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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, X' Y; p" |* g& Z' H# Z architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider2 }1 R& M4 Q3 y0 r) e1 \& _; ] Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian" 6 U! q/ ?7 | bcity. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture.2 n) c- G4 l5 W* o2 Y, V w According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, 4 Y1 Z% e+ N( V i5 r" K3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of ' L% t; G, p- T$ B5 A. FManchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within + G- e3 _$ L0 r& A- i8 _% W, Ohutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among 3 @* q! B) K+ h; E: @+ Xeach other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera 2 E, R1 T6 W. ~ a$ E+ O$ dand Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is / H( A1 m( a) @7 R% ~5 y' O2 d* Q# Vharmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are ( T1 J* w0 t$ o8 o) ^. vdescended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and1 H. w% H. v& E forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I 9 [( D6 f5 U/ m9 W$ \/ Iwas born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great 6 H- `* ?% M0 d) g$ Q Wimpression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished, 3 D4 p c/ ~4 h+ g' Q' Rand we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong" h% l. X) b7 K9 I has a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment ( _; R$ A3 q2 z" d! k: E$ o+ a) n6 Qof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that / p! g4 y' i& ^/ E# Pno hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are ) M+ }0 D1 ^/ {4 d" v7 Tonly enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a& \$ [. B6 [4 a6 L6 L3 n& g sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government, g# B; N& b. T/ r v want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move 6 ]7 y0 J+ u4 }1 w( B f- Yto the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is8 W# d# }, K, q7 V" H "modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact,7 V6 i7 f) U# @/ z; D this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are & Z: V+ e- o# z, v4 Mstill 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 to5 D( L7 }) T1 }# I# v( J* s "progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make% j3 g6 k7 P* O D1 p" V# Q money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was) T% |( N3 v& b/ Y7 r a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a0 Q: K& r; M( d) p& K* r- w% N parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across& i/ u' Y( ?1 s4 E9 i% J# z# M- r 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 1 v# l; d, M# f( e+ A. K# ]importance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for: \" p9 K; Y1 S0 z9 E9 S q4 H development.

Hutongs8 A$ K# S) @3 W' g- g- g) ]* a in the old days were residential area where people actually lived6 s7 i4 z6 I6 b1 S# w6 E$ j there. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions : A/ P# Z' s" Y- _in hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not : E) D) T& `/ Y6 W% e5 Vhave plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you 8 F& G+ a |7 Y6 twill have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs." e, U/ e/ P3 C; B$ P- y8 Q& t% N# @ Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date* H5 z$ }1 \3 {) X5 F2 F F$ X% n to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used 6 G1 b+ `: c% v( j% I" G$ Cto hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses 8 w6 @7 R/ M9 R1 {support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically: ?6 w; ?/ [/ F1 A unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to" H$ N2 T! \4 n) \ ^. b live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose, " R8 X. Z, d: s: l8 W2 _hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the: m1 e) g! U( _6 c3 ^. S0 z, l balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the" M% e$ p! _2 A, b+ y* P project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be* N" i7 c5 i, ^( \* X7 F) N( h6 O O renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong ! P0 y* o+ ]2 jMuseum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how# J( j% o: t- Y& S2 {& Q1 A people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be# A0 G: p+ Q, }( Z! I% x% p torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished9 A, _" N0 i% ~9 B. p- Z. S memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress".' y5 S! F7 ~4 _/ @; c Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are 2 n: F7 \2 \: B8 S/ Raligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially/ h1 S7 p6 D8 I9 _; ?( @( B0 ^ non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image ( @! x' I4 L8 k, xof the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these 3 j+ l/ d2 t% S U0 qHutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those # b6 S, Y$ A- F' F* m" U. \' {people who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they! y3 \5 ~9 E- F: a9 [ may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some/ \5 B# \6 z5 N, V0 d of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before . [/ s7 g( T2 l: H- o- J7 K$ N"modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all2 t5 C1 g$ _, W people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise* p8 I/ c% i# H- Q7 d' _ apartments are the way to go? No. - k0 m, q$ i: C& [3 j7 q : |+ w! J! P; {. f $ b. H2 E( u7 v" E

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the$ v/ g4 B4 u6 B7 } a1 |' F) [2 q situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this , Z0 f: t( _1 ? _3 o" j'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make" _/ d; }7 b; k; I. q( R Y no money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so & i/ |, c6 h) v$ O9 j2 }" P& ufast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant7 {) j$ r$ F% r7 U7 J resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless : y- `. d; C0 g2 P% gBeijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is. v Z1 D; e' _8 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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