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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, its1 c1 `6 I2 Q' N, O& G architecture style is supreme throughout China. Please do not consider % ?8 S- ~ d( |8 T$ [% cBeijing as just an "Imperial City". It in fact, is a more "civilian"( I, {% {6 Z/ j2 ~ city. Hutong or alley way is the kernel of Beijing's culture.2 |# {% Z C; d0 k. d- f According to some books, there were 1,200 hutongs in Yuan Dynasty,2 d. G0 \# e8 v2 R3 u6 m" a: _ 3,600 hutongs in Ming Dynasty, and over 6,000 hutongs at the end of & [4 s+ Q8 |( [2 _) T' G- h5 aManchu Qing Dynasty. Most of the hutongs are well preserved until 1999.

Within 5 H" a" f& C7 ~6 a- hhutongs, the citizens maintain a good neighborhood relationship among c Y6 t& [4 J: e( c each other. Senior citizens play Chinese chess or listen to Peking Opera. r3 f+ G5 _) _, N. Z and Pingju. Children play outside. The atmosphere in hutong is ) [4 i( M: t; g$ Q3 E, oharmonious. The architectural styles of hutong are diverse, but all are6 _, {0 J8 c5 J/ l! ~ descended from traditional Chinese culture. Many great events and8 t/ v( S7 c( `9 P, D: x" T forms of culture emerged in hutong.

I % K+ s N; P5 n/ v& M! k( wwas born in Beijing hutong. My childhood leaves me a great : q4 u2 B8 c1 b8 q( V6 u/ g" J3 `4 m# zimpression. In 1990, the hutong where my home stood was demolished, 7 h/ H* o1 H( H& V; aand we have to move into residential skyscrapers. You know, this hutong: U* K( ~$ B1 p9 n has a history of more than 400 years!

Since 1999, the demolishment( \" ~3 T+ C: a2 b$ Y" Q of hutong has been a common thing in Beijing. There has been said that8 N" Y1 T# f& [- _" J no hutongs will stand after 2008. Many people from outside Beijing are " c) D, D3 Q$ Z+ B/ x. x, W2 Wonly enthusiastic in "enjoying" skyscrapers, they consider hutong as a: |$ x* w4 ]% R3 ` sort of under modernized structure. They, along with the government- @: h$ Y' k; r! G want to demolish them and replace them with meaningless skyscrapers. In 2004, more than 10,000 households in hutongs were forced to move2 V$ B/ o% @( o2 \$ E6 A% H to the suburbs. The official reason of "Hutong Demolish Movement" is . W) @/ M1 {. e3 k"modernization", or "preparing for the Olympic Games", but in fact,5 G& s A1 V* U this movement has nothing to do with the modernization and Olympics: citizens in hutong are " U: e0 y3 ^7 hstill 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 to7 W1 Q8 ?% r5 A/ H. k' A/ S "progress." But, it unfortunately happens all over the world to make! ~+ Y( L* g& U1 ~2 g money for big business... including the very town I live in. There was$ d. d% U( l! o! H a beautiful Methodist Church that was demolished to make way for a * r9 Y$ E7 G4 @8 Eparking lot... it was built in the early 1700's. The graveyard across' M: c6 S/ i4 h8 \4 H( x( U9 M% R! 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- h# x* _* q9 B9 ~+ I* f% R6 f( F0 ] importance , I also support that some hutongs have to be torn down for& F* }3 H4 [; l, A development.

Hutongs ( \) K( g$ B1 nin the old days were residential area where people actually lived ! j# d6 f8 y( L, U8 Xthere. The same cannot be said for today because the living conditions / q7 x N% C+ @+ ]" h1 xin hutongs are not up to standard. The houses within the hutongs do not 1 e/ Q7 `: A0 h, D2 Y/ I Q) `have plumbing and electricity, and if you want to install that, you , r8 r+ b0 J( i/ Fwill have to pay a high cost in building a system just for the hutongs.6 X9 t: x' K9 z+ ?% i* D1 Z Furthermore, the style of the houses, four combination, is out of date' ]" T" b2 I6 I6 t/ }+ _8 p to support the mobile population in modern day Beijing. The houses used 8 U! c0 \) W, M4 Fto hold a whole family within them, while modern apartments and houses * P+ E# ? Y$ b; N9 d' S+ w! z {support a nucleus family. That said, the hutongs are economically- H& c8 |1 e% R% T unfeasible for ordinary people. I for one, do not see the reason to , l$ J9 C& M! |3 {4 E. Y9 d1 }% Qlive in a hutong with the traditional houses. Losing its main purpose, ; K7 Y& D! C$ j/ c4 Xhutong is only a tourist attraction.

The best way to find the 1 d Q( V; t# P j% Ybalance between development and cultural perservation is to confine the: C2 J4 z1 i3 {, @- u project into a district. Within this district, the hutongs should be$ _ B1 e# U7 X renovated to show the old face of Beijing. They should build a Hutong$ M8 }+ V5 o; D2 ` @2 l0 B Museum and allow people to actually walk into the houses to see how 1 Z# R: W' A+ t- \" S( _people lived in them. The hutongs outside of the district should be ; v: D2 y) `$ g5 w2 \/ S, Itorn down or transformed into something else.

TwinkieDP:

I'm sorry that your cherished6 o0 A% k1 @% a T# u" H memories of Old Beijing is being destroyed in the Path of "progress".1 ?9 p+ M* y. u' a3 P; x. P9 t Nothing against preservation of Hutongs, but I think my feelings are ; |0 j, |! i& X$ G# e+ ^1 M/ G1 Faligned with Ashura's. When people outside of China (especially ( v2 v0 |. N D6 l3 k2 f/ l6 R. znon-Chinese) think about the Cultural treasures of Beijing, the image# W2 C0 ]6 d2 K: e' v of the Hutongs is hardly brought up. I've seen pictures of these ; J4 ]( S$ W: N- I; ~. ^ Y0 F" IHutongs, and I'm sure these peaceful neighborhoods mean a lot to those 9 @, C- K. g+ k5 C4 _people who have lived their for generations, but to the outsider they/ Q5 W) I+ L: a: ? may appear to be outdated and substandard living quarters. I agree some' |% U6 e4 \8 f1 L" `" f of the cultural aspects showing how ordinary people lived before4 m$ b; t; B) W' Z/ Q "modernization" should be preserved, but living standards for all . m i/ s7 O2 W/ T& ]people needs to continually improve. Am I saying that high-rise ) P8 z" m' m0 \0 }( j, I( Hapartments are the way to go? No. ! S1 D: M, x% D5 j + ?/ Y3 L6 Q5 L7 T - A& d' `- J4 N* u

Howard Fu:

I have great sympathy for you and Beijing's old Hutongs.
But the8 X, ^5 y+ k& N2 z! N& [8 g situation is sad. There are big economy interest behind this 5 Q% E2 u' z, ~" A, ^4 y. t'progress'. Real estate businessmen and government officials would make ) W1 g1 ^' @0 k) a, Q+ b2 y. V0 f: Qno money if they leave all the hutongs there. And they are moving so) ]. M9 ~7 H7 V! }6 |& C fast, there will be no hutong left after 2008 before any significant# W8 @5 r8 X$ i$ [. r resistant opinion formed. This 'progress' is unlikely to stop unless * k1 `6 X3 f' z& [: f8 gBeijing's estate market have a sudden dive before 2008 which is : d. W- _' S, j6 h e6 q6 runlikely 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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