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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, its8 B" t* A% B2 [$ u; [& S- o% |0 [ architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider T6 [0 D( U! l+ @/ x Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"% V/ A6 I2 H# c city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture. 7 L s0 S4 x! r' M1 y, fAccording to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, + p) x( ^4 \6 [* m, g n" a7 T3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of4 f8 e+ t0 c7 i% X( J5 w2 d2 q2 A Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within 4 b5 {( Y# v. |: E7 r: m* C) Xhutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among + D$ h3 m: i6 N. B }- d; ]4 }: beach other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera ( @1 E( w; u8 Y2 |% d5 Q/ Land Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is1 [0 O; ]* R' ], L+ u harmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are, ]; ^. C. h% t) E9 H% P% ~+ o/ c descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and : Z1 B) L4 i% b' R7 Qforms of culture emerged in hutong.

I% u2 K$ O( t# `% L- x3 b% d# Z was born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great , |4 p) K& T, [+ yimpression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished,1 f8 ], I1 o7 z9 C% h# s+ d and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong 4 M$ r8 S) ]% P2 i+ P1 o# vhas a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment8 b: k+ D3 J- h% E& f) i of hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that8 Q: T. N: T5 f$ y8 I no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are; e$ N9 W' A% \ only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a - O, n) d# i# d$ s8 y6 I! K) Bsort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government) {# Z+ }: A, c+ C" d7 `4 L) Q want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move: N, l7 o( r b h* W+ [1 k% C) K9 z4 O to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is 5 E: _, r9 D$ r) S"modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, " p0 M5 T0 p6 @% X3 P1 athis movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are v2 G5 F' o9 C7 Z) [4 J& R 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 ^9 T1 f3 ^+ v& W( I H4 \5 F1 i "progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make 7 T" e7 { k: ~- h% _money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was7 ?* I# q5 J! }& K1 |% F a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a; U0 K$ d: i0 Z) A# j8 b parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across ( A: S! C* X1 ?1 X; e) Ethe 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 K' u2 f4 t* ^+ Nimportance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for 0 v# a& k: J2 h/ T4 odevelopment.

Hutongs/ f. }' j' \: l, t' A7 o in the old days were residential area where people actually lived/ q8 i! F, A" ~ there. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions * J7 o: u: Q& z6 _7 C( L& I, pin hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not$ k( E7 f7 i4 X5 N% b- y9 O m( Z have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you4 e9 F2 M/ \1 l/ l will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs.. t' ^' o5 _0 B& p% U Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date n) ]2 l" d6 I4 k: h9 A to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used0 y, r5 d ]0 ]3 K; t to hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses. [* _" M" s5 S& t' Z" @& L0 m6 E) Q+ n support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically 5 E+ u. e# ?) F% o& f4 ?unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to 6 H! E0 m5 m$ o* J9 rlive in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,& ~7 l( _! K, m6 z hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the 1 z7 |( T t8 ], U) i+ `, W( vbalance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the% O$ _% M1 L5 c7 I; w; B; x1 N project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be ) Y, k% ~5 f! n4 ]% N) `3 |) arenovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong # Y2 Q+ y/ R% E( B& \Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how. H0 l, _$ N; N6 t, `( m people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be3 h- d B! W) \& T% v( | torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished Y1 `0 B3 i2 K# T' b$ m2 \memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress".+ h4 k: i1 L+ B' h- h% n# c5 m Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are! ~& D5 ^* r7 P9 _' O/ t aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially 7 k% C. c# v$ I/ ~non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image. v9 V% x+ V' a5 T: b of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these" ]1 `% k. y8 X! z, q Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those( F$ B2 V6 E% {* F1 ] people who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they: O2 O2 Z% `+ [7 f. [ may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some0 T) h* A% {4 J" r+ Q& N of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before' W9 V! Q" L) G% Z7 p: v8 w "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all2 Y% F7 e' Q+ D+ b people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise& J) {- |9 B7 _- G' ]/ q apartments are the way to go? No. T6 u/ V4 {& G 7 b3 | `4 `% J' E* p' d 4 J) R+ s& U9 k' m4 A4 m

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the( H2 g6 z+ k' ^8 K' a& s" Q; U situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this+ O0 ^* w9 d- {; A6 r5 W; L, w 'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make8 C4 k ?. `/ d7 i( Y8 W no money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so : k7 F! B4 r' yfast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant , v$ @ l% U7 hresistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless " }8 l0 a: z, t9 B; u9 eBeijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is. a2 L0 O% ^# J8 T+ ?$ x 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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