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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( W$ |! q E0 Q0 u. h2 \3 } architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider9 a# e+ c2 T5 d Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian") n' D! {! ~4 L+ x( x9 X- I0 K) N city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture.5 R' H* K+ r# T According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, 2 B" F3 `, W9 Z5 N3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of ) a R* u$ ^/ }/ ^+ a6 F6 m! @Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within 6 v2 M( O0 H S( {! \) C7 Uhutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among ! c& R8 ?, \$ seach other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera2 z7 N* w2 k G4 a( Q, B and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is, }- {1 a8 C6 I6 i harmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are . g& Q9 r- v0 C# N: t# sdescended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and; s6 x* R) }1 B/ [$ |: M( T! y forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I1 J# b" y' e' S, f2 w was born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great 4 u. U, C/ U, [/ Q) Bimpression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished, 0 ^! T5 U. N' g. R7 |and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong* f% x+ E# v2 ?' a b has a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment2 ]1 g9 Z: Y |' B; r of hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that) A/ o( K7 B5 W no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are 0 S+ N0 r+ f9 ]1 x7 _only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a1 t4 k, k4 J( w* y sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government/ _+ m# D5 _5 x, a% u* P" o, c" o: r want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move & q) P3 L2 Z/ T3 Ato the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is3 ~4 O1 V s: r( f0 ^6 ]. U s "modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact,: s+ i- n+ J* C9 _# m; R" D: [ this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are3 `/ B. I4 t1 ^9 Y/ O 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 2 l! z7 V, N3 |' U" U: l( |( Q/ {. s"progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make & `* U+ C8 w! E- i+ j% t# _1 @4 \money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was' e2 E' |$ N+ o) E a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a! L6 X {- ~- Q# G; f" b& R: M parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across7 x0 b. X" H" N4 W2 f( A 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 . e) Y# N* w, y4 t( X4 B$ Qimportance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for; ^( h, ^1 n. j! j5 T" ? development.

Hutongs & \$ O. V7 `& S( t# Fin the old days were residential area where people actually lived - \- @7 [ n2 q( a+ dthere. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions . A' y# y3 @) ~6 h; [: Hin hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not $ v1 x8 u0 t. |2 S- i/ g7 _8 K; H9 Q; D/ Xhave plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you ( c3 r ?3 z1 u9 P# vwill have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs. ; p2 }" ~3 B: X# FFurthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date 5 }( n s% e# d8 x" ?3 \2 Eto support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used + x8 s- v0 p7 \7 U! k F& Rto hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses " W: s8 j& q3 z8 M, |+ Q+ zsupport a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically: M+ o; @& E' N9 e: T1 Y9 W- e/ j0 k unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to% q9 d: z; ^ z& N live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,2 N& G# }. V% d! B! Z7 l hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the) b( l @. j3 H3 H balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the9 A- ]4 M3 J4 w% L0 O7 T& f! [* u }. M/ ] project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be 7 u& c$ Z0 z7 B! j0 frenovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong' D V3 L8 O0 C4 y1 y$ r& i2 b/ a Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how& J& `, z+ @1 C! ~ people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be " G( V; J+ U& `. Z) k' `6 @; vtorn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished 1 h1 d, E; u$ k$ }' Z4 z' t. u( fmemories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress". . n- G/ t9 j- KNothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are1 Q3 F; Y9 H# |2 Q* j aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially / k. R: t) U1 Anon-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image+ u* R7 B: V# J6 h" F0 j Y# r of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these* z& a1 x, A/ ~% _- S n Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those 1 @9 H, N7 x: Y! c5 L1 g% hpeople who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they ^# h; e: h$ i9 j) I: e9 Gmay appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some " k, v+ Z* v: n1 ]) \5 R3 Q) jof the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before ' o6 L% v2 C# r" B" e* ?' e"modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all; ~2 d/ @- N7 `$ W people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise1 Y- c% `/ E* \" i apartments are the way to go? No.) m* s7 j5 v) a3 K+ T) _. T. l7 f 9 f3 E; J& K3 z- W0 v N: R: F : q" x5 z* O7 w M, u& v9 T

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the ; @* q1 d' _9 usituation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this6 N7 k9 u+ x4 t" Y 'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make 2 ~; S; F9 `( L' g+ Kno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so 8 p5 L/ x) ~6 Qfast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant 4 c# G! Y, c+ I0 _- a1 ?2 ~" vresistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless+ z; ?/ R. [$ m- m- e. i Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is k( u1 e+ X: c$ cunlikely 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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