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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 - S0 d8 N) z+ `! T0 f% t, Z3 iarchitecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider/ V/ B7 A& e! p6 k7 t Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"9 C7 q0 v2 S, y& |, L) e7 S b' a3 R city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture. . a% C; e1 p0 F% w7 n' N" KAccording to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, 4 {: F. P: M0 R3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of: q0 k1 C1 Y2 i! \; s Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within 5 Y* V) V" ^; Y: bhutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among $ r7 d+ ?- G. x0 qeach other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera # j3 u) g# s% d7 H' ^7 e( pand Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is4 L' x, }2 y! n! h harmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are" q3 l6 ]5 ^' G& m8 W descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and . s: p4 }) \' d! Z- ]( M- |1 Uforms of culture emerged in hutong.

I2 ~' X+ G) l+ L6 ?$ q; B7 Q was born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great 1 ~6 @+ f/ g0 ?9 G% }, ximpression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished,* }" x0 d7 J- x1 [ and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong , L. `7 ]4 z. v& N ~% c% zhas a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment " e2 f1 ^1 G8 R2 C; W6 P r6 k3 vof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that7 ]! j j: m8 [ no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are- t. \0 e e$ W% q only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a3 B7 U4 K* d& Q( x3 F" f, z+ i sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government& u$ Z ]$ Y- M* \+ C want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move, I4 |' W' y$ x to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is2 e! T; v0 A5 s& k2 r "modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact,* W/ n4 q0 H* `0 m this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are7 w4 v) p& d; ]0 c7 A4 p) l, v1 { 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& j, q9 P/ H6 }) f "progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make 9 k9 v D5 v6 r9 J8 R& S* E8 k# o( t1 wmoney for big business... including the very town I live in. There was + z0 }( Q, ^0 A" }+ x, va beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a - _2 k- S6 O' h4 ] Gparking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across1 f j( f; ~- E! r 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 $ @) I4 }( C. Rimportance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for # w: \- i8 Y' d! |/ ]1 ^5 wdevelopment.

Hutongs3 ~& z t, P: g4 c) ^ in the old days were residential area where people actually lived- N' H9 }( p6 H9 q* j there. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions 1 o; i- g, v& T* @! |/ din hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not+ ?2 |8 q0 r7 n# k% `4 z" ] have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you * c6 Z* r/ g+ j$ o9 e! G' Jwill have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs.5 B* {4 O. S! o Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date; d# x0 I) i( f3 u" F# R t to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used * B! f: j* t' H+ z F3 Pto hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses# C0 F& Q9 L; M- t j7 y$ H support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically 9 Z5 C/ F: K6 H/ y( {' W, i% o2 |( Kunfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to + T: C3 b4 \9 I! Xlive in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose, " J! ]$ k. b/ _* ?2 h Ihutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the0 f l8 q2 J) U1 o7 T, P balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the 9 M- D3 E: X* uproject into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be3 ?% _, a0 S& e) {1 ?# d! T renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong* b: `8 X6 I( J; r6 e* i8 b L6 W2 L Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how4 F) j. ]3 g; h, [5 X people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be# i9 G3 d8 n7 Y torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished+ D, r1 c4 ^9 S% B& t5 D memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress". i: C2 C# g9 v2 y Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are, y/ ?# F4 M$ A) h aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially # Q. e( S" P5 j' q v: H! F! g# Y0 mnon-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image 3 A9 K6 v3 o3 T$ Zof the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these! v0 n0 Q1 }6 h) N* f/ B% D Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those) G" E6 E3 d) v' o* N- i7 e people who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they9 b8 k: [1 c$ J9 h/ l& p may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some ( k' r$ c' x1 _+ bof the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before& ]+ v1 q* ?2 D5 k, A/ G. L "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all5 B# O/ K$ S6 V! y! ^& ?( m0 x9 M people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise . }( z8 K( S: ~) A' Zapartments are the way to go? No.2 B( Q N1 c- Z & B: j& y* P6 ^7 |3 U) a # G0 @+ H& a# A7 X

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the8 d6 |7 m, \# K# K situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this / i# E2 k* K" T# H( |'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make 0 X" Q6 i# u% Wno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so' v7 m1 K; D# b) M" U1 J; E fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant, q7 S) I+ X# R* } resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless 1 k9 |9 T0 [0 q0 {Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is / ?2 g& Q: N7 }$ lunlikely 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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