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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 T* Z$ h j/ x$ l0 T6 J architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider 2 V' G0 J \% i9 H* qBeijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian" m- z5 f' S5 X5 K* Y& Y* j: Hcity. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture. 1 o; g; }1 B! b+ O& k' \% z9 a. PAccording to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, 3 y" {4 s/ s9 v) G c" F1 G. ^- R0 y) [3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of ) P6 ^4 _4 E, nManchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within/ b1 M7 m6 U o hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among 5 d: O4 T" ?8 O/ i3 ^; m" s: M d2 \) [each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera 4 U/ K" r! D) Qand Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is 2 ]( Z2 \3 M* pharmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are' |: [5 t5 _) @) @0 x; \/ N descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and 3 p/ i3 F# P% Y' cforms of culture emerged in hutong.

I/ |2 W: Z& E+ N was born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great 5 ^) C+ n1 B: fimpression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished, ' \/ h C% i( B2 q2 B% b' Y: zand we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong + c/ d, }; R% O2 I5 k) Yhas a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment, P0 u9 F! |# N( y/ B of hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that+ V$ V7 i r v& x) `1 [ no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are' z8 Z3 A; m& _# @; X6 p% T* E7 ` only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a # w( o( I9 H9 H8 V J' I& Rsort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government 8 E) c8 W/ Z# R4 O2 n+ T' kwant to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move# y0 s3 b* [4 i- ~% g7 s' }2 R ?+ i to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is$ _1 C$ e5 F2 i4 @+ e1 e "modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, ; {0 j0 M7 {4 \3 r/ E# Q, b7 @9 dthis movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are) S4 X# `1 r# l5 Q% m 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 J8 y! A* M- E7 O% n; v"progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make + F7 w$ V# L, t1 v) amoney for big business... including the very town I live in. There was 8 G. h v6 G1 g# C5 na beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a9 z: s* u- W( M3 P3 q. y parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across " ~8 v9 x! A: A& |1 r5 Mthe 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* `! J0 o5 y9 Q5 ]! h7 E& q importance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for3 ~5 j# D: }6 v1 y( e3 y& ?! w development.

Hutongs - G" [5 |2 k( C& {0 O* `" a" Qin the old days were residential area where people actually lived * u, R; I0 i' o) m4 h i, h' q, S: mthere. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions ; w3 T ~, |; D1 P* D7 G( B! K8 tin hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not 6 z5 P& `& {! c8 M: Q5 l2 Vhave plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you& Q$ d6 \0 P: v. Z1 V4 ^ will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs.0 c% \$ A! y9 @! K4 K' V8 p Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date0 D2 |, L& z7 a/ T to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used b$ |# G- V0 `* }- o4 D to hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses% w' Y2 V6 G9 G. O2 L+ H, C support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically 2 U2 m$ ?* F: e* C9 V- [& Q2 x2 q6 [unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to 3 |5 z W! g- o3 m! rlive in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose, ; b9 g1 [% F: ~; o: ?5 E, ghutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the+ y u6 _$ b% R" G balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the ' f, q$ c5 l0 k0 J" Vproject into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be" F5 o$ H v- ? renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong3 z1 h, q/ {3 m Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how1 z6 G, [( V. b8 J: d5 X, u people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be. y/ M: a) o% k* ^5 P2 T8 i torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished ! e/ u& B; B. b8 O2 Tmemories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress". ! Q/ ]5 A: T7 y/ `7 qNothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are* t3 c4 G# X5 r) g aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially ( E0 J3 b3 F; Fnon-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image # A Y( U1 G3 }4 _, _of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these & f( {( Q& M0 N! {+ PHutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those" x6 l C8 H& U: t2 o5 r$ m' T people who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they 1 [; m* O `' g2 n+ u% q4 Imay appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some0 E1 y, S5 z; K- ` of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before6 e" x# p, K4 } "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all6 v$ w, v1 k* O, ~3 r8 g0 c$ M people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise2 D1 u9 p6 j6 Q apartments are the way to go? No. ; ^; V* u; r8 a) v: h! ?6 Q1 S: a & g! a8 k5 L9 P s% Z) O 6 g# s% n4 T7 Y9 q& {

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the/ j5 T" {5 S) l3 F7 U situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this - i" W% x/ r+ d3 X: P* ^/ u'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make- Y6 n: I) Q: ~+ q2 M no money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so Z3 x0 P' A2 j+ Y5 G fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant 1 |. }9 t6 Y+ s9 ^/ D$ t. ?2 Aresistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless - ~4 W& F/ S# l, x& L1 p& eBeijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is ' q. X$ b4 \, Z$ w5 m9 G9 Ounlikely 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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