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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 ; P8 e0 Q& u ~1 c. w. karchitecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider 6 R( R+ F" P8 YBeijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"2 L. W: b- @2 \4 n+ |' a1 r* n city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture.- g7 s6 _8 s3 V( P0 n1 t- z# | According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, 1 W5 R* ~- q% P- ?3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of - }! m* u4 g4 a' n5 ^) l FManchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within d$ }- F8 _" n) Q hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among2 _5 V3 S: K) f, F each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera 3 c% x1 s7 A; i: M0 M& b: pand Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is ( U Q" \2 F x* Mharmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are" `$ L$ I5 h1 I6 u& v& b descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and" [! u/ T$ ?# D- ^$ Z# i forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I 6 C7 E. J6 Y% _9 N. o3 twas born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great1 ~: r$ S) H+ m s* |! u+ N; X9 A impression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished," ]# m& i' H( V$ ?8 [* l+ z and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong , `( t K4 U! K$ s2 w) C8 u3 bhas a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment ; v* c2 l: t! E; E f( mof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that c) l9 v' a" r+ `& P no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are 5 D. F8 ^* i9 |. `0 b3 G( p; Donly enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a# C6 {! J( ]. B7 L; @ U' U9 G sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government $ u% |' H: V1 \0 @& y5 W0 y3 Hwant to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move2 C% H% c9 f5 w2 Z- M to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is $ j6 R) S$ t- }8 p"modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, 1 o" |) e4 O4 n7 g# s- zthis movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are( z1 D4 _7 H2 [6 p" E 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 to8 h% B2 h! g$ c4 ` "progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make: `: s( q6 w! q" T7 B6 H( K3 ] money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was + v. S7 j) n, [! p u+ Z' g% ^a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a % M% b K# n$ ^0 O$ A3 U2 U9 [parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across : E3 w L* p* w. k+ l& {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 9 O v7 z: C+ G$ K! ^importance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for # K3 x. `. f. M+ [development.

Hutongs + X' D8 u1 Q# Z* l6 ` Gin the old days were residential area where people actually lived# S& q& z, X7 g1 W S there. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions ' `$ M/ N/ a1 B2 d. O5 r/ s$ Ain hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not9 o% o p; K; {4 e8 I# X have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you$ G+ m" L$ L- o will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs. ) v' R4 p% ~* I) C- uFurthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date; z n% Y! R, C4 a2 K to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used% z; U1 u& P+ B to hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses ' N9 l g5 I; d) k1 P5 fsupport a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically; w1 B! {: M1 M/ i% B" }2 O8 F unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to 3 N/ g, Z3 }- B7 Z8 hlive in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,& l$ o6 v) B9 J1 W1 H2 \. H hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the ! x. r0 y$ O# k- E9 pbalance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the8 B/ }, u0 D9 F* i! L; T project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be . I' h) ?9 q( t4 Rrenovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong * O# j- p' b, i% j/ |9 ^Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how. k" ]3 I2 U6 _' y" p people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be : y, w& J0 x3 ^7 ntorn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished5 ]3 o# Z" O5 K) D0 I. U# K& \; e memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress". ( `4 j; f9 R+ }" l8 A# ~2 RNothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are) E- V* }, T3 v) q aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially) ]' O7 w4 [6 K. d( x% x non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image ! n6 T- e/ z, } G) }% U5 Gof the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these # O9 w4 P4 v+ UHutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those : z/ ]7 u6 L# k0 d2 k& {2 Jpeople who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they * o5 O: @6 s U) @, V G* Amay appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some! I, S0 a+ J- @7 N4 |- y of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before; V3 a7 d) v+ a5 v+ S7 j "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all% c$ X& _' }) a5 Q- A people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise' J- B9 ]4 T: Z6 M! ]. ~ apartments are the way to go? No. 8 g1 g. E1 T( M - M4 R6 }' ?, w# k2 ?: E9 l; o3 ~- r ; Z, Z( V6 O3 I: U1 t

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the , b3 s5 K/ P8 W$ p2 l$ asituation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this+ C! ]" ]; U9 m6 V 'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make H/ L3 A6 J5 `5 Kno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so2 S% `6 H h- [, R% F- ` fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant, k" r& B9 f h2 _3 O5 i resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless. N' G. l; w% Q& V' f Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is & ?( L8 D; R! p$ L! k, [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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