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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 w3 R5 I' g- H1 {! k
architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider
. \) g/ {' J; O% H$ V LBeijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"
- B( v; T L- K& G& Q% Fcity. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture.0 i, k) Z! o* f8 b. i
According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty,
/ M% a' l7 `5 w' G3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of) c, W+ i# z' j x2 ]2 u2 O
Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.
Within9 r/ ~! m9 ~, ^: e) W
hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among1 _1 I9 I7 ~- |1 X) t f, A4 M
each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera
- @! @. R6 L1 B% n7 O J1 Hand Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is
; H& }: Q8 u4 d, Q* n; Aharmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are
& ^) s! @+ V0 S0 V* Hdescended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and
3 A9 x4 B% i' _forms of culture emerged in hutong.
I
8 s. b$ V$ N2 Q8 I1 swas born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great; }6 C! i/ U7 `6 R: u
impression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished,
2 h% g0 g. D. x! c/ g+ tand we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong
6 F X: h' Q; `; jhas a history of more than 400 years!
Since 1999, the demolishment
0 N/ E" O% Y' `- n* aof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that' |- Y }! o! J( k5 x
no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are$ ?- f; f/ c& u3 B/ S- x
only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a
/ m: i/ H" n9 t( ^sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government
. _' w4 r, b: b3 q% d7 xwant to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move
- O/ Z9 j; S. D+ Y1 jto the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is
) H3 J: z$ a! e0 ~* k/ `- z! ~"modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact,% i. z. H" P e+ [" t: O' y9 S! t
this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are5 E e9 ~. x7 ^; d4 f" |- @
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& N5 G- j) `9 g/ ?2 `
"progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make* z8 ]: u! [/ R6 \
money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was
a+ |5 X! k& W+ p+ Ja beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a% B% V/ k2 s/ Q
parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across# O* ^9 L/ C# z \' B' c' {4 d2 N
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: t2 ^. H7 a% w) b
importance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for
: m- ], a- q& g2 Cdevelopment.
Hutongs2 \$ U$ G7 r( k8 \
in the old days were residential area where people actually lived8 i; Y0 d8 O+ e) y+ Y- r
there. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions, R& H7 B) x7 E* O
in hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not
2 [# H' l) w+ ]1 f C$ H, `have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you
: H% V. y+ A o5 xwill have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs.
+ R1 Y) B+ ~) ]7 F) w& tFurthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date
% m( H! i3 ]- J; Z- e& `$ Jto support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used
6 A- p: K) _" Q& N) i3 Wto hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses9 e" @5 ?3 }* X3 J/ H% ~% B
support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically) q9 W4 d% {- ~; n
unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to
# B5 Q( r! `; v$ ` x8 R7 a: j. Qlive in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,+ O1 [5 v8 c" n0 K" A% o& c
hutong is only a tourist attraction.
The best way to find the0 Q' p* X: N& H2 m. ~
balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the- a+ i- ?2 C6 k F3 @+ M
project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be6 v; Q8 P* T/ i$ @. N( i
renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong# B6 I. h$ N7 Q; m: r. L# v
Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how
, f5 i, P8 |- ~people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be5 ~9 j+ T/ K% K% z
torn down or transformed into something else.
TwinkieDP:
I'm sorry that your cherished
- D! [! ^' _/ I- \3 s' Rmemories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress".- B" s3 Q! h# T: y' s2 R1 W! j4 E9 g
Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are. R. W/ ?1 L5 ?* o/ P. K% |
aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially
# I( i5 z6 F. F' a6 T( Q. Znon-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image2 T. v/ u6 C! q2 Y6 M
of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these }4 P) ]6 e# F8 k9 X8 D6 o
Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those
5 H" E& e& ~) [7 A) D4 @' Wpeople who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they) ]* x P/ I9 T6 H
may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some: |" {# G) ?+ g
of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before. x0 M$ D& H$ L1 Q
"modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all+ @$ _# @1 c9 E* Y' L1 s
people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise: b. ]1 S" i/ k, F
apartments are the way to go? No.
* d; [3 T- y% w( O: E, E 1 m0 F9 q2 o# R0 Z; }
9 V/ ?, I* B2 P# i
Howard Fu:
I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs. But the, V2 K3 u& z8 B' t2 M4 s
situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this
0 X! ]- O8 i3 w$ ^% h4 Y'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make
) m, s. I8 l/ G) Wno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so; u) e0 V j9 c _: s7 W
fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant
/ G. W W# D4 f, a0 I! m3 Tresistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless
3 B3 l9 I! ~( rBeijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is% w: O8 R+ X% ]* n! N6 R! i! G
unlikely to happen too. Sad!
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