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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) ~4 y ^7 _$ L architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider' M q9 M. y, p% m+ z D Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"8 K# b, _& Q2 M4 G/ w city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture. 7 W# Y0 l4 _# }, g: d; j* n* VAccording to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty,6 [+ ?% w( s% P* U8 M 3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of4 z# h$ {+ k% e7 @ Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within( X. X' L9 n/ A6 a6 f! N D hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among " I; Q- _. R% r% e& j4 K* H* Ieach other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera- n1 V( h4 ?7 \ and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is . \9 p Q8 E9 T+ Oharmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are + `" v- s( F, O( j; ?descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and $ X9 D9 x- h I9 Q7 `forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I* ?( R* d1 \- ]- b6 Q was born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great 0 Y n* I! y+ {$ G7 ^3 q7 x7 Gimpression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished, " y& p( w# S a. S) uand we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong 4 z) `# F- q) t4 }; v3 hhas a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment" |0 z% }6 K( g! B& A& U of hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that : L2 p& F4 G0 ?- j- a. Qno hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are& R7 Z- \! }+ v, G V& B7 x only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a; B' V% U( `$ ?: f& K8 R$ S sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government 9 ^& I, @0 k6 v2 {2 Z' Mwant to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move 9 v; V! }6 L" v* I" Cto the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is ; ?$ `+ C V2 P+ B# f, v8 a! y5 l"modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, P" I* |* l* [: p; o) h$ e this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are & |7 j: k# ]+ Y% j& _4 `9 Hstill 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 8 B q' Q6 Q* W# G"progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make. R+ C# E$ A( X r money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was + |- X6 T3 z. W x+ S6 oa beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a6 I7 ^3 j0 @( s0 L; h' N" m) Q parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across ( L% k3 c5 S- o' Q9 I& Jthe 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 + x. B; H0 E" D7 J7 U) K3 R C2 limportance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for 9 f4 o6 i" Z f' Q Tdevelopment.

Hutongs " r' X3 q' V6 I; Y0 K5 Y. Nin the old days were residential area where people actually lived ' t4 T2 C+ R% o! ithere. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions & q8 E( u, B g4 F n' Cin hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not; n& {0 m9 F/ x p& `- Y have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you& b, o2 b$ \: O3 Y* O9 V- x8 m will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs. 7 i& Q" [4 q7 a( G% Z- Y0 kFurthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date# P Y6 ~4 o7 j3 O y to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used ! I9 ^/ [2 W+ ~7 p# \to hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses' ^- _1 z6 m4 r/ g support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically/ l0 J5 M4 B( S unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to , t& ^9 t1 B% N& f9 u8 @live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,' L9 k! A- g& m' _8 b; Q: J9 n hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the' e6 e$ J( j( y7 F9 C1 K balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the, C' V. {: c5 o8 b: x; p5 t' t project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be 0 V! P: @( p7 {/ w. `5 Crenovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong 1 z+ \! E) b5 O! iMuseum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how $ l. x+ i1 Y" epeople lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be 1 }7 ^ y. p( V+ z6 Y! l0 itorn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished ( J7 W" j6 U2 J- H- O$ E. q0 R+ Vmemories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress". $ a( ~1 @" s+ }/ I9 C( F% zNothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are( f( H" F6 n1 r) s/ B aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially, K3 j5 P* l) K non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image 0 J9 D$ s7 D2 L% Nof the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these ; F @6 q: r6 [8 ~Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those 7 {( }! o" g' N& P0 ^; y8 Bpeople who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they* F3 q1 g) z, U may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some, H) p, C! n( h: Q" P of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before( A# L' m8 \. H% O+ I# B8 J0 K "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all . V& j, r2 X C7 H; ppeople needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise4 z8 l1 `8 s3 S5 Y$ r% p5 y+ k, ^5 u' Y! Y apartments are the way to go? No.* B$ }- F! H5 L! p3 o/ E# A ! g1 n E5 ^0 f7 t7 ` 8 X( e! D2 _" Q

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the, l' G+ I2 c% N1 U( ^: n, V situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this3 t: {8 v+ e# A. U% g) x) h0 J 'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make - J; b. h" V0 }, d Z9 \no money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so' {/ k6 v; q/ q9 W; g fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant6 A% C4 X4 C0 e9 t resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless $ P6 N1 F+ e7 @* F# z( `Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is6 H9 G/ k. |6 p4 L" G8 w, O 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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