An article of the same name about Hutong culture

Beijing is like a big piece of tofu, square and square. There are streets and hutongs in the city. Streets and hutongs are due south and north, due east and due west. Beijingers have a strong sense of direction. In the past, rickshaws often shouted "East!" In every corner. "Go west!" In case you hit a pedestrian. When the old couple were sleeping, the old lady thought the old man was squeezing her and said, "Go south." This is rare in other places. If the street is inclined, it is specially marked as inclined street, such as Dai Yan inclined street and Yangmeizhu inclined street. Streets and hutongs cut Beijing into squares. This kind of founder not only influenced the lives of Beijingers, but also influenced their thoughts.

Hutong was originally Mongolian, which is said to mean well, but it is not known whether it is true or not. The names of hutongs come from various sources. There are calculations, such as three in Dongdan and forty in Dongdan. Some used to be places where the royal family kept things, such as Piku Hutong and Xijinsi Hutong (places where firewood and charcoal were stored), and some used to be hutongs where a famous person lived, such as Wuliangdaren Hutong and Shilaoniang Hutong (my mother was a midwife). Dayabao Hutong was originally called Big Dumb Hutong, and there is probably a mute in the Hutong. Hutong is because there is a cobbler named Wang. Hutong was originally named Wang Widow Hutong. Some are places where certain industries are concentrated. Handkerchiefs Hutong probably sells handkerchiefs. Mutton Hutong must have sold mutton at first, and some hutongs are just like its shape. Gao Yibo Hutong was originally named Gou Wei Hutong. Mutton Yibin Hutong was originally named Yangwei Hutong. Probably because these two hutongs look a bit like sheep's tails and dog's tails. Some hutongs don't know what it means, such as the Great Green Shamao Hutong.

Some hutongs are very wide, such as Dongzongbu Hutong and Tieshizi Hutong. Most of these hutongs are "doorways" on both sides, and the houses are fairly tidy. Some hutongs are very small, such as Erduoyan Hutong. How many hutongs are there in Beijing? Beijingers say: There are 3,600 famous hutongs, but there are countless unnamed hutongs. "Hutong" is usually mentioned, mostly referring to small hutongs.

Hutong is a network that runs through the street. It's very close to the city. It's convenient to make a soy sauce and two pounds of eggs, but it seems far away. There is no traffic here, it is always quiet. Occasionally, there are "screaming heads" with loads on their heads (like tweezers, when iron bars pass through), "vibrating boudoir" where scissors sharpen knives (more than a dozen pieces of iron are strung together, shaking and making noises), and the sound of blind fortune tellers playing piccolo (long gone now). Far from being noisy, these sounds are quieter in the alley.

Hutong and quadrangle are integrated. There are many quadrangles connected on both sides of the hutong. Hutong and quadrangle, if not the most important part.

Hutong culture is a closed culture. Most residents living in hutongs have moved to another place and are unwilling to move. Some have lived in an alley for decades, and some have even lived for several lifetimes. Most of the houses in the hutongs are very old, but the houses in the "roots" are not very good. The old house is purlin and the brick wall is broken. When it rains, it is often heavy rain outdoors and light rain indoors. When it rains heavily, you can always hear the sound of houses falling down. That's the house in the alley. But they don't want to "move"-"a broken home is worth millions"

Siheyuan is a box. The ideal home for Beijingers is a single house. Beijingers are also very particular about "neighborhood feelings". Distant relatives are better than close neighbors. Those who "know the way in the neighborhood" should also "follow" a little when they have something to do with their families, weddings and funerals to express their happiness or trouble. Otherwise, it is not "polite". But in ordinary days, except for some neighbors who are chess friends, they "killed" a game, and there is not much past; Some drinkers go to the "big jar" (in the past, the wine shop opened by Shanxi people had no table, so a round thick plate was put on the jar instead of the wine table) and drink two ones (the big jar was called "one"); Or birdfriends, waving their birdcages, went to the Temple of Heaven, Chenggen and Yuyuantan to "catch birds" (bird catching means hanging birdcages in one place, so that birds can learn to call each other and compete with each other). In addition, "each person sweeps the snow in front of his own house, regardless of the frosting of other people's tiles".

Beijingers are easy to satisfy, and have low material requirements for life. If you have a steamed bread, you are satisfied. Big pickled radish is good. Pickled radish, what else is there to say? Stinky tofu drops a few drops of sesame oil, and you can stay with your aunt. Boiled cabbage with shrimp skin, hey! I know an old man who is an official in imperial academy, serving Lu Runxiang, Wang Yi and others to pour wine. He said, "There is nothing like Beijing. Boiled cabbage in Beijing is also more delicious than other places, and all the five flavors are in Beijing. " What is the Five Flavors God? I still can't test it. But the Chinese cabbage culture of Beijingers is understandable. The Chinese cabbage that Beijingers eat all their lives is probably as high as the White Pagoda in Beihai.

Beijingers like to watch the fun, but they don't mind their own business. They always stay out of it and look on coldly. Beijing is the cradle of the democratic movement. Since the Republic of China, there have been frequent student movements. Beijingers call student movement "disturbing students". Student demonstrations are called "passing students". It has nothing to do with them.

The essence of Beijing Hutong culture is "forbearance", contentment and resignation. Wang Lifa in Lao She's Teahouse said, "I have been obedient to the people all my life", which is the mentality of most Beijing citizens.

In my novel "The Sun in August", I wrote about the "Cultural Revolution", and there was such a dialogue:

"Have a composition? I have been a good citizen all my life and have never obeyed the law. At present, everything is out of order. It's like' raining loess' in front of my eyes. I can't tell the difference between east, west, north and south. "

"You idle fucking this share. Does the grain store still sell stick noodles? "

"sell!"

"Still. Just stick noodles. ……"

A young man in our building hit the little girl who was driving the elevator on the mouth for something. We are all very angry, how can we hit girls! I told two elderly old Beijingers (they were "relocated households" who originally lived in hutongs) that everyone should uphold justice and let the young man apologize to the little girl in public. Two comrades said, "Tell him to apologize? No way! Bear with it! -'poor tolerance, rich tolerance, can't sleep'! " Can't sleep and squint is really wonderful! Can't sleep, don't be agitated, don't worry, squint, Beijingers, it's good for you!

Hutongs in Beijing are in decline. Except for a few "house doors" still standing there, most of the houses in the private houses are already very broken, and some foundation columns have even subsided, and only half of them are still exposed on the ground. Outside some quadrangles, there are still lost horse nails and stones, which record the lost glory. There are boreholes that can't get out of the water, and stone chessboards with rounded edges and corners for people to mourn. The west wind is still the same, the grass is falling off, and it is desolate and lifeless.

Looking at these pictures of hutongs, people can't help feeling nostalgic or even sad. But this is a helpless move. Under the sweeping tide of commodity economy, hutong and hutong culture will disappear one day. Perhaps, like the frog mausoleum in Xi 'an and Wuyi Lane in Nanjing, one or two names will be retained, which is disappointing.

Goodbye, Hutong.

March 15th, 1993 (end)