Hutong Chronicles - Mike Meyer: Danwei TV Hard Hat Show

[comercial1976]

Don't care about those westerners, they are simply brainwashed by their government. For example, culturally, Europe is still in the medieval age, because we fear and envy, and US too, constaint any nation from growing up. They fear that a annually two digit growing economy, the 2nd economy in the world will surpass them. so any fuel the agents like Dalai lama to do worldwide libel and propaganda, neo-nazis

[BATURUSHA]

Saw wrongly

[ifuckccp]

beijing is turning into a lonely city. good point!

[unit45x]

---that is true, the neighborly feeling is being lost by all the new development. People used to know their neighbor's names and business, but more and more these days, Bijing is becoming like any other big city in the world where people are anonymous and live in tall complexes and don't even know their next-door neighbor let alone the neighborhood happenings...

[unit45x]

Beijing is an old Mongolian City. and then it was Manchurian. now it is Multi-Cultural. It has never been Han and never will...

[wsliuz]

no,you missed that MING dynasty keeped the Han culture~

[reggieobster]

"Beijing was the capital city of Yan State, since the Warring States Period(473-221 BC)."---Wiki

At that time, the fucking mongolians did not even appear. Idiot.

Barbarians, get out of china.

[ManjuSu]

I'm of Manchu descent, but I can't say that Beijing was Mongolian and Manchurian. Actually, the Yan-State which was Han-Chinese laid the foundation of Beijing.

[unit45x]

Im very sorry for you...

unit45x

[ManjuSu]

Buddy, I actually meant that Beijing was under Manchurian and Mongolian rule, but not for the whole life span of Beijing, it was the Han-Chinese Yan-State that laid the foundation of Beijing.

[unit45x]

really?

[ManjuSu]

Yes, really.

[unit45x]

I find it so interesting how the CCP is capable of re-writing history when ever they feel the need to do so. It is an amazing power to be able to do this in order to bolster your agenda. I really can't think of any such power that is more amazing. CCP = Lies and revisionism. Gentrification for Beijing is impossible to stop or even afford. So sad for the REAL Chinese people. When the CCP falls, the people will have to go back and figure out the truth of it all...what a job that will be!!!

[ManjuSu]

Go check on Wikipedia: "History of Beijing" or "Yan State", both articles will say the same thing, Beijing was named "Ji" or "Jicheng". I know the CCP is doing a good job in improving China, but I can't say everything they are doing is good.

[unit45x]

You depend on Wikipededia for your history lessons. Like I said, I feel very sorry for you...Beijing has had many names...Mongol forces burned Zhongdu [Beijing] to the ground in 1215... in preparation for the conquest of all of China to establish the Yuan Dynasty...SO WHAT???

[ManjuSu]

Wikipedia gets information from reliable sources and writes from a neutral point of view, if not, it's nominated for deletion. If you don't believe Wikipedia, then type "Yan State" in google, all sources will say Beijing (Jicheng) was the capital of the Yan-State, which was Han-Chinese and no, I'm not saying Beijing was never conquered by the Manchus, they did it for 268 years.

[unit45x]

What is your point? Who cares what you say?

So the Han are conquerors...So what? They are now imperialists...

SO What? Tell me something I don't know!

[ManjuSu]

That they are not imperialists, they are normal people just like everybody else.

[unit45x]

Han are the IMPERIALISTS of the 21st Century and the whole world knows it. There is nothing normal about China. Nothing. China is sucking up all the money and resources of the entire earth for their own use. They want everything! Just ask any Tibetan or Vietnamese or Taiwanese---none of these people want China to bother them, yet they will not leave them alone. China should be satisfied with all their new wealth from all the Western countries,

but Oh No!!!

[unit45x]

The Han want the WHOLE WORLD TO BE THEIRS!!!

DISGUSTING POLLUTION AND SUICIDAL POLICIES OF ECONOMIC GREED Define China!!!!

Shame shame shame!!!!

[ManjuSu]

Han Chinese people or CCP have no intention of "conquering the whole world". That's just made up stories that they are telling, ofcourse China uses up alot of resources, it counts 1.3 billion people! The governement is using the money from it's federal reserves to spend it on useful things, not just on millitary like most of you guys think and I bet alot of Tibetans don't believe Han-Chinese are imperialists. China has a great economy yes, and it will surpass that of Japan next year.

[unit45x]

Japan is a tiny island nation and China is a 5th of the world's population and is HUGE! Why compare?

[ManjuSu]

I wasn't talking about the size population, I was talking about the size of the economy and yes, they are comparable.

[unit45x]

I was making the same point actually...think about it!

