By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .
Sign up with Google
Sign up with Facebook
Q: Do you think China is going to regret tearing down hutongs & old buildings?
I holidayed in Kunming back in 2005. At that time, the city had a number of stunning old wooden buildings. Now, those are all gone and one can find KFC, Pizza Hut and Haagen-Dasz in their place. The same with Beijing. Many of the old hutongs in the Houhai area have been flattened and new "imitation" buildings geared towards tourism have cropped up instead.I can understand the demolition of those crappy houses built in the late 70s and 80s to make way for more sanitary, comfortable housing but I can't comprehend the destruction of buildings with historical and cultural worth. Do you think China is going to wake up one day and realize they made a big mistake and that their cities are just souless places with all traces of history wiped clean?
“We can learn what we did not know. We are not only good at destroying the old world, we are also good at building the new.”
Apart from mourning dead relatives, I have seen no strong signs of sentimentality in China. Today you have 3 kinds of people in China
Those who struggle to survive - they don't have time to worry about old buildings
Those who struggle to keep getting more and more iPhones - they don't have time to worry about old buildings
Those who struggle to stay in power - they don't have time to worry about old buildings
