胡同文化｜菊儿胡同：千年古都文化与现代建筑理念融合的典范

Hutong Culture｜Ju’er Hutong: A Combination of Historical Culture and Modern Architecture

探秘胡同深处的京味文化

Explore Beijing culture hidden in hutongs 

胡同是什么？大大小小的四合院相互挨着，排列在两侧街道上,它们之间留出的通道就是胡同。胡同也可以说是一种古老的城市小巷。千百年来，胡同与北京的发展紧密相关，也是北京历史文化演绎发展的缩影，这里不仅集合了中华古都文化、红色文化、京味文化，而且凝结了北京特有的文化精神与气韵。随意漫步在任何一条胡同上，都能感受到古老的历史气息。

其中有一条胡同拥有着北京独特历史文化的底蕴，并且被载入了世界建筑史册，这便是我们今天要介绍的菊儿胡同。

What is a hutong (lane)? Hutong refers to an alley flanked by siheyuan (quadrangle residences) on both sides. It is a kind of old lanes and alleys in cities. Across centuries, hutongs have always been closely related to Beijing’s development. As an epitome of the evolution of Beijing’s history and culture, they not only concentrate ancient capital culture, revolutionary culture and old Beijing culture, but also demonstrate Beijing’s unique cultural spirit and flair. Roaming in any hutong feels like traveling into history.

A hutong not only captures the unique history and culture of Beijing but has also been inscribed in the history of world architecture. It is Ju’er Hutong. 

菊儿胡同

Ju'er Hutong

青砖红檐、典雅古朴的菊儿胡同位于北京东城区西北部，东起交道口南大街，西至南锣鼓巷，全长438米，宽6米，沥青路面。菊儿胡同在各个朝代的叫法不同，每个叫法的背后都映射出不同的时代特征。胡同中的大部分建筑经政府组织重新翻新改造已变成了四合院式居民楼，也是唯一一条入选“中国20世纪建筑遗产名录”的胡同。

Lined by houses with black brick walls and red eaves, the ancient, elegant Ju’er Hutong extends 438 meters westwards from Jiaodaokou South Street to Nanluoguxiang in northwestern Dongcheng District, Beijing. The 6-meter-wide lane is paved with asphalt. Its names differed in different historical periods, but all reflect the features of the different times. At present, most buildings along the lane have been renovated into siheyuan residences with the support of government funds. It is the only hutong inscribed on the List of Chinese Architectural Heritage of the 20th Century. 

繁华与热闹的一墙之隔

Separated from Hustle and Bustle by a Wall 

（菊儿胡同建筑纹饰 Decorative patterns of buildings in Ju’er Hutong）

菊儿胡同与南锣鼓巷相邻，是繁华北京城中的一部分，但是它与南锣鼓巷的热闹不同，这里更具文化气息。现代的菊儿胡同也可谓是繁华喧闹之外的一片静谧之地，旧石墩和青色小瓦砌成的房脊屋檐无不显示着它显赫的过去。

Ju’er Hutong is adjacent to Nanluoguxiang in downtown Beijing. Unlike the bustling Nanluoguxiang, Ju’er Hutong boasts a richer cultural atmosphere. It offers a getaway for urbanites to escape from hustle and bustle. However, old stone door piers and black-titled roofs and eaves of the residences in the lane testify to its past glory. 

小胡同，大故事

Small Lane, Big Story

（菊儿胡同内民居 A residence in Ju’er Hutong）

菊儿胡同两侧多为居民楼，也有少数别致素雅的餐厅、便民商店、娱乐场所等。巷子不算很窄，胡同两侧散乱地停着几辆汽车和自行车，汽车还能从中间通过。春天的爬山虎和绿苔藓自由在墙根上蔓延，冬日暖阳下，老人、小孩在石板凳上聊天、玩耍，院落里树干裸露在高墙之外，仅剩的几片枯黄了的树叶随着冬风飘落，这就是菊儿胡同里简单朴素的老北京生活。

菊儿胡同不仅因为历史悠久而闻名，追溯这条胡同的过去，我们还可以找到一些历史古迹。  

Most buildings lining Ju’er Hutong are residences, coupled with a few exquisite, elegant restaurants, convenience stores, and entertainment venues. The lane isn’t narrow. Even if some cars and bikes park on both sides, it still allows a vehicle to pass. In spring, lush ivy and green moss crawl from the bottom of the walls. In winter, old people and young kids chat or play on the stone stools. When the wind blows, the last several withered leaves fall from the trees that extend out of the courtyard. This is the simple life that generations of Beijingers have lived in Ju’er Hutong. 

