Beijing. Not only the capital of the Chinese nation, but also a center of heritage and history, and home to symbols of the Old City. The Forbidden City and Great Wall of China embody the tangible and treasured cultural inheritance of China. Salvaging the less well-known historic sites is also vital to preserving the unique history and lives of ordinary Beijing people and understanding the city’s development.
Matthew Hu Xinyu (胡新宇), a Beijinger, born, raised and educated in his beloved city, recognizes the importance of preserving historical neighborhoods and understanding of the community and people that lived there. He started his career in cultural tourism witnessing destruction of important heritage sites and recognized the responsibility to preserve their vibrant history. 胡新宇 believes that lessons of life and local interactions are not always reflected in historical books. The intersecting lanes of the Hutongs with courtyard homes and gardens (四合院), for example, was the rudiment of Beijing’s original urban plan. Through his advocacy at the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center and five-year tenure with the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, 胡新宇 has worked to preserve communities and neighborhoods to maintain a feeling of tradition and authenticity. Restoration of these structures is a delicate balance of history and science—maintaining the cultural significance while preserving the structural integrity. This past summer, I had the honor of meeting 胡新宇 on the historical terrain and changing landscape of Central Beijing. We discussed the fate of the city and the importance of knowledge and action to protect these valued communities.
你觉得在北京，有哪些文化需要被保留？
在北京，大量民间的传统没有被很好的继承，比如四合院修缮的技术，以及各种传统节日相关的庆祝活动等等。
In Beijing, there are many good traditions that are not well preserved. For example, the skillsets in the restoration of courtyard houses, and the celebrations of a lot of traditional holidays are not being practiced as they should be.
你觉得我们应该怎么样来保留这些文化？
我觉得应该通过发动在社区层面的学习、建立社区文化空间等方式，帮助这些文化在社区里“活化”传承。
I think the preservation of culture should start at the community level, and in the forms of communal learning and exchange, as well as community cultural space building. This is the best way to “bring alive” these cultures in the community level.
你怎么开始这个工作的？
最开始是从兴趣开始的。因为自己也是北京人，而且很喜欢历史，所以出于对北京历史文化的感情开始了现在的保护工作。
I started this work with my interest. I am a local Beijinger, and I love history. So I started this preservation work largely due to my affection on the history and culture of Beijing.
你有没有得到社会的帮助来你完成你的工作？
对我的工作，很多人都非常支持，包括政府和企业，以及很多个人。如何利用各个方面对文化遗产保护的支持，的确是一门学问，不是那么容易做到的。
For my own work, I have received a lot of support, including those from the government and corporates, as well as individuals. But how to turn their support into direct preservation efforts is a tricky question, and there is still a long way to go.
Some of the information and pictures in this article came from the following sources:
I found this article to be really interesting. I didn’t know that Beijing had such a rich history and urban planning behind it. I also really liked the use of the interview to the get the message across. This article makes me want to visit those parts of Beijing. Great Job Matthew Lecher.
wow great article ! i too agree about the preservation of the vast and interesting history and culture of Beijing. the article was very informative as well.
Wow this is so cool! Being a cultural preserver seems to be an interesting job. It’s combining history and architecture. I thought that what you wrote about it being difficult to preserve culture and structural integrity was very true. Good job!
Interesting article! Preserving the culture and history of Beijing seems very important. It’s amazing how people can restore these neighborhoods and preserve their cultures and traditions. It also seems very difficult to do so. This article is very informative.
Nice article! I found it interesting to see a person defending his culture and heritage. With China having such a vast history, I can imagine that there are many more historical sights like this. I also found it interesting that it was so significant to him to preserve his own culture.
Great article, Matthew! You’re doing an amazing job with outreach thus far. This article is particularly interesting as you had the honor of meeting and conversing with 胡新宇. Cultural preservation is extremely important. I know that in Hong Kong, the Cantonese dialect is slowly fading into simplified Mandarin. As someone with Hong Kongnese heritage, it’s disheartening to see your culture slowly fade to gray. Thank you for the insightful article! It was a pleasure to read.
Great article Matthew! I think that preserving these sites is vital towards maintaining and further promoting Chinese culture. The interview that you included really helped me understand how important these sites are to Chinese citizens. Currently, we see historical sites, such as the Great Wall, slowly deteriorating over time due to natural and human causes. Hopefully, HuXinYu’s work can inspire others to help preserve these amazing monuments.
