Enjoying the hutongs with an aesthetic eye

　　Xiang Yang, Photographer

　　Years in Beijing: 28

　　I like the feeling of walking along the hutongs. Most hutongs are so near to the downtown areas, sometimes even just a five to ten minute walk, but they are so different. Far away from the traffic noise and crowed people, any hairbrained heart can find a place to perch there. But I know that I am enjoying the hutongs from an angle of aesthetics. Standing in the shoes of most local residents, these hutongs are not beautiful at all because of the poor conditions.

　　Consuming the courtyards is another way to preserve them

　　Lao Qi, Owner of Buddha Bar and the Drum & Bell

　　Tower Bar

　　Years in Beijing: 16

　　When I opened a bar on the foot of the Drum and Bell towers, some people joked with me: "You've spoiled the original beauty of Shichahai Lake. Aren't you satisfied with what you've done? Why did you step into the last piece of quiet place in central Beijing?" (Lao Qi was one of the first batch that opened bars in the Shichahai areas, and now he owns two bars there.)

　　Some people think the historical elements near the Shichahai areas are hard hit by commercial development. But I think there is no fault in this. The key factor is that there needs more detailed regulations to adjust the temporary disorder in the market, attaining harmony between consumers and the natural environment. I think consuming these old constructions is also a way to preserve them.

　　Beijing: A mixed bag of old and new

　　Christine Tai, Freelance Writer

　　Years in Beijing: less than one

　　Beijing feels fairly comparable to cities like London in terms of modernizing while maintaining its historical appeal. Some people have said Beijing is losing its appeal as more and more old hutongs are disappearing. I disagree with them. I think Beijing will attain its reputation by being tolerant of both old and new values. In Beijing, certain landmarks should be preserved, but others can be eradicated for the purposes of innovation. In the case of hutongs, certain areas should be kept for historical study, but not all hutongs need to be preserved.

　　Too much preservation might hinder the city's progress

　　Macro Ngni, Doctorate Student, Qinghua University

　　Years in Beijing: one

　　Everytime I stand before the Tian'anmen Gate on the Chang'an Street, I find myself to be so small facing both the imposing ancient and modern constructions. I was born and grew up in Hong Kong, and I find that while the buildings there may be exquisite, they are never stately. The styles of a city's construction show its people's minds, and Beijing is a tolerant city.

　　Beijing has made a rapid progress as an old city. In Florence, Italy, the city's progress is very slow, as it keeps too many old buildings. On the question of preserving the old capital, the government should take into consideration expert views from various fields and find a good balance. In my opinion, I don't agree with spending too much money for preserving old hutongs and courtyards. It is not suitable for modern people to live in, and their fate of vanishing is inevitable.

　　Being "international" doesn't just mean looking the same as any other place

　　Jenny Niven, China Radio International

　　Years in Beijing: less than one

　　I think it's a real shame that many of the older areas of the city are being demolished, as the constructions that seem to be replacing them have no Chinese identity at all. They say "a city without old buildings is like a man without memory." Beijing's history is so rich and varied it would be a tragedy if all that was left to show of it were the imperial palaces.

　　On the other hand, if these areas are to be used for housing or work spaces, they do need updated. The docklands and shipyards in London and Glasgow are good examples of regenerating particular areas and finding new ways of renovating buildings so as that the original structures and characteristics are kept. More effort could definitely be made to find a middle ground, rather than the black and white approach of erasing the traditional buildings completely and starting again. For me, the most attractive cities are the ones which manage to fuse the old and the new together, or at least create some sense of harmony.

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