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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, its9 T: G: M* ]: `5 g+ G# e architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider # w1 h& b- {" n+ Z5 \Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"' M* S' F8 T' ?; S5 d3 t: Y5 g city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture.& d% x9 L2 c p7 G According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, p% M( r* e+ |+ x3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of; w7 I f6 B0 n! q, @. [ Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within+ L A; y+ ^0 L* h* t7 g$ j6 w hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among & j4 F/ T, j$ R$ G |. _each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera+ L$ x" x; M+ i& I, k$ C+ z! E- F and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is % q3 |& q: Y- j" u) Eharmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are9 I9 N9 P+ h5 T& D/ O. i# ` descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and, Q1 t, b! A8 _ p, A4 D' j# h forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I + C- T5 i/ u3 O, I* S4 k) \, Swas born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great + n" F2 N: ^# Z8 |3 e& \/ pimpression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished, * N6 p+ C/ \+ i; q4 E4 o+ p4 Nand we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong; D) e+ |* ]) H+ ] has a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment 9 `( u6 a# V- Nof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that+ B# {; a$ b) z# F& c" ? no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are: J4 c, G$ P2 G8 h only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a# t% V/ O1 F& U2 x sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government3 r0 [' T, C0 a9 A, x9 Q want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move% y/ L( w% R. j9 w& y& l to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is! \9 T6 v5 ?' e5 L0 s7 |+ P "modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, . C) q9 |* \4 U! T( v- mthis movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are/ s+ f5 l1 p0 B, Q, n" h 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# f6 j, ]+ }/ w+ w, y1 d1 r "progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make7 B- S ^4 e! u- h4 d money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was$ ^' L& v7 x n( Q a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a+ b8 P* n3 ?) r+ q, ~" | parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across9 {( G) T3 [7 _9 [# v 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 7 F& B$ N5 F# ^importance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for " F" J% r. F+ v; udevelopment.

Hutongs0 r7 {; F6 {7 x0 ?! m+ ` in the old days were residential area where people actually lived- T3 J7 S* c5 x+ P' d there. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions 6 |. I+ a' d( k6 e0 r, X9 O! K- `in hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not # F; l1 \/ S' n1 }have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you8 G7 _ g" i v will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs. 7 x0 [; I7 f" `, O: @6 x- OFurthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date' m2 H6 ]$ m/ y6 A( i# E& J to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used # j( _4 B$ i" v' Bto hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses8 N3 Y3 I* F6 P* ] K5 x support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically 0 l- |1 P ^- x" B8 h, Xunfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to ! M: B+ `3 ]) j: b1 S" ]live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose, % T- d& f5 x" U1 ~1 qhutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the 8 W3 _1 O6 w/ T+ ]* Sbalance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the% U9 b8 u6 }: W8 i4 O; B7 p project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be 9 H. `0 _7 Y) r9 Zrenovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong 9 `+ k. ]6 T c. C% G/ Y# [Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how , q7 s6 s0 `* Q7 Y/ Fpeople lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be & G& @+ J7 V& [8 Z3 I3 ktorn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished! q! L- s5 T6 |6 K. d memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress".( s7 g4 f+ I y! H Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are " y0 Y( T2 a- ?/ r4 U' valigned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially - v1 E+ |$ y( E8 k/ }, u! c" F: @non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image( v" l; k7 [5 R `% j6 [6 B of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these ) S# u9 |) Q+ ?. O$ yHutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those# `* a& F4 G5 M3 q1 s/ F) E people who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they' K; {. i& l( f) z+ Z may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some8 x' j# `+ ^. g8 C of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before 4 @6 H' ~$ \ T: U( z9 U$ q( m"modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all 7 P% l/ f7 r c7 e# }' ^people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise5 h) \, f2 L" k% l+ r$ V apartments are the way to go? No.+ W7 U6 g/ ^/ `! ~7 K d( b: L3 i : f1 H. {6 L: v: L , m" ~- Y6 d8 x. E1 z, |2 o( X

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the " t* w( X+ l. p/ o' v+ esituation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this' F* c, f8 m# L) q' t( w 'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make * u8 V! o+ S2 D/ R6 T4 Vno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so3 t8 [: r3 ]4 t/ s. i4 C0 \ fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant # e* {3 a/ C$ D* m- y& @; jresistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless 0 Q5 y2 K- E6 g. bBeijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is4 ^& l ~( M2 V7 E9 W 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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