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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 8 t+ Q! T& c. G( F) k( L+ t4 I/ oarchitecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider$ i+ t- e; H M; P+ i( s Beijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"+ R) h% U% q# s1 {" o: j( t city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture. $ e& V' `& i% E( n* P! N; TAccording to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty, ' i( v+ _5 X( `- I" _2 \3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of \9 A8 E o6 \8 h7 N- r. u Manchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within4 v7 j# w% v$ Q hutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among 3 B _1 a! E) ~4 E3 t3 l5 k' x- @each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera ! V* \; A6 O; V4 Aand Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is2 d; Q/ x/ Q+ \ harmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are & G% P. a0 o$ f0 u2 R6 Xdescended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and5 M/ p9 N. U# z$ Q# U forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I ) ?0 ~+ E: p6 p9 xwas born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great 0 x0 s B7 Q7 r/ ?impression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished,5 B" f! _6 s8 A; u3 q) X$ u* t4 r and we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong( x1 ?7 R6 I* c6 k/ I( G has a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment3 s: f( {( u# R4 _ of hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that% u# C! ?; B) J' @5 Q no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are0 o7 {2 A. C" P, j8 @9 E4 L only enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a - P D' Z2 W0 S9 ]: ~0 R; K* zsort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government7 f K2 K. I" i; V; p$ `/ D: W" k1 z want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move 5 p( ~( P. o- l! |* Uto the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is6 h# o3 s/ u, f R3 e" G7 x2 K( R "modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact,) B$ ~% V0 P) [0 w5 a" h7 l this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are 6 v/ O3 M. q: W/ a% ~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' T5 K0 B) o$ m& J2 e8 u D "progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make; U/ W7 U" Z$ i! ` money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was 1 @3 e$ k9 E" D( z0 ^/ m. w/ qa beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a& c& U7 c8 Y7 r% I9 Q. T. G parking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across5 R3 {3 x! z- n, 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 " F- L( ^- f6 o' h6 i- eimportance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for; o4 R( j* p, L6 s# U development.

Hutongs 3 m( z& d+ g& k, m& W7 Ain the old days were residential area where people actually lived - S7 m5 e" h) h/ Y2 ~; [- S6 y' Wthere. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions 4 x1 j7 g4 f4 [1 S7 f3 f4 C7 Bin hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not# i# D/ m7 ~* f' G% ]0 ^ have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you 8 m- g( m% C6 q5 ^( N3 ^( N8 [will have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs.* i4 W3 L4 O1 b7 _4 Y' s3 z- U Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date$ t ^9 f5 n8 o, i to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used C* B" E3 A! U7 t; y% Vto hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses : C0 p7 J" p }support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically ! H7 W7 y4 f ?; W: Q& U7 L4 Dunfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to- K7 b8 W* [5 O, r, ^ live in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose, ; ?6 t& L9 w, }hutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the# P9 f5 w8 G% f/ |/ G balance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the 7 I) s( q9 `% y0 l* B* ^$ X) lproject into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be $ \2 r5 @1 Y: b2 P+ Jrenovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong 2 i+ Y6 J. l" y# ~Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how# {0 y. a- o4 h2 L people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be ~; [* W& i! ? X8 ?/ ftorn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished8 Q3 c, D C$ A memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress".5 P0 x4 d v$ E; _. [- C Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are ( {9 C4 \0 b6 l- Z# Aaligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially: I" X6 S- _% Q+ D3 O+ D; b( R( n non-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image + I7 n( [% [! p* N( @8 W0 T8 wof the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these & z% p' ] q+ B. kHutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those 5 `* a0 \8 Q* mpeople who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they6 \: }8 l! ^. ^/ ?4 d8 g7 E may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some ; k5 }% [/ Y' Jof the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before C& x4 V. _; d4 U8 E) R "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all . C% D8 R- h# y# Y, P+ V# ~people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise1 o" j- b- E o0 B+ h/ K apartments are the way to go? No.& t4 v5 N& R/ [$ o+ a7 [% @6 w - }! }. F& ]6 j7 l! Y% e4 y1 Z + f$ Z! ~- W" D8 _: j9 H9 v

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the & v- {8 G2 U4 Esituation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this + q* Z4 Y8 x/ _' o& P' N( k'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make- o3 l; p5 F: n/ d3 Q. V- _ no money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so ! o& A1 ^( K( }2 i3 V1 V4 hfast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant) ?5 t Y$ H0 c resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless v% `" s& T. v- [# H9 y Beijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is, I T/ L7 K; m6 z: U7 h; t, P 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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