[unit45x]

---a miniscule size and population is comparable to one of the largest land masses and the LARGEST populations of the world??? Why compare??? Sad Sad Sad...

[Rakkasans2006]

dude unit45x is a one of those Exile Tibetan. Talking to these "talking livestock" is like talking to dog shit. you are wasting your time.

[unit45x]

The Laogai camps, which are the application of forced labor by the Chinese government, constitute an integral part of China's economy and are viewed by many as institutions of slavery.

[unit45x]

So you are equating the CCP with Han people, right? That means Tibetans are not Chinese, if I am understanding your rational correctly, right?

[ManjuSu]

CCP is a governement, Han Chinese is a people. And "Chinese" is a nationality, not an ethnicity. And no, Tibetans are not Han Chinese.

[BATURUSHA]

Mongolian population in China=the majority of mongol population in the whole world

[joeysosy]

He greeting that old lady"did you eat?"in Chinese , I have an American colleague in Shanghai loves talk Chinese with me in front of other Americans , so cute

[pureallure]

Beijing is turning into a lonely city, well said

[tzhang2]

Just read his book. Very sentimental.

[hing1378]

he is gay... hahahaha

supportable ce mec.

[luluvan2008]

"Beijing has so mcuh history, and you can sink a shovel and dig up something that's older than America itself" lol,that's SO TRUE!

[tzhang2]

Just made an order of his new book

[miniskirt04]

Mike Meyer是不是Paul Giamatti家亲戚，长的忒像了。

[strongestass]

good observation,笑！

[peteryang84]

the rapid restructuring is what makes the old generation mad, Hutongs are incredible cultural heritage only belonging to this city, too bad they are going away.

[kickinbackinOC]

good stuff!

[CixyCexy]

Hard to believe Mr Meyer has a wife from his NBC interview, always thought he acts and talks a bit queer-ish lol

[madanjie]

Thanks for this video. I was born in Beijing and have been lived there for over 20 years. I believe that the modern construction undertaken there now will be proved totally wrong in the very near future. As Mike says, the hutong has been there for over 500 years but the modern building appears on the road only in this dacade. Without the general people, old communities and traditional buildings, the best appraisal that Beijing could reach is "similiar with New York''. Is it happy? Doze people!

[DeltaFlyer0]

Qianmen Avenue has been recently renovated to reflect characteristics of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

[Rcoxx4u]

You Know Who Again In The Process Infiltration & Subversion!

I hope China is awake or will they end up like Germany and Palistine!

[tzhang2]

IF we do end up like Germany and Palistine, we will kill you first. Wash your neck and be ready for it.

[chemist14a]

Bei Xiang ZhongGuoRen. NiMen Shi Tai Ben

[Aiiiyo]

this r tooooo old vid.

[shuaiw]

when is the book coming out?

[jaydaiajjx]

go Mike,nice interview.

[fireheadsam]

very well said i'll read that book

[hot12lips12]

that american writer has such good chinese!!better than sufei, or anyone from danwei

[jngy0423]

haha mike says hutong like its a german word. at least he tries.

[hot12lips12]

yah, it's pretty funny.lol

[miniskirt04]

mike reminds me of paul giamatti..of course a slightly better look

[zlizhu]

Great guy! you knows a lot about Beijing.

[we79r347tuvvvf]

By the way,I want to thank Mike for he's done in China.

[we79r347tuvvvf]

River town is more beautiful than Shui cheng which means water town in Chinese.

[we79r347tuvvvf]

I'm sorry, was the book called river town?

[we79r347tuvvvf]

ok.

[we79r347tuvvvf]

Very good!Did mike write "water town"? Where can I find His new book? I'm looking forward to reading it.Thanks.I believe that if we lose the hutongs we lose a part of our culture.

[sucrehou111]

i have to say his chinese is very good

CHI LE ME=HAVE U FINISHED THE MEAL HUH?

[no7of2001]

haha, funny guy, he said 'have you eaten' instead of saying hello. It greeting of old beijing cililians, but now many young people in beijing will not say that any more.

[elmerzs]

truth

[miniquan]

very good talker.

[youtvtube]

this guy wanted to write about the essence of "now", which's a good idea to start, but he made a mistake in terms of what happened after the war contributing to how it reached "now". and i don't know how much you can really learn about that from reading books( "往事并不如烟" may help though) or some brief chitchat with the infesting locals..imagine you would mention cultural revolution, then the smile from that old woman changes to a ghetto smile in one second

[youtvtube]

of course to save the area physically is a form of preservation, but the human element/humanity had already been lost forever a long time ago, and actually even for the physical part, THE trendy thing to do in china today is to raise a great hue and cry about human rights issues over every demolition, not the physical destruction...

