The Last Days of Beijing

I have posted before about the gradually disappearing hutongs and siheyuan – the traditional-style courtyard homes – in Beijing.

Asia Society here in NY recently hosted a talk on the subject with longtime Beijing resident Michael Meyer, who has enjoyed the rare experience of living in a siheyuan home for several years.

I missed the event, but am happy to discover that video of the whole talk is available online at: http://www.asiasociety.org/resources/090507_meyer.html

I haven’t watched it yet, so no comments or reaction yet, but I’m hoping it’s good, and am looking forward to watching it.

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China’s Neighborhoods Face Change

Interesting article in the NY Times today, about the destruction and gentrification of hutongs, and the rapidly changing landscape of Beijing, erasing signs of history. I’ve never been to China myself, but I would love to go, and fear that in a myriad of ways it’s getting worse everyday; even as things get “better” economically, and new, clean, shiny development occurs, history and traditional culture are being razed and built atop. So, for someone like me, who isn’t visiting to see the shopping malls, but rather the hutongs, I imagine that I ought to go as soon as possible in order to experience what little of the pre-20th century Beijing that remains.

Link for NYTimes slide show.

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