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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- C6 H8 p5 q1 j' v: b5 L) b- ^! ~ architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider' M2 D; h+ I, _* b Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"& M0 Y! O7 P9 t0 h6 P city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture.0 ^# P7 s) x4 f! O: {& i According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, 9 q/ y Q, M) g3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of 7 r) x1 m, A% Y: [Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within' X. k8 k6 F% T' W& w, L4 B4 C hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among T( t) Y, u' |- i6 o) ]/ ?each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera ! a) p& k/ f/ l. m/ Aand Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is6 ^$ s) b F- `) v* ]' O harmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are ! e8 M m. R' a: @. N' mdescended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and* D D4 B& n- n8 ]8 [) F forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I: B0 c F0 @/ r x, S was born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great % Z, S+ _4 F) ]8 Z8 Fimpression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished,) ?7 R! A4 A/ \ and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong+ E' H6 q! g0 x' Y8 L has a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment 0 S4 z, l3 t* M3 R/ F5 n$ Cof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that P) A/ Q% ^6 y' Tno hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are# W+ R3 [& i) ~ only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a % [& B2 u. W+ \# v( X7 Zsort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government 5 Z. O! o8 o$ Q2 g$ P6 |5 i( fwant to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move; z$ S$ A# J' P* g9 q' I to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is 6 g. s! S" B u, G"modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, * V- ^* m+ ^4 x5 G( u6 ^this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are/ K# x/ ~8 ]& v 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 $ u- Q: a, f9 f, ~& T: h- e9 I8 B"progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make ! w4 ~ _' l: A, ~+ q, Cmoney for big business... including the very town I live in. There was, K# h* l3 S3 d# B7 t4 t5 A# x a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a: Y T6 ]- A2 ?! n parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across , M/ e) @) p9 z' |. _" y+ N2 nthe 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 . p6 c: L3 S( qimportance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for- Y& q# `6 i+ Z% L }% x development.

Hutongs8 Q7 x# c/ n. D0 a8 y6 L# C in the old days were residential area where people actually lived ! r4 N5 @) C" }4 s! cthere. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions , U7 _ ]# \4 D4 Xin hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not' T g4 B- w$ x+ u7 [- B. e, p have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you+ K- @- i5 u% Y# {5 ` H( j6 o C will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs.$ b4 t3 Q! q, Q( ]9 G9 D8 ~ Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date2 l" q! K0 e1 a6 A to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used0 v% w. T$ O" _ A- z3 @* P to hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses 7 L! K- g2 p, m9 u' Y! n2 f' nsupport a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically; n" g' a6 E) S6 r unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to' Q' P* S& H4 n; z live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,0 n0 v/ z' f7 z; t5 b( ~" B hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the9 J' b0 X1 b+ R# c7 N balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the9 @% r1 D* e# Y B* D& f project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be : [; v! e: }: ~4 Erenovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong 5 [4 t+ n" A1 E' m; i% |Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how ) D4 f7 f8 C: r) s! E$ m1 h# cpeople lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be6 h. A a0 k: [7 h2 `- u; a torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished& K4 o+ y" s$ D) v7 [% a$ x' v memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress"., ?% E. g' u( S$ z6 ~0 w Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are / L" J" C) l" {. W! xaligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially0 \$ S1 U5 H& P) l- N non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image ; i+ P- }- g/ \% C$ q( f) d- E( j/ y* Yof the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these0 G$ T+ ?5 h) f+ j7 i) j9 o Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those . F6 ^2 ]. {- z% ?9 speople who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they, `, s; i% {0 H1 o may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some - d8 S) F9 M5 {+ oof the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before 9 k: \8 o3 \7 e) P. T"modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all, }, Z$ `+ u: f# [4 T, G+ o; j people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise ' W! l6 O. G1 D- Dapartments are the way to go? No. " V$ s& V y0 O) V% q3 d 2 d. Q1 i8 ~+ c 9 g1 K6 ~" i* Y$ \1 _# x; s

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the4 R( }. X7 s) k! V situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this 9 t4 y2 B0 o8 k$ D9 X'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make 2 M9 w4 H, ]- ~- J Sno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so 0 W4 Y! g, {! O+ {- {fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant % U5 Q2 Z7 p7 n$ l# t- X( I# j. @resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless 7 I3 U1 ~ w5 y* p1 r) _4 dBeijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is" R# x. N: p. e/ ? 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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