[youtvtube]

the original "humanity" was held by civilized people who lived or worked there, i don't think it was about public nudity, being uneducated, or the chance of randomly walking into a gay bar etc..(i believe this is also why foreigners would often sense the disharmony)

[youtvtube]

Huge mistake.. i don't know if self-censorship or editing was the reason why this guy is shown talking about modern chinese history without even mentioning mao. the thing is: it's a mere fact people living in those areas didn't live there for generations. mass population relocation and systematic destruction and demolition etc took place in china after WWII,

[sucrehou111]

haha that guy is so funny

[jarrettomg]

I like this program, DanWei TV, cool

[icirobin]

Sometimes I hear Meyer's point of view about the "West" and think what people identify as "American" just is another, modern way of life. I am from the west, and from and older, folk lifestyle. Moving to the city gave me the same sense of loss of community and loneliness as later traveling back from many, yet "un-americanised" foreign cultures. It's a problem rising from adopting the "modern" urban way of life more than anything I think... thanks for the wonderful post! :)

[tliang011]

icirobin, I'm a Beijinger and I believe that although there's some truth to what you say, you should keep in mind that Mike is living in a district that is at the heart of Beijing, one of the largest, and most modern cities in China. I think the point he is trying to get at is that Beijingers have a distinctly different approach to life.

[tliang011]

You see, most Americans cherish personal privacy and a sense of space from their neighbors regardless of where they live, this is not the Beijinger's "prefered" way of life. We are more sociable, and in general we think life is more enjoyable if we can share one another's pains, joys, or simply derive mutual happiness from cursing at the government. This happens across social groups.

[tliang011]

In the apartment complex I live in, there are many bankers, and business people, and even they enjoy a few chats on casual saturday or sunday afternoons.

[icirobin]

Thank you very much for all this explanation. However, I have to tell you I have lived in China before, walked the very street the interview was shot on, and still think there are differences even within the West as to how social subcultures are, wether you are from a more or less modernised, urbanised area. From what I have seen in China, its culture is not homogenous at all either, as you tend to point out in your comments yourself. Cheers!

[ChainCraig]

Great news that parasite homosexual jews like Goldkorn and Meyer are quitting the UK and USA and moving on to a new host.

[MonkeyMagic88]

Why don't you do a nice story on the history of jEWZ in China ? Start with the SASSOON Opium drug lords the private jEWish Bank of England:Aww sorry is that too much historical relevance for you?Google this>"Hong Kong and The Sassoon Opium Wars" govnn dot com Fair 'n' Balanced.

[supermarioli]

awesome!

[organicjuice]

Meyer has a strong Beijing accent,funny to hear.

[hellowjp]

man i love beijing

[tliang011]

I'm a Beijinger and I have say Mike captured the soul of Beijing's Hutongs. Humanism is the true cultural heritage inherent in these structures. For those foreigners watching this clip, if only you could experience this humanism then you too would see why Mike would say that it's far more lonely living elsewhere.

[englishmuffenglish]

I agree with Mike on in order to reserve the Culture, certain places needed to be protected with all efforts.

[youtvtube]

I think if they live in those places for a long time that would certainly give them a good understanding of what the west is about. i'm a conservative, politically. and many chinese would be conservatives, sort of chinese "evangelicals", they just don't know that, not knowing out of innocence.

[youtvtube]

i was born in bj and lived there for 20 years before I came to the us 4 years ago, i agree with what he says about some of the still preserved communities there but i just want to say one thing, which is that i don't think the local gov truly understands what they are doing. a sort of typical chinese mentality is that they want to develop, make it western style in some areas, but they don't know what the west is, gov officials never lived in contries like the US or France.

[AvatarDeci]

Hey, thank you for posting this up. I am a second generation Chinese American who has never been to China before. I really appreciate you giving me a glimpse of what life is like there. Keep up the wonderful work!

[Jasonleenyc]

terrific! Looking forward to see more from you! thanks

[wie88nen]

Keep up the good work Danwei-TV ! I always enjoy your series, it's informative and entertaining.

[duskdawn]

Very informative, even for a Beijinger like me.

[astanhope]

What's up with the ridiculous microphone?

[jasperchau]

love your videos

[machcat]

cool job! thumb up!

[sukichang]

He knows a lot about China!!

[shiboming]

It's wonderful to see such an informative conversation about current affairs in China, especially those so important to world heritage. I can't wait for the book!

[kopernikus]

Go Danwei TV! This is seriously among the best video blog content out there!