This article was very interesting to me. For me, I feel preserving culture is very important. Your interview really made me realize how important these historical sites actually are to Chinese citizens. Unfortunately, sites like the Great Wall are starting to deteriorate overtime due to different types of causes. Hopefully all of this can make people want to preserve these monuments.
Preserving history is indeed very important. After all it is like living history. Textbooks do not give you the same feeling these structures do about their history. I also agree with 胡新宇 about the fact that preserving these structures and buildings should start with the local communities. Great article!
Wow, this was so interesting. I love how you really expand your knowledge about Chinese culture by interviewing wonderful people with great ideas and missions. It’s great to see people are taking action to preserve the culture of Beijing. Courtyard houses, monuments, and historical terrain is deteriorating and it’s nice that people like HuXinYu are working towards preserving these important sites. It’s also great that people like you, Matthew, are exposing people like HuXinYu and others for their wonderful work. Great article!
Great article! This article was super detailed and I love that you were able to include an interview with him in the article. I love the work that Matthew Hu Xinyu is doing. I also love that he is so passionate about his work. I hope he continues to preserve Chinese cultural heritage because it’s important to pass that onto future generations. I also think that it’s great that he’s getting support from the government and others who see benefit in his work.
This was a very interesting article Matthew! It was really cool how you got an interview. I really hope people support this kind of work to help maintain priceless monuments that are important to society. It’s sad to see famous landmarks such as the Great Wall to be worn down. I totally agree that preserving sites such as these is necessary for for the history of China and to showcase its culture.
This is a great article. I agree that preserving chinese culture is very important. It is amazing how you included an interview. I am discontent to hear that the destruction of the great wall is approaching. I hope to see the preservation of chinese culture in the future.
I agree that many traditions and old buildings are not being preserved. I believe that this is a problem happening all over the world, not just in China. It’s so great that 胡新宇 wants to help old Chinese buildings last. I hope that it will be a successful project. Great job with the article, Matthew!
This was a nice article as it was very through in terms of details as well as was very interesting. It was very cool how you were able to have an interview of Matthew Hu Xinyu and ask him questions regarding the work that he does to preserve culture. I feel like he is someone to look up to, as he is one of the few people that truly value Chinese culture and heritage. I agree that his work is important as over time, people will forget it if there are not people like him. One thing that I found interesting is the hard work and dedication that Matthew Hu Xinyu has, as well as the lengths that he goes to in order to make a positive change in the world. I also like how you included many images about what you were writing about as it helped me to better understand his work. Great job on this article!
Well written article, Matthew Lecher. I found this to be very interesting. It was very interesting how you were able to conduct an interview with Matthew Hu Xingyu questioning him on the work he had done. Furthermore, I agree that many traditions and the older style buildings in China are not a priority in terms of preservation. I hope that this young mind continues to carry out this life changing work and that more people become involved in the effort! Thanks for sharing!
This was an interesting article. I agree it is important to preserve traditions. I also agree it is a problem that China is losing tradition. It is cool how you got an interview. I hope that the culture is preserved and it is great to see people making the effort to try to.
This was a very informative and well-written article! I find it so inspiring that 胡新宇 devoted his life to preserving the city he grew up in. His work is amazing and very significant. It’s also cool to read that he worked to preserve communities and neighborhoods to maintain authenticity. It would be unfortunate to lose such important structures that represent the traditional Chinese life. This article taught me the importance of cultural preservation. Thank you!
Great article Matthew! I didn’t know that this was such a big issue in China! Thank you for bringing it to my attention! I think the work that Matthew is doing is great. Preserving many landmarks and cultural history is important so that our posterity can enjoy and appreciate it. I also think that preserving some of the lesser-known sites is important in understanding and appreciating the rich history and culture in Beijing. I think it’s amazing how you were able to talk to Matthew and discuss these prevalent issues. Great job!
This was such an interesting article. I really like how 胡新宇 saw the destruction of heritage sites and did something about it. Most people would just let it get destroyed. Something that I learned was Beijing is the center of heritage and history. I hope there are more people like 胡新宇 that step up for something they don’t like.
This was a great article. I agree that China has a growing problem with losing its culture. Hopefully the heritage sites of China can survive as long as possible.
