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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 + V& Q# c: T5 e/ @4 E2 harchitecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider$ Y7 ^4 S" ?6 F0 R1 {! c0 @ Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"5 \$ t5 K$ B" `- V5 a% f# x city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture.$ E; e) \9 _, Q" ~% }* k6 ` S" ]/ b According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, # G; ^( f$ V2 }; ?+ A4 P8 p+ R3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of % G+ f- B' y4 m, qManchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within8 x: X& s' e% B; \0 L( p- N5 I hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among6 J9 Q" k; o6 {7 \9 [2 S( }2 S% J, z each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera: r) \6 V6 b( E0 w8 g# p! Z and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is3 m6 j1 m# U- l: v harmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are* I1 e: y* c+ F. G& j) Q5 G descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and) @* N: z8 z. R2 s% h; w forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I ' d7 T) G! u9 K2 l# ewas born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great& h7 @9 l- {% ^3 X6 j" x impression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished, ( {% v+ z7 u, u/ l8 s( F1 Wand we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong 8 R0 }$ h. P, ^( M: R& V! Z! Z) qhas a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment& A" H: u% V* A* B: s of hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that" Q) m) L& W1 h( d: l; X0 N) F no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are - l: w) K* u& yonly enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a : j# m) G( | W8 s7 e/ v" nsort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government: q6 `6 t) K7 n% s! p9 y& ~ want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move, g8 o8 d6 e- ?. O8 K* o to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is* i3 m% c" S( H* C4 |9 ^- U "modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, ' L" G! d$ e- H" K( U9 L! ?this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are4 x# M9 Z. P7 m9 ~4 t: D 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 & }( f' c' v5 H) J"progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make+ K5 z# ~ L9 j$ a* n P5 m money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was+ n& }/ N' Y. H7 a, h a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a # e* v9 i& d. X3 r, n- t2 uparking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across 4 K+ x2 {$ v U" ~: D" r5 |7 Bthe 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 ) M1 i! z( h P# q2 E( e$ Uimportance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for# C3 P7 @' Q, | development.

Hutongs" E- N, g2 w, a# m6 a+ N in the old days were residential area where people actually lived! E& V* w$ v% v% W/ h8 _) u there. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions * f( g# [3 ?( e7 ~in hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not7 c: Y8 `2 B4 g* p! G" r' E have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you / s, Q6 ?5 v/ O% p5 I" _will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs. : d# w' J" s+ ], r; e& b9 CFurthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date% @/ j4 L+ p. a0 [5 y to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used* D" D5 c" V2 s: U1 w3 E7 t to hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses ? L% H! s* y1 r# ksupport a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically/ Q! w! M' J; d$ y4 O) E unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to: X; h( {( h" ^% ]8 j% a live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,! x: [0 P& @7 x' M) H6 B hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the ) S7 r( O9 h, s+ l; y2 mbalance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the2 @+ K6 a& E' z' p( d project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be ( S ?9 t8 J$ B3 R2 Q: ]2 V Q" d1 |renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong 5 ?, K/ w) S9 H! C5 c8 Z% o5 jMuseum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how " o0 U4 j5 j! }/ T' [+ Epeople lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be' M+ q* U2 e7 A$ N% i) \ torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished7 z3 O) M- o% A6 M memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress". $ H/ y$ y( Q7 iNothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are ) O3 M: ^% }) I5 r2 z2 ?aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially" M- e- W. @; @7 Y3 M% r( m. y non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image4 P( n% C! j# P* |3 C& w of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these3 D% M/ Z9 J) F0 f Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those ; H8 ?7 o5 k7 ypeople who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they6 G4 }" W% ^8 V may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some$ H8 W! v. D; z& T" n- C: }& l of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before( C: Z7 t9 |. K& T( E m "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all+ Z7 y4 h: I4 M* p people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise 7 }# F+ c. o: B) ^4 i7 _apartments are the way to go? No. 0 _/ ] j8 p( y! ?; S- F 2 ^% ~. L1 y8 |" Z- m # q7 x7 U* B, V9 G5 m

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the & J4 t4 M6 U1 q7 C4 V& i' ~4 isituation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this: V/ F/ C0 e" |2 ?/ X+ b 'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make 9 J5 z9 H8 b4 c9 ?/ I+ kno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so# t. I% e: D, O fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant' I3 e. _" L/ `( a( G) o resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless( W3 D5 i# N. k, O( P Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is 4 K( b0 I* z: y* bunlikely 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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