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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, its3 n) w/ {2 W) r9 k0 F- y architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider # Z% {& @5 I* V* cBeijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian" 0 G( I3 C' Y4 Z: K Scity. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture.4 d% I v/ L$ W' C& U According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty,/ ?/ S3 Y9 h2 C' B* L/ z' G 3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of% G9 T$ ]2 n+ x# B* }5 k1 G Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within C/ q( f; u+ z4 \hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among) q' X1 v% E4 _* b0 K each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera5 p3 Q5 a, S0 o! x6 Y) e and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is P f" t( f- @- T9 i" w! Nharmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are _5 g$ C9 f4 J descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and9 W) J. R! O9 |2 A9 R forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I5 z9 v! T6 U5 l was born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great7 O* S! l9 Y% m' Z impression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished, 1 e {8 F) t) b0 F% dand we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong - e! U ?8 Y. Z+ Ehas a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment : g: }! m2 f% t4 w5 L; h, h8 Pof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that * w- U% y+ z, X& H5 |" X8 fno hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are * [% C& c: A% D/ [6 q) d) konly enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a4 K) ~/ V; M/ r% e5 D sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government ' }, X7 ?6 [3 M0 [4 o0 ywant to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move# o9 @0 t9 K% P4 r6 b0 h4 t7 C to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is2 J/ G- P* ^9 o "modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, 8 J9 l h" k" ]+ F% y1 qthis movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are ! T$ K5 t/ Q5 q+ E- p2 tstill 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 / {; Y V; k" a: W"progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make ) I) R- j) q% ?money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was; A9 J& i" Z+ R+ ^: a" e" X* g9 F a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a ) Z* J' p' |2 e- H0 \4 kparking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across A" d2 o) H& H$ O: \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 $ {5 ^! j& a" W# p& Q; c& limportance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for 3 d. e' H* o9 b* |+ X0 [$ Cdevelopment.

Hutongs- o P4 G" v2 Q+ M+ w in the old days were residential area where people actually lived 2 p3 A3 d. }. }. I% }, Ethere. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions ! E v0 `; {) }+ c8 S% S4 Bin hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not - e* S: B1 ~& v. B6 }1 Vhave plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you, @* F1 d* g# t& s! X will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs. ( P P. U0 D$ \; PFurthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date3 ]' c" u4 z3 i/ x, d to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used ; b3 e- F# K8 e @' lto hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses( M ~4 t: p8 v2 o support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically) F- ^% Q- j: Y G+ g unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to- W# L/ r" l- A7 T% ]+ k live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose, - V. Q" I& y4 T4 g% C% dhutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the6 g0 K, b! k: l X9 o balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the1 M }5 b% ]& p( j: b. ~+ H7 q: h project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be+ `- o8 I5 u* ?: `% a& Y; N renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong$ f7 X) B0 j3 t; B$ ] Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how ) s1 {* o- q9 A- l7 [3 xpeople lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be' u# L. E/ @" x- ]! |6 d: t torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished : g% i! K" i+ _6 l# Cmemories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress". * S( d, o: b- n: i/ ?( |Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are $ p& H1 f8 j3 w* Z5 Waligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially- i v) x* ]. f. }) }, k: K non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image " o+ G$ F7 T; \: N# K6 m; Y9 lof the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these # h8 k/ D% M$ k: A. p9 C& b& }' lHutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those 3 _# B4 Q% X: B! F3 r: Y6 apeople who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they " W0 y2 R8 h3 V# l/ h. @0 _3 Emay appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some9 @, Y9 ^7 y- H5 C$ x7 a+ @ of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before3 g) I3 u. t. S "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all " C2 c R$ l; f* S) t7 s o6 y- tpeople needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise " {/ i( Z4 [7 b; R8 {; X5 [apartments are the way to go? No. & ^+ k2 e; [5 A1 n 2 [1 Q1 e& ~2 @- P& u 6 e0 B% ^4 {" w) G1 h

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the 9 Y* Z) W; D, n/ C9 {situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this 8 R: q' r6 G/ b3 \$ c'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make 9 L. h$ d U# k# gno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so ( N( c' j& n! |fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant& m% z G# x ?/ T' _$ |/ ^' A" t resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless( Y# ^6 c u+ f# p G Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is$ f5 H; R/ _0 M 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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