Historical sites like the ones in China should be preserved. Good Job
Very nice, Matthew! Beijing is one of the oldest cities in the world and obviously filled with such a great amount of rich history from the feudal era to modern day. I believe it is important to preserve the heritage and landmarks of a city to reflect its background and the struggles and triumphs made by previous generations to make Beijing and China what it is today. It’s also really cool that you got the chance to meet 胡新宇. He seems like a really nice man committed to his cause and the preservation of Chinese culture not only in Beijing, but everywhere. I wish him all the best in his mission.
Great job Matthew! Beijing is the capital of China backed up by many years of rich history. It is very important to pass on the heritage. Your interactions with others were very interesting. It’s great that people are doing something against the wear and tear of heritage spots. Keep up the good work!
I love how in your article you really stress the importance of preserving the culture and traditions of the people of Beijing. It is quite sad that in our world where we focus too much on ourselves and on our daily obligations we often don’t make the time to think about enriching our lives by examining and gazing upon the important landmarks and artifacts that reflect our culture…(whatever culture that is). It is however, great that you were able to interview and really learn a lot from someone like 胡新宇, who really does care about his heritage and is making an active effort to preserve it. You did a great job reflecting on and supporting his views and cause in your article. Thank you Matthew, very cool!
I thought this was a nice article to read. It was informative, and shows how bad heritage sites are being maintained. This article opened my eyes to the need to help maintain important historical sites. I hope the Beijing gets the respect it deserves for being a center of heritage and history.
It’s wonderful that this initiative to preserve one of the most culturally rich places in the world is taking place. It would be a shame for the beautiful places of history to be destroyed by modern day activities. The work you and others in this project are doing is an inspiration to all. Hopefully, future generations are able to look back at history and appreciate the culture that created the world as they know it.
Wow, what an interesting article. I am very interested in culture. However it shocked me when I read that it was falling. I hope people can realize that these sites are irreplaceable. Great article.
I love your article Mathew. Beijing is a very old city and losing its culture would affect them a lot as being the capital of China, and they should keep their culture for as long as they can. I agree that the preservation of culture should start at the community level. It is great that you set out to bring these cultures back.
It’s so cool that you met Matthew Hu Xinyu during your summer visit. Your article was filled with information and it really persuaded me that historical sites are very important. I agree that we should value and preserve these historical neighborhoods and have a better understanding of the community and people that lived there. It’s sad to see that in Beijing, there are many good traditions that are not well preserved. I’m glad there are people like Matthew Hu Xinyu that are working to preserve communities and neighborhoods to maintain a feeling of tradition and authenticity.
This is a great article. Its amazing that you recognize the issue of fading culture in hong kong. Although i was aware that this was occuring this article was still very informative. I agree that the culture should be preserved and to do that we have to start with the communities. Overall great article.
I was blown away by the information that you put in your interview. Great Job! The destruction of heritage sites was known to me only a few weeks ago when my grandfather told me a story about our extended family. It was about our family’s hometown and our traditions that our great-grandfather followed but not in recent years.
This was an interesting article and it provoked some questions on this topic. I knew that the preservation of sites is important for history and this organization isn’t the only one trying to preserve sites. Do these type of organizations typically work together to preserve something together dot eh process gets sped up? I also think that others may not value the culture and the history certain places have and may have other plans for the area. How do organizations like these fight people with more money and want the land? Overall, this was an interesting article and I hope to see maybe a follow-up article in the future about what happened
Interesting article! It is very important to preserve a city’s unique history and character. It is very sad when a city’s culture is fading and it is very crucial to protect that culture. I enjoyed hearing about Hong Kong’s culture and I liked seeing the picture of its urban-planning. It’s also very interesting to hear that he worked to maintain communities and cities’ cultures. I hope that all turns out well and this unique society will be sustained. Thanks, great article!
This article is so interesting! I also think it is important to preserve Chinese culture. I think that Chinese history is oftentimes overlooked and underappreciated. Like Matthew Hu Xingyu, I think it is important to know the history of those around us and where it came from. Hopefully, the daily china can help preserve the knowledge about Chinese culture!