Ju’er Hutong is noted for its long history. We can still find some historical sites reminding us of the lane’s past. 

（荣禄府花园 Garden of Ronglu’s Mansion）

在晚清“实政”改革中，不得不提到的一位人物就是荣禄，他在军政改革、戊戌变法、清末新政等事件都有着一定的影响。

而菊儿胡同3号、5号和7号（荣禄故宅的3号是祠堂，5号是住宅，7号是花园）就是清光绪大臣荣禄的宅邸，7号后来也用作过阿富汗大使馆。整个宅第可分为三部分：西为洋武楼房，中为花园，东为住宅。住宅部分为五进院落，包括倒座、过厅、正房及两进家祠，中间花园已全部拆除改用。该宅也于1986年被公布为东城区文物保护单位。

When talking about political reforms in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), we shouldn’t miss Ronglu, who played a certain role in many historical events including military reforms, the Reform Movement of 1898, and the New Policies of the late Qing Dynasty. 

Ronglu’s Mansion consists of 3, 5 and 7 Ju’er Hutong, including an ancestral temple, a residence, and a garden. The garden at 7 Ju’er Hutong used to be the Embassy of Afghanistan in Beijing. The entire mansion is divided into three sections: European-style buildings in the west, the garden in the middle, and the residence in the east. The residence has five courtyards, including a front yard, a passage yard, a main yard, and two yards serving as family memorial temples. All buildings in the garden have been demolished. The mansion was listed as a protected historical site in Dongcheng District in 1986. 

（菊儿胡同改造后的建筑 Renovated buildings in Ju’er Hutong）

此外，菊儿胡同有一处大杂院，门牌41号。此处原是明朝一个朝廷大员的家庙，叫弘德禅林，后衍生成民居，大殿、佛堂、厢房都经改造而住了人家。后来，吴良镛先生对以41号院为核心的周边7处大杂院区域进行了改造，而改造后的菊儿胡同，吸引了大批向往老北京生活的外国友人和本地居民，也因此获得了“联合国人居奖”的荣誉。

In addition, there is a courtyard shared by several families at 41 Ju’er Hutong. The place was originally a family temple of a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) official. Later, its main hall, buddha hall, and wing rooms were renovated into residence. Mr. Wu Liangyong launched a project to renovate seven such courtyards with the one at 41 Ju’er Hutong as the center. After renovation, Ju’er Hutong attracted many foreigners and local residents to move in, for which it won the UN Habitat Scroll of Honor Award. 

老胡同，新风貌

Old Lane, New Look 

（菊儿胡同街景 Streetscape of Ju’er Hutong）

菊儿胡同里改造后的建筑多是黑瓦白墙，有着老北京建筑的神韵。不宽不窄的巷子两边林立着居民楼，楼和楼之间的间距很小。与传统的“大拆大改式”改造不同，吴老着眼于“人”的需求，基于“有机更新”的理论，致力于将城市发展的新理念与传统古都文化结合起来，打造人与环境和谐共存的宜居社区。

Most renovated buildings in Ju’er Hutong feature black-tiled roofs and white walls, a typical architectural style of old Beijing. Lining the lane are residential buildings that are barely separated. Unlike traditional large-scale renovation, Mr. Wu eyed the needs of local residents. Based on the theory of“organic upgrading,” he was committed to integrating new ideas of urban development with traditional culture of the ancient capital to create a livable community featuring harmony between man and the environment. 

（菊儿胡同现状 New look of Ju’er Hutong）

老北京菊儿胡同四合院是中国北方最典型和最有代表性的民居建筑，同时也是现代改造较为成功的传统民居，菊儿胡同的改造也为世界其他的建筑改造提供了不少的设计灵感，丰富了建筑设计领域并推动了世界建筑史的发展。

The Beijing-style siheyuan buildings in Ju’er Hutong are the most typical and representative traditional residences in northern China, which have been successfully modernized. The renovation of Ju’er Hutong provided inspirations for other architectural renovation projects all over the world, enriched architectural design and even pushed forward the development of world architecture history.