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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 ( X: ~, Z0 T* F" varchitecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider; E/ ~: y6 F9 C Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"4 T7 @) u+ c: o6 O( `4 w8 c city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture.$ [. ]* J9 o/ K According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty,, t6 t4 j, K+ K 3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of8 }1 n1 N4 e2 \7 [ [ x6 i- F Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within0 a0 Q- A |; j3 I hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among. q) W! q- @/ b0 c. p) q0 K each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera" L9 N! N( D+ g) s1 p: z and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is ) y; V) k# k0 t: K Vharmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are$ Y5 k5 N; C8 x0 o! f- [ descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and* s: {. J4 T% K3 ~ forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I * d' x+ n: P8 D* F7 I. Pwas born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great ( X R. b1 j/ ^4 e4 }( eimpression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished,* ^+ v) G$ R) C- A and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong/ z, B8 [7 U( H2 [" _( J3 ]) c has a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment( U3 Y' d* A" D! ?9 q of hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that ; `/ r/ K* k! _; Lno hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are & q. a! b$ a F+ `only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a- ~/ }# [- d# j/ Z, x* y" C3 r sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government * `- h# K, j# e0 Bwant to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move. E/ a& H2 P' V; i& z to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is ) d$ N* `' q1 i+ R( Z0 c: i a"modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact,- U6 q _7 S: I5 w! i$ Z this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are+ Q" Y+ O0 f% q 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 M+ r6 I( F: P/ c0 S% K7 J# R "progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make ! j! y, R; c/ u. J4 N) p4 Vmoney for big business... including the very town I live in. There was) y5 C* R/ n- A# B A: \! H: j a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a # F/ Q" B6 D6 I3 Vparking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across9 i. G- G2 T. w4 G/ g' A; q2 \ 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% k5 z# c: r& g importance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for3 Y! C, L4 l2 l* s3 N development.

Hutongs5 j4 ~7 u9 e: x* k in the old days were residential area where people actually lived/ l$ a. u, E, w' S+ b there. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions / X8 z1 D9 ?7 M. z- e' N! i2 {: @in hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not* n9 D* H( i0 x( U1 o. a4 Y: B' b have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you+ _/ k4 y% G0 ~2 N will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs.& X# L, ?/ C& t" n8 n/ T8 O Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date - m, u- w+ R4 k. b6 H: f7 ]4 [to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used # {3 G5 c% D: ?4 K1 Zto hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses- f* k! h* d% l support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically ! A1 c$ A( ^+ g) Y0 Z' J8 ~# j$ Punfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to / Z# O7 j2 l, K: I+ llive in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,/ P7 f1 r, c0 h! T* ~3 T6 \0 X hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the ( Y _) q' Q6 {& Z0 J _* X4 ]balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the % b1 [: i G& ?" D' B( uproject into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be / K+ z. f1 S: m9 Z/ a g6 Drenovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong+ F E! A; U# U" g6 K Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how0 i* V c$ }; r l; N7 G% Z people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be$ P5 E1 F0 W! c/ c torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished8 t( T( v. x3 `7 h9 |- p$ z memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress". 7 g F: T4 E: v8 cNothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are ' ~2 d+ l* [( g" k; ]aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially % X5 h1 f. o! y/ Wnon-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image 7 O1 c. @' n9 E3 K9 l9 qof the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these7 Z' E* @: i3 I$ D) Z( J; h) ] Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those$ f; ~/ f7 t9 C" ]1 i people who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they $ l+ x$ M' F) T G: Kmay appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some ! h9 g7 |$ Q2 Z% j: @of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before 5 W2 p6 d# E# a5 S! }% k% |/ T# k"modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all ! l, t, M3 i2 H6 N& Q3 F9 rpeople needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise0 U2 E) h( N$ h6 P& m) A( ]0 B; _ apartments are the way to go? No. $ z# [/ \0 K( @ Q7 W/ M ' L# ?* J. p; L' E5 x 4 T* ]6 E. J: Z; G4 Q

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the! }. p% _ P' D4 p9 p situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this 8 F% W$ k1 C8 ?7 M. b'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make " l1 ?: J5 L- G* @no money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so ) D) q: g2 E1 E; w6 j' Ofast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant 0 R3 R$ s) L4 m0 P8 c3 r9 i* \resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless , [9 G4 R. v9 ^% ^7 _! Y/ tBeijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is$ G0 C5 X0 R: I! R 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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