5200 x 3457 px | 44 x 29,3 cm | 17,3 x 11,5 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
agosto 2005
Ubicazione:
Goulo Da jie Beijing The People’s Republic of China
Altre informazioni:
The term Hutong, is said to originate from the Mongolian word for “well” and has now evolved in meaning to describe a type of living environment typically associated with Beijing. Traditionally residences were arranged according to social class. By the Ming Dynasty (1368 A.D.) the central focus became The Forbidden City. Individuals of a higher social status lived closer to the centre. Aristocrats lived to the east and west of the palace in courtyard houses or Siheyuan. Houses were built in closed proximity, forming a grid of alleyways. To the north and south of the palace lived commoners, artisans, and merchants. Their Siheyuan were smaller and simpler, and streets much narrower. Post 1911 with the fall of the Qing many new Hutongs were built with no apparent plan. Old residences lost their former beauty and social stratification of residents disintegrated. Courtyards previously owned by families were divided amongst many, with additional buildings hurriedly constructed with whatever materials remained. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the Beijing authorities began the gradual demolition of these neighbourhoods, to make way for wide boulevards and high rises. All property was owned by the communist government. Remaining owner occupiers were forced to either live in one room and share their houses with other workers, or relinquish them all together. With the recent reintroduction of private ownership many of these properties, located in the city centre have become prime real estate again. Owners asked to move out are presented with compensation packages and local residents moved in after the revolution are tempted away with offers of modern apartments. In 2004, the Beijing Municipal Construction Committee stated that 250, 000 square meters, were to be demolished. The government is now beginning to label certain districts as ‘protected zones.’ One of the best examples of such an area is around the Bell and Drum Towers at Shichahai Lake.
