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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! o( u: _5 }0 Q% [: r* S architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider; V# I$ B7 m- f/ o/ V Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian" . H/ \3 L Q2 T) |) Acity. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture. ! P2 L- A ^# e! R+ e& Z, sAccording to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty,- O& V* Y7 w( Z: b. ~) C# V3 h; z- p; V 3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of# j6 b/ y9 V/ i0 s Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within- g& l, t% H$ u, P hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among' y: B% q% [' f9 R' c3 V each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera ; }/ U1 t8 F7 W% y# ~4 d$ Fand Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is7 e) y7 C8 S( L5 e1 d- O3 w# s harmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are 3 Q+ O5 t7 n* Q$ n* \descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and 4 x( I- q8 o/ W. _forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I 4 ~5 Y2 E# L: J6 a% d% H: ewas born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great ; b4 H7 }# O5 q( W0 W* {impression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished,4 n. Y3 A0 Y+ Z- c6 v5 N: e+ R7 z and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong4 w6 W+ q* ?) i' b1 n/ a0 { has a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment ' z7 f9 c# s& `! d0 O/ ^/ qof hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that& M& f0 {, m# t& [3 ]1 f no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are 4 h, p8 u, `4 {* _$ ]$ gonly enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a5 k& Q- e4 B8 K, G, } sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government " S% g' ^9 V* W3 q; E, }want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move+ @$ P( u( A) o5 w0 d% v to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is 8 _" P# u! X7 ?* B! k* K- q: r/ v"modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact, : m/ O1 l6 ]2 fthis movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are # ^! s t2 b7 N9 {3 G7 J9 pstill 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 to0 _* `* A: T& Z- L "progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make / `7 @. W7 }4 u& b2 t5 A1 a' o0 S+ N+ imoney for big business... including the very town I live in. There was 5 s8 k+ m) h; ^ ka beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a9 E: P4 H9 r% K( }* Z+ T parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across 9 r \" N, U4 C6 Fthe 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$ _# v2 Q$ m' U4 |8 f: g importance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for 5 @& i o6 q' v( udevelopment.

Hutongs) R6 W" W8 j: g in the old days were residential area where people actually lived 3 u. _) e( I: E M3 E3 Mthere. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions 5 S. R/ E% c5 f; f" ^ Z3 u2 _in hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not 0 l% K9 c7 r9 o, vhave plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you " R0 q0 F# Q0 k3 S4 ?$ a( ~+ Dwill have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs.9 |& Y) o& I5 h( @! ` Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date # A) X( f q( H( G/ p# D4 _2 Zto support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used 0 b, Q+ q/ s Bto hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses8 _& h9 X3 G0 D. K8 V support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically6 y i3 K' m9 u6 Q6 x4 \' A4 [ unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to8 d2 o# I/ \1 ^" a6 u6 B live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose, + b; T/ J2 N3 F& q5 @+ Ehutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the$ g$ X+ _- X- |8 w$ b& [0 R8 V5 s balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the 7 T# x6 w! @7 a- Jproject into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be9 w' M: Q8 u; T { renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong 8 w0 c* x. O b' x8 u$ R6 f! CMuseum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how* S& O) x4 p0 c2 | ` people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be 9 D9 D6 k0 T& `# [$ L% O9 J' N0 vtorn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished" h$ Y' p- j# Z$ t, ? memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress". 0 P- d; O: g$ Z& P5 V% `4 MNothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are. P8 _4 D, w z6 d! @% N# z aligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially @5 V, u/ @/ B( V% r' L- O non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image2 o3 Z9 y3 C6 i& x# y$ G! o/ C of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these * x' C4 N: x. D" u/ NHutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those * t* g9 S0 `. ?/ R. y( T' \people who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they- k! }7 _) p g- H! e may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some # `# K" Y( A7 J, e. Q9 Tof the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before 8 L) k1 X6 h6 ]0 v+ f6 T/ g"modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all1 G% j) }' |$ H, A- r people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise 1 V3 g5 M: j2 o6 x; h8 v- Xapartments are the way to go? No. - S8 A7 T6 _# G $ ?5 x( {4 }, D3 |% D ! c; Z f5 P: l3 s; o Z( x

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the ) V/ c, }/ `0 F# zsituation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this + w, R* k( w! G8 P7 C: S5 R'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make' m8 }7 E8 X: j3 R, ]: m1 m3 z no money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so : W+ ~& C6 s8 n1 ^: Q$ c3 vfast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant e4 z) w+ o8 Zresistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless 0 Y; g7 q W7 O0 X2 P$ T: FBeijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is 6 q6 _# r0 j. M0 J4 t3 U- j# H1 Iunlikely 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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