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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 . ^: n* L- m7 h" P& {$ z1 [; Tarchitecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider 0 g/ {# y$ f, O6 B7 XBeijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"3 G- |; z3 T6 O city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture. ! R+ p: W8 d, H; @According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, * f0 T3 i# `. L1 |6 `$ e. p9 z3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of0 j o+ r2 `. a% ?8 ]9 d: y Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within% r) k. J+ B1 |7 `& p* a5 t hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among. x6 B; m9 X: X: z each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera9 m- `, S* ]4 n7 `/ P and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is; i: [, o5 [4 i9 P harmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are ) w) e. K9 R1 |8 Sdescended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and ! g) ^0 d) N1 h- K! B% ?forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I* v# n% J4 ]/ n) u5 H0 | was born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great+ S v- a3 ~9 u1 \# O% Q impression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished, ; X& }' e( h3 Kand we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong : ]0 Q- X1 z' h! _, a' Mhas a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment * Q0 ^' n+ c% x: _/ dof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that- U+ }. z! {5 S, H T, s) T! i no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are 3 ?3 K& C6 u/ \only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a ( U' S0 c1 j! V" h1 a+ ~sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government 2 l- V- `& @' i% ^$ |want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move 0 r( T- E7 N2 o7 n6 b& ]to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is ! B: |0 I& h# m"modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact,2 x. h7 U- f- b; X$ K this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are5 G# X) ?& ]' \0 v7 R7 A- A. C& N 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, A- F" [$ Z" y+ o' G" U$ S. M "progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make- c. N' `6 ]1 k) y p money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was ; T$ S3 Y- e2 ?- T; d# }- x4 va beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a7 ~$ }- ~, i; w- E8 O parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across 5 p" v7 c# p* T* v1 j9 Ithe 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 " r, u' J, v0 E: Z; bimportance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for ! g& v2 H+ E6 A+ Idevelopment.

Hutongs6 D, {/ a& H6 s in the old days were residential area where people actually lived 7 G6 a1 N# h; g9 Zthere. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions , y& Y1 Z) O& ~+ y8 iin hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not 1 ^+ R. w# P, Y: {% chave plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you+ [9 R) A1 X+ d7 Q0 g will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs. % J* ]1 O) J9 H; Q$ z# U0 Z$ [Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date/ `4 C J0 u3 A" e to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used5 l/ ^8 d, R# V6 H1 q6 y% T to hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses$ L1 i7 y& C$ H7 c& S7 T support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically) K6 z( {. `$ D, Q q unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to% [! m7 ^+ N6 w0 y; W live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,, t* \/ N; U" D5 x; E5 q# ^ b hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the- c# c1 v& u4 N' Y; S* v: j' t) Y balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the: X! O. v4 Y _ @: H H7 D! k project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be: k |. H. y) g' g+ p) A renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong- I- }/ O4 _& F* c" ^/ \( K Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how/ j. `$ @3 Q" n people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be / ~: \! w% m7 r$ J/ V* etorn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished & U1 S2 s) Z& A; K, n' B2 D$ Lmemories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress".5 ]/ U3 e/ o: t ]) J Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are 3 q) M/ u8 E) J/ W# ^aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially 7 Y; ], k( N6 j5 Snon-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image2 K7 u _0 D- v( G; P8 R of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these ( r* t- W$ u' X+ s6 R0 U1 k2 KHutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those( o @ e/ a* ^ people who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they t4 p1 R+ P( K- o may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some+ f) E$ o: b) T p' ^ of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before$ Q& h( {2 C- e% V1 D* E. _ "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all Q2 i# ?. H8 e* \2 ^6 p) Tpeople needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise& `* p) W4 j* ^2 G3 O* g) |& h" O apartments are the way to go? No.& E% ?6 N& N" ], u v " M2 O: a8 o% _; z* H; ~+ w& W, p X 8 h) f3 P/ d* s0 ?! B

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the$ I. ?4 a9 }$ J; y situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this 6 B: c# R+ Z: |7 y9 [# l8 |2 w'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make 5 w/ B- F; Z' Uno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so3 t! C& b2 i+ t/ f) v$ @* [2 J& h8 } fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant$ x$ G# [# g1 D* |! {# a resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless , d0 X, \2 t. y2 ~5 a/ T7 ^/ x2 w6 @Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is 6 S: N3 U/ ?, F p, v* l# Junlikely 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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