Matthew Lecher, once again you go above and beyond the expected. I found especially interesting the interview that you conducted with Matthew. I thought that his comment about building a cultural center to educate Beijingers about their community was particularly insightful. I had no idea that the original plan for Beijing was the winding streets and small, connected buildings like are present in the Hutong neighborhood. I remember when we went to the Hutong neighborhood last year quite fondly. The small buildings and pristine courtyards transported me back to ancient China. Even though you almost crashed in the pedicab, I’m sure you remember it fondly too. Quite a story of cultural heritage, thanks for the great read!
Amazing article! I have learned a lot from this article. Beijing is an very old city and I think more people should work on preserving the heritage. It’s really cool that you got to meet 胡新宇, and talked about Beijing culture. Good job!!!
This is a very interesting article. I didn’t know that there was an issue in Beijing about preserving old cultural places and traditions. I am glad that you were able to bring awareness to this issue and use your experiences and connections in Beijing to do so.
Great article Matthew! I like this article very much because, me, personally, I’m from Beijing and that I think Beijing is truly not only the capital of the Chinese nation, but also a center of heritage and history, and home to symbols of the Old City. And recognizing the importance of preserving historical neighborhoods and understanding of the community and people that lived there is very important to preserve Chinese culture. And this article is particularly interesting as you had the honor of meeting and conversing with 胡新宇. This article is an article that I like a lot, not just because it’s about my hometown, but also because it’s a new type of article and has everything that I cared about.
Great article Matthew. Its great that this project stemmed from your personal interest, and especially that you have received support from different groups. When I visited China, I visited the cities and my grandparents, however what was incredible to me was not the city, but the country side. I remember driving up to their house and being amazed at the amount of land they owned. They had miles and miles of crops, and small things that added to the authenticity of my visit. Its definitely something that I would love other people to experience as well, and I think your extremely right. Visiting the cities of China was definitely interesting, but the country side gave me a real sense of what China grew from, and how it was developed. I think your project is doing something great and I hope it continues to prosper in the future!
This was a very cool article! I really found it admiring that you visited Beijing just to do research about the culture of Beijing. I never knew about the dying traditions in Beijing. Also, I found it really cool that you were able to interview Matthew Hu Xinyu (胡新宇) in your visit. I really appreciate you bringing up the necessity of maintaining the culture of a city.
Interesting article!! I’m very glad that Beijing’s cultural heritage has hardworking people fighting to preserve it. The education of a community is definitely an important way to do so, and I hope Beijing’s residents will be able to learn more about their wonderful city!
Great articles! It’s really great that you took the full experience of going to Beijing and embracing their culture. Until I had read this article, I was close to clueless to the fact that Beijing’s culture is vanishing. I really hope that people are willing to support the rebuilding of the culture filled buildings. This was a great article and I hope you continue to write about this topic.
Interesting article Matthew. It is good that this goal was from your own interests, and how you recieved much support for this. I really liked your motivation and personal drive to achieve your goals. I never really thought about the major significance of tradition until I read this article. I feel that the lessons learned from your articles don’t just only apply to Chinese culture but are also applicable to ther cultures. The resources used to develop this article such as the interview with Matthew Hu Xinyu makes the article all the more admiring. Overall, a very good article.
Great article. Beijing’s culture and life style really impressed me. Last time I went to Beijing I didn’t see event he half of it. The culture and heritage of China is amazing. I really enjoyed reading about the article. I also enjoyed the stories of heritage
Great article, Matthew! I found this super interesting and inspiring! I totally agree with 胡新宇’s opinions that we should care about preserving our culture and history a bit more. It’s so cool that he is so young and has accomplished so much! He has helped preserve so many historical sites in Beijing in order to save the traditions and culture that need saving.I hope the citizens of Beijing as well as of other parts of the world follow the ideas of 胡新宇 and continue to work to preserve the traditional cultures of the world. Also, I think it’s really cool that you had the opportunity to meet 胡新宇 。 Really motivating, thanks for sharing!
Another great article! I really liked how you had incorporated your own experiences into this article and shared it with us to read about. I also liked the Q&A section you put at the end in Chinese. I also agree with many points that 胡新宇 brought up. Thank you for sharing this!
What a great article Mathew. I remember being in Beijing and experiencing the rich culture. It would be a shame if it wasn’t preserved. I vividly remember visiting the newer parts of Beijing besides the forbidden city and the Great Wall, but I wish I had the chance to visit the other ancient parts as you did.
