• *squeeeel!!*


    • Tag: ‘Hutong’



    I heart Beijing.

    Sunday, July 4th, 2010

    This week I am (temporarily) wrapping up my time in Beijing. I won’t be gone for good (details to come), but knowing my departure is days away has made me reflect on my time here.

    I heart being an international student in Beijing. But every once in a while, I need an escape from my life here. Sometimes a girl just needs to get away from the “Woo Crowd.” What’s the Woo Crowd you ask? Well let me tell you. International students are congregated in Beijing’s Wudaokou area. They come from all different countries and usually our medium of communication outside of classrooms is English. I like to refer to us as the “Woo Crowd” because of Wudaokou, and also because  cries of “WOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo!!!!!!!!” can be heard anywhere within a 5 mile radius.

    Don’t get me wrong. I love to have fun. I love hanging out with my friends. I love being the nutcase that I secretly am. But I came to China for more than just a collegiate experience. For something totally unique to this amazing, bustling city. That’s where The Hutong comes in. It is a melting pot of creatives drawing in everyone from artists to tai chi masters to culinary chefs. For the past year, it has been my haven. I was privileged to teach my own photography courses and floored that there were people who wanted to learn from me. And then the news spread. Friends would ring me up and say they read of my classes in The Beijinger. City Weekend. Time Out. Even China Daily. Whoa.

    I need to write a full other entry on how amazed I am at the doors that have opened to me through photography. But this entry isn’t about that. It’s about the wonderful people who believed in me when I was full of doubt and gave me a platform to share my passion. Mostly, it’s about my amazing friendships with people here. Some weeks ago, I decided to throw a rooftop barbecue party with some friends in Da Wu, and bring them out to The Hutong. It was like trying to mesh together my two different worlds here. And I loved it. Joel provided some amazing culinary stylings, Simon dj’d and there was good times had by all.

    Joel working away and Stacy stealing cake batter :D

    eva chan photography

    eva chan photography

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    Chai: how to destroy culture

    Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

    Eva Chan Photography

    拆. Chai. If there is one Chinese word that could encompass the wholesale destruction of culture, it would be this character. Painted on the outer walls of buildings, it marks hutongs for demolition, only to be replaced by the same generic, mass-produced, shops and eateries found in newly developed areas of the city. Much has been written and photographed on this subject. In an effort to keep up with a globalized world, Chinese cities are all too eager to “chai” the very qualities that make them unique, slap on the right brands and shiny fixtures to fit in with the cool kids.

    My friend Simon (of Metavari fame <– woo! shameless plug. Acoustic wonderfulness) is fond of long bike rides. He’ll regularly hop on his massive steel bike, throw on some tunes and ride for four hours or more at a time. On one particular occasion, I joined him for one of these ambling rides. We zipped along the crowded streets, rode helmet-less against traffic, and for all extents and purposes, took little to no precaution with our safety. (In other wards, it was just a regular bike ride in China.)

    I had a budding interest in documenting what was happening in the hutongs and Simon, true to form simply said “follow me.” A few hours later, I found myself standing literally in the rubble of peoples’ former lives. (I’m not kidding. There was even a Teletubby lying among the ruins.)

    Eva Chan Photography

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    Hutong Culture

    Monday, June 21st, 2010

    Beijing is synonymous with many things. For tourists, these include Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, and The Summer Palace. For those who live here however, nothing says Lao Beijing than Hutongs. Hutongs are alleys formed by the long walled courtyards of the homes of the wealthy. Here, the vestiges of an older way of life are gathered in small neighborhoods along these low-rise alleys. To wander in to one of these is to get lost in a maze of a different time. Where doors remain unlocked and the elderly gather along the door steps, their whole lives spent in these few square meters. Entire wardrobes hang haphazardly outside to air dry, and there are probably more possessions in the small courtyards than inside the rooms. Hutongs are more than just dwellings, but an entirely different pace and culture. The dialects spoken in them are unlike what you’ll hear on the streets. A garbled, warble-like tongue that ranges from a mumble to a lilt.

    This past year however, life in the hutongs has meant more to me than the vestiges of a global city on the rise. It’s been my haven and second home. Followers of The Ricetrail know that for the past year, I’ve been teaching photography at The Hutong, a culinary and arts school that also serves as a community center. I absolutely love it there. Not just because of the novelty, or the amazing students I’ve had, but the amazing people I’ve met and the relationships I’ve formed. One of these is my friend Joel, head chef at The Hutong, a tea guru, and (I’m fairly certain) the modern incarnation of Confucius.  The Hutong deserves it’s own entry (which is to come) but I when Joel offered me the chance to poke around his latest project, I couldn’t resist.

    eva chan photography

    eva chan photography

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    Posted in China, Personal, Travel | 9 Comments »