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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* g$ l' D/ s3 { architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider . u3 Y L) e* K* D) I8 [, GBeijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian" ! l2 J2 C( E6 g: zcity. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture. " t: t: I% e0 b' d0 rAccording to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, 7 |: [/ s* N% C1 p# C7 f9 n3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of + J/ @( D h0 ^0 B* qManchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within; H3 s8 I# m7 G- }2 c! X3 G hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among 2 W( n l& v" ^: V3 @) V4 K( peach other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera7 C- G k* y9 [. c# Z3 [, P and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is 5 @% m' F" f- |harmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are, \1 ?9 k8 K7 {+ ^ descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and " G2 W+ v8 ^ J% O. N! {forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I . O4 F/ g* [! h" k( t! N5 f9 twas born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great " {& p8 K# `/ ~2 f" C% G, Timpression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished, 7 f. w7 n4 K; l8 j! yand we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong : c5 P C2 T! a9 fhas a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment ; j" R; `: H1 V# n$ E& R# e9 Eof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that ; J6 R& U' E4 nno hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are# }' Z" G! k; Z# B( [$ y only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a \) f# h6 ?1 u6 }' c2 O sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government: k* ^3 @, j1 t want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move. R/ D: V2 c; W: _7 B to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is * m' x1 x) ]! V* J0 f# t( c"modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, 8 r3 @$ [( c# X8 \' i* S! ]this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are; ?5 J9 d$ k4 Z: n1 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* f" g( H( N( G- Y J! U "progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make8 e/ Q4 |8 n2 I9 x/ d money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was/ Y* k0 |# A1 V/ f7 L* ? a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a # i- w' L3 U0 t7 r$ \parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across6 ]3 H3 i% _, j" M8 X* _8 C/ W 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 & H6 F% \) k7 I" ~4 S7 G Eimportance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for, L7 R1 w" G% c0 ~! W development.

Hutongs & a1 C4 k. C* A, p; win the old days were residential area where people actually lived 1 A+ Z1 G! \6 z7 x8 C7 ^0 l- pthere. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions , r/ V' {1 X- N4 P* ^- Y; R* Min hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not 0 y8 s$ U H" J3 X: E6 bhave plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you * V6 G/ A# Q2 P6 A" g# _will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs. ; |7 a* ?/ x8 F1 }- NFurthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date( y. f+ F% f1 i0 C/ u. \$ _ to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used- g; F6 F$ {) H; [; z/ @& z' i to hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses 1 Z" c; {, n( g- e: Q$ b3 ^* g) Ysupport a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically) [7 r( t% u: j6 m9 S ` unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to @# j, L2 S. I# z# W+ B/ k live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,% ?: w6 c3 |4 L9 V3 C hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the5 o( {; q; \9 t. ]6 m balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the 1 r2 M, J% b; \8 N: p9 Y8 vproject into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be- s0 F& H9 w7 A' k! e renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong ' S) H: a/ `& K* B# b5 A+ ^Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how& C* t$ s! n" X5 Q" F0 p people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be5 W% ^# u" Q+ d" B- U& C# l y2 _# z$ d torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished0 d+ }; }( T ^4 a1 O8 X; [ memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress".9 J% `' a+ K' g* t9 g Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are . z0 Q( O @+ F+ R u6 galigned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially4 v# b8 c3 }& t non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image 4 c* p" ^ L. u& r, {. P8 fof the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these0 F+ \# x8 ]( @ Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those 1 H6 S' ^! S% s, ?+ upeople who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they* i+ u- R9 D4 B6 T may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some ' ~9 K& C6 C/ a5 k7 vof the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before 4 U& f7 ]" l+ P6 y- e2 y8 t"modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all. U# U% @, i. a) Y people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise $ Y) r3 J" J* E2 T3 V' v5 l; Gapartments are the way to go? No. # D0 } w7 x% E& a) z2 ?8 t : ]# J% ~) L' ^( t) q5 a8 t; C * o. u6 w2 h* C2 y: ?- b

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the 2 Y. E1 }- W; Y8 F' a J' r) U/ Xsituation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this& N1 X5 {# i; }7 [, A8 w# j 'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make * F* o' Z/ {0 u M) O9 l% C3 Nno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so9 |0 \; Y0 q* p1 `/ P fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant1 O9 D& e J) Z0 \ resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless; P. P' S' [, n/ R; r Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is - A& e$ U" y4 F+ e; d& [3 g& Zunlikely 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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