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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 ) _! A0 D5 d2 H2 x! L# Zarchitecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider ; N+ V8 z# q) m1 r1 ]9 ^2 u* b* cBeijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian" - D( u: u( {" o) m: ucity. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture.2 A: x6 E% C, y6 R+ W According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty,- h: a# ]0 Q& K' V 3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of$ n2 }- l3 c( e2 g# W Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within : `+ B+ F0 k' W x. Z* e4 |( Uhutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among7 R8 b! k$ m4 x( u. z each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera " t; W" ?8 W3 z! sand Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is6 M% Q* o2 h! U: X1 m }+ o W9 |7 P harmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are 2 G3 d# p0 O8 d* C# A& o) Rdescended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and 4 `, D" u. R' K5 T+ O' Vforms of culture emerged in hutong.

I0 d+ U) b0 E- y* B was born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great+ Q0 P5 q& n& J! |1 T9 { impression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished,* i: _( u# H6 T& F# v* y and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong0 t+ E& c+ i0 w6 h. e has a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment 8 T1 Q: W( ?# T/ U& Cof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that 6 c* U# k' f6 _: nno hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are , ^4 @, S8 O9 \8 B4 _' n" conly enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a) \' s2 N- O7 c* j" [/ P sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government4 g. F( O7 A. O/ e want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move& Z& k2 s! f" S: A7 C* Q9 V to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is: ?( R1 G, x& m* n+ x "modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, % r5 l7 O2 x: {- x* V" B1 _4 o ]this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are 7 ^* j0 m0 S& ^. b. f" u. Estill 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 q, n1 b, O) ~* V "progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make * L8 _. h6 L5 T s7 hmoney for big business... including the very town I live in. There was% s2 ]3 t( ]4 ?6 B" z a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a , T6 F7 I! o/ u1 p* n6 Mparking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across8 d1 v- ]5 n4 M) Z6 ^) R5 j# |, @ 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 & z) H1 U4 h. F9 R$ E# Cimportance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for - h4 A# G. @* w) @ I# mdevelopment.

Hutongs # I4 }1 I! l% I* @# Y8 I, Vin the old days were residential area where people actually lived; \! F; w* B- {1 t: @9 q/ { there. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions: ?1 m. u! c4 A) o- X0 _ ] in hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not . T6 z. k% T. `1 J( R7 ^8 Chave plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you 1 E" Z! ]6 z, t9 [5 q* mwill have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs. . L7 M5 A* Y& |* `0 a e! x. CFurthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date 4 W& Z8 [2 k) m2 M7 Wto support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used + N+ g* M0 H! Bto hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses6 ?) } `* z& _" K/ Q4 v& E0 M support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically6 l f1 l7 ^0 d! v/ D9 T: ^% | unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to# V. D x2 E1 Y0 Z, F& Z6 u live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,' K% }& M. V; I+ F- \( z- G hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the3 x# S8 g7 c w+ w$ g- [ balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the 8 ~- O, H+ h! A" k# s" fproject into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be% \+ c, I6 Q8 m/ x renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong* i8 L: V( x0 R: v9 H3 o Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how3 d9 M( J3 i i6 A$ e) i people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be6 o9 [% [0 P+ U; u+ l! I torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished 3 e# l8 L2 S" t2 L+ M. |* jmemories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress".* u% R7 K6 n( g5 [2 [$ Z V# l# M Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are [8 {( _8 ~2 H9 [aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially 8 j0 _# ?! ?: e, x/ S$ H' Z |non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image- J. B6 x# ~; u of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these + S0 I* ^, C0 }" Q# NHutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those 3 l' T6 G, q' D, _people who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they ! s: d$ k4 F' z, |# I- Hmay appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some! x. O- `/ h& o, h9 H4 i of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before) z! B n, M) Q c- B "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all+ t; }% d5 s8 ]0 H0 w' m9 ] people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise* E8 G/ o: e/ v7 `7 { apartments are the way to go? No.2 h" n* y% d1 d* i( n8 Z ! [0 ^! c8 }- ]0 a . q- l4 O+ a. z% W9 U/ D3 R

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the: B K. C) N, N. C& W" d# Q& |) p* J situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this' T% p8 p6 C5 X; ?1 N 'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make/ p# a2 C# I, D no money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so8 u9 y$ [& z7 J6 K- ^0 i& {' } fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant $ `; X) F2 N" P# d# S6 e- [resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless q4 T* n% w- XBeijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is3 O5 l' p+ e6 |, n) N 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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