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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 8 n0 L3 l( Z- r+ T" ^1 M; `2 Iarchitecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider% S5 R) U4 m. x) k" S Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"+ |3 j! \8 k4 L6 k) X: ^/ S city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture. * B! k; F1 M6 b3 ?/ aAccording to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, 0 L+ m) X# f+ G) {+ g! j3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of, L8 t$ ]4 X% } O7 C3 c! r) D* \ Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within& v6 }7 g8 H# Q hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among1 `/ j7 P0 f* } each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera4 A, J9 G0 X& W6 t and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is 5 @0 [7 Z1 I8 K" Tharmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are6 Q' V+ }) U' J- l+ c- e v descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and ; ~5 d$ Q& u, l# f2 s$ ~forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I " F2 n. j) L% p' _was born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great8 z( a, X, w6 c% a, g' J4 Y impression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished,; I1 x- E- [! j4 u and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong& E- e2 p1 K& R H4 ] has a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment ) p, C5 e6 B F: [( X& M! H! u- Nof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that8 }2 P& q0 N- ?9 a) K( ^, g: ^4 P no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are1 }( X5 ]+ ~8 A9 y7 J* e only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a 8 u }- U2 v* w, V8 o$ s6 q. c/ lsort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government * K+ `! v1 Z: k! V0 r3 y) Twant to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move - x5 [- L) B* A$ Fto the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is * O! E8 B. B3 F: Z"modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, $ g2 T |& H% A% k! C5 vthis movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are 3 W) P; h' n0 ?9 ystill 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 ' V8 O% k9 v9 ]+ Z* a( w! l"progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make' \, I6 W! [6 l) U4 r6 y% c( S money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was 7 v4 p% z. t- G0 @" z! D# W: oa beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a }9 R9 K( m& f& d% z, p2 ] parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across ! b) @% T; \2 b6 hthe 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 0 }- W7 ~: L# P( q% iimportance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for2 p3 T! l& K! F development.

Hutongs: P' i* b9 X) j0 O( M D in the old days were residential area where people actually lived4 x# K6 i- x$ `) S# z2 g @( ^2 G2 w there. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions 1 U' G# k. M8 `% _3 [/ Din hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not- T4 p# r) K5 `: \. @ have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you# X( D8 v& t% _ will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs.& ?) ]& m+ d4 @5 B Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date7 ?8 k' z; b1 Q+ Z9 \ to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used ) k5 u; T9 ]* d3 T" dto hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses1 b& F& D- K4 F support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically( m! a$ L( h- E6 X8 E# W6 Y unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to + O2 G b$ K& o3 Z. J3 o' p7 p) i. w) wlive in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,; c. _6 C, Q! @# s hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the/ K& ^6 o5 Y: k balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the3 ?* ]$ R, y. i5 H0 ?/ W3 L project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be & M3 A* b w2 l2 @renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong) g/ l- _( J+ z% W( q# p' P! T Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how 6 T0 n8 o2 M+ C, S( Cpeople lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be. u# l( [' y. g! a( k torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished 6 n6 [ V$ j- X" Kmemories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress". 7 ~! K7 T+ k8 o! cNothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are # L+ Y0 S7 \. u9 Aaligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially) R) q3 J0 L& N/ Q. x, |- ~1 k9 F non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image 3 `, M/ D5 q- w- Q3 c3 Zof the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these 1 r- k4 Q0 y7 V6 I/ [Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those 4 I) o- [7 E8 e' W- d0 Xpeople who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they 7 a1 B1 g+ O- L$ y( @+ I9 F2 ymay appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some) J1 i# Y6 E+ [" l% I% U9 M: o3 z" B of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before+ u- ]; a( i4 b+ d "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all$ }, h& z9 o$ e2 H0 o; j# c people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise% e$ W: G' T( ]% L apartments are the way to go? No.; h6 A! Q: d3 j( p) t! R8 C $ Y1 S D$ T; Q( v p . L) o+ E% M0 _" {- x) }( G

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the m: A# }- p4 v8 n0 n3 | p% C0 l situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this6 I, c, P L; P' f4 U# K 'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make - W, b) Q5 ~9 f/ B4 Pno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so. h" U! ?1 K5 E" q fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant 6 t" C6 }" W8 B% Wresistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless 5 q' B3 M1 P5 }0 {4 d) X xBeijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is 5 N9 O; d# X+ S6 l4 A8 t. Cunlikely 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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