Chinese Vernacular Architecture

Luo, Zhewen. Luo Zhewen lishi wenhua mingcheng yu gujianzhu baohu wenji/ 罗哲文历史文化名城与古建筑保护文集 [Essays on Preservation of Historic Cities and Ancient Architecture]

Fang, Ke. Contemporary Redevelopment in the Inner City of Beijing: Survey, Analysis and Investigation, Beijing: Zhongguo jianzhu gongye chubanshe, 2000.

Wu, Liangyong. Rehabilitating the Old City of Beijing: a Project in the Ju’er Hutong Neighborhood, Vancouver: UBC Press, 1999.

Wang, Jun. Cheng Ji/城记 [Tale of the City], Beijing: Shenghuo dushu xinzhi sanlian shudian, 2003.

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I was back in Beijing for about six weeks this summer, and things were getting worse. Whole neighborhoods of hutongs (traditional Beijing alleyways) are still being demolished, ancient residences gone, while new building projects are under way. Below are some pictures I took outside of the Qianmen area (almost right in the heart of old Beijing, see map below), where Dajiang Hutong and Xianyukou Hutong are being destroyed. The irony about the destruction is that the developers, while doing away with these ancient alleyways, put up photos and (prints of) paintings of the old hutongs and residences as they were and are supposed to be, on the billboards that they erected to cover up what’s going on behind them.

A sign indicating the name of the hutong (Dajiang Hutong) with guards petrolling and stopping visitors from going into the hutongs.

And this is what’s behind the billboards.

Another ancient alleyway, Xianyukou Hutong, is suffering the same fate.

Below is a map that shows where Qianmen (the Front Gate) area is in Beijing. Xianyukou Hutong is shown as Xianyukou St, just a little south of the Gate: