "modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact,4 Q) {% C4 I1 o) R8 o! r4 _/ O this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are; i; A# t* K5 |4 U 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 * k. r9 T( a4 J7 u1 \7 P# d }* p"progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make2 y; `. n7 T3 s3 m ^% j, w& M+ q money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was 0 M8 ?0 g7 R# N3 N0 L7 n; c+ M' Xa beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a4 n- m% Q8 X) R7 G+ v+ t" K parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across ' o: W2 @0 j, d* y tthe 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 . v; w5 ?# z4 C; t0 |importance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for# s" y! B+ | K2 ~# t' A development.

Hutongs3 z/ m! l6 T; H, D6 y8 q in the old days were residential area where people actually lived ) L$ j; y& x( k3 n. b. o4 |there. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions c }% {9 V* L) [7 E4 M/ } in hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not 0 Z5 ?3 g h4 y+ d5 }have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you% y4 e6 V$ N+ j' ?& ] will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs.! v1 D, @6 [4 \1 Z Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date a6 m6 @ G% A1 g* E0 z! t/ I1 O9 Qto support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used6 r* h$ V8 d0 W. v- g- X& h to hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses P) x t9 c+ I% l c; g; asupport a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically; {9 D3 m, F& j4 g( Z" C unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to 8 S2 W! U; Z5 L7 ulive in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose, 4 y. _+ H1 t% }/ P0 Fhutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the" `, e1 j4 W3 o9 V$ R* l' V/ F5 t balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the $ {; }# X( e6 `% X0 g7 ^project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be2 c# N# d. A; U, a' _* \ renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong 2 y& e) ]* S, SMuseum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how # C! d. b' h# m, r6 Q: jpeople lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be 4 @# i8 j- G! S' [torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished* [! L& T) l0 X, O% V memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress".' ~4 V; d% z( D5 p9 s$ w Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are 1 Y/ S3 L/ V+ B6 ]* jaligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially$ a% w0 \3 c. a3 k" p1 t" N4 ^ non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image - l( Z z0 A: k" Z% a) _of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these 0 e& V) T* ]6 a& ]( ZHutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those* |7 h. T; m( r- t people who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they4 E9 d6 T9 r' T. B* U0 m may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some% C) N: O% ~+ K9 \3 z Q of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before + k2 f v3 \6 A# F"modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all 0 {. m, ^7 F5 A3 ~4 O& F; Bpeople needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise# l, ?$ e/ w/ A' K3 d) v apartments are the way to go? No. ' u$ T1 K! u+ r5 @( ]& P / V# d6 Y9 F. l* ~ + [, |* H* d- ~9 ]: {

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the- K) |1 X) `: l! ?" |1 T+ K situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this; ~$ b0 T1 `! e7 G 'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make+ a5 y. o2 o6 k& U: C no money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so. N% W' d" S' G& |0 Z fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant3 z, s9 `( x7 ?6 S resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless. w; v( \- Z+ h- f, g Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is , b& x) q6 o+ j5 ~1 P+ l- _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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