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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. e/ k- n( t- O; ?9 y architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider % I6 P6 E2 g& P3 i4 K3 oBeijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian" % Q e3 X+ N4 Y9 Kcity. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture.3 T6 N- F- T6 Z5 k8 x According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty,: ~/ v, M6 z; M 3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of 0 W8 i# Z @' ~; i/ A5 ?% `Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within( H# ~/ x) z' x& P1 a hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among - U8 L9 Q+ p6 j* [' feach other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera- a z1 F3 h" X6 X: w F and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is / b6 k) B7 R. v, _harmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are $ i- s2 v( u* O; b5 P. N: M7 y5 |$ ndescended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and - P* q8 u: H3 y7 b: Q7 F5 w" O. ^forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I0 C {: Q$ o0 I2 y+ {8 K4 V was born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great 9 J7 t. E( b7 Cimpression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished,$ R6 L% N$ P: ~$ q3 O and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong* S6 o' {/ E( S4 i+ j has a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment! V; v A0 ^" [( D, i+ s' E4 w of hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that 6 d( t2 _% ?0 Q v- }, qno hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are2 c1 Y" y/ \8 g7 A only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a9 p8 l9 i3 m, ^2 Y% [3 p: Q sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government ! b' S7 E5 A& F- owant to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move / c9 \8 l! [ Q( L1 mto the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is$ d5 y/ q4 a: m) a% S "modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, 6 n& f4 v3 V& ^; othis movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are " j+ e3 M* A i8 ]$ F9 X* \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 " N2 u) Q: o9 x9 R, B+ y9 {"progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make- I8 \0 H* u/ C5 V! `9 B4 s money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was0 T* b; D& C, V2 @' g! q: y a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a9 R3 t1 F3 B& g% X parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across& }8 D7 v/ N2 A& Z 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 9 G+ X+ y8 ^1 G4 g% F5 M3 a/ X! ?importance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for 0 N$ x5 O3 J+ j. f# \- ydevelopment.

Hutongs1 `7 l% e( e$ i# P$ G$ ^7 u! B! u in the old days were residential area where people actually lived3 i- w! |# C# x# [ there. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions " _, b+ Z8 n9 Cin hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not , c- ^2 g& x: k, @) a" ~have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you 5 J' a1 A1 K7 P2 n3 Ywill have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs.6 g- D7 M, O1 @9 X Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date + u0 W. v# Z+ |4 Z( R1 wto support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used( T# W! ?, M# H. X to hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses' g( Y9 V+ N# A' T. A support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically" x4 _: t$ _6 R, y unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to 0 _5 n8 @: S5 k1 O( R8 Wlive in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose,' U2 w$ N+ M% r# z y2 J hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the 1 n% z5 l8 c" U# d4 S; nbalance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the ) p) b) v2 N h a: L" Gproject into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be" k8 }" ^& D# m+ ]1 ^ renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong' ]7 p! p* y7 o Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how2 ]' k4 K* q+ T0 C' X people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be7 _- |& v5 }- C' e. s torn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished5 `% E: c8 X% S6 C1 {2 E memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress".# |1 |, N2 S" k0 ?. ~8 B6 Q; I Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are* K ]3 ]& ~ V aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially) L, G: z+ P6 Y7 P+ g( o non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image) V! \2 \, ?. V' X of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these! y$ Y8 R- j2 j1 s' C& _ Hutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those ; i6 q. J; U3 apeople who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they8 p, o! l: K" X+ b may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some ! _- h3 Y- E& ]of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before2 d, {! h0 d" O6 _6 A7 J1 M' [; X& @ "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all; I9 @0 I. u; k) H people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise % ?2 W+ Z; I, P7 V0 h3 W; X- dapartments are the way to go? No.: Y$ U; M# x4 \$ M " M/ K2 m j, Z) |9 a . q! `5 R! a. `, Y) _2 X

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the: i% m6 f* | I situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this " U9 F( }$ N. a9 Q8 K. f'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make5 k6 E! v0 B1 z8 b% R, Q no money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so* ]( y( X. g5 [' H* h2 o' }0 e fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant + `& M$ j7 E7 |8 y8 [; _+ L# wresistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless ! q% f. y) m A! wBeijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is0 p7 Y$ ?( u7 |* w, Y 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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