I think that the initiative to preserve one of the most culturally rich places in the world is awesome! It would be very upsetting if a place with so much history and story behind it is destroyed by everyday activities in the modern world. It is truly inspiring to see the work and effort you put into this project. Keep up the good work and hopefully, this may impact how people perceive Chinese culture.
中国文化对于中国人来说非常重要，而北京文化就是中国文化中十分重要的一部分。正是那些保护文化的人们，维护着中国的特色，因为他们知道文化的重要性。胡新宇是一位伟大的文化保护者。我们应该要向他学习，要支持并参与保护文化的行动。只有这样中华文化才能长久流传。
Such a interesting article! I’m from Beijing too. The 四合院 in Beijing is very expensive because Beijing is small and this kind of building takes up a lot of space. Therefore there’s not much 四合院 in Beijing and good traditions are not well preserved. Also, because Beijing is the capital of China, there’s a lot of people living there, more and more skyscrapers aee being build so that everyone will have a space to live.
我觉得保护文化遗产是非常重要的. 人们在进步非常迅速的时代有些东西适当要被抛弃, 但是有很多传统是应该被继承, 被保存下来的. 这个组织真的很棒.可以让后辈了解传统的一些东西
Fascinating article Matthew! Beijing has many interesting and unique places, but a lot of them are unknown to the world. It was also very interesting with the interview you had with Matthew Hu Xinyu. I do agree with the points made of how some of China’s cultural aspects should be preserved. They are very unique and losing them without practicing it would be losing part of China’s culture. I hope more attention goes to issue and more people would support it.
Great article Matthew! I find it really cool that just one guy helped save communities and neighborhoods. Also, great job on having an interview with him! With his movement, he is probably in high demand, so nice job finding him!
This was a really good article Matthew! I had been to Beijing before and from what I can remember, the culture seemed great. I never knew that it was starting to vanish and I hope that it does not disappear. I liked how you incorporated your own experiences into this article and how this topic is being known.
Coming into this article, I have never heard of this foundation helping to preserve Chinese culture. But now that I know about it, they are doing great work. in the past I have known about other attempts to restore Chinese culture. I do support their efforts at this cause. Also, very good writing! Please continue to write more in the near future!
This was a great article Matthew, I really enjoyed reading it. I find it fascinating that this started with your own objectives. You worked hard to expand your knowledge about Chinese culture and you even gained support from other groups! Beijing really is such a beautiful city and I’m glad people are making an attempt to conserve and maintain the culture. I have always been a fan of historical sites and buildings, so people like HuXinYu should be recognized for their efforts in preserving the cultural and historical value of Beijing. I have not been to Bejing yet, but hopefully when I do, the historical sites and buildings will still be there for me to see.
Wonderful article, Matthew! I personally feel that the preservation of all our world’s history is very important. China’s rich history is no different. Mr. Yu’s organization is something that all people should support. The preservation of thousands of years of culture is difficult, but not impossible. With the work he is doing, people generations from now will be able to learn all about the fascinating aspects of Chinese culture just like you and I have. Keep up the great work!
Great article, Matthew! Personally, I feel that our world’s history should be preserved, including China. This is the first time that have heard of Mr. Yu’s organization. I feel that people should try and help the world in their own way. Culture is always a good thing to keep because of the history behind it and what happened. People should know their background and where they came from.
This was a very interesting article! I agree and believe that lesser known sites should be preserved along with more well known sites, as they are both equally important in discovering and preserving the unique history of the World, in this case, that of Beijing. It’s great to see people like Matthew Xinyu who are strong advocates of preservation as well as active members of their community. I have always found historical sites to be intriguing and even beautiful in places around the world, and China is no exception. I enjoyed the little segment where you provided your interview with Matthew Xinyu., as I provided a good insight on his good intentions. I hope to be able to visit Beijing and be able to see not just the more well known sites, but also the lesser known sites that people such as Matthew have worked so hard to preserve.
Great article Matthew! It’s amazing that certain people have the job to actually preserve cultural sites. I’ve been to China a couple of times myself and have visited some famous sites with my family, but have never thought about the difficulties of preserving these cultural sites. I wonder why some people decide to destroy some of these sites, or decide not to preserve these cultural sites any more. I hope more attention is given to this issue!
This was a very great article. Beijing has such a rich culture. It’s amazing to see what a person living in Beijing thinks about the rich culture. Every place in the world has its own culture. But China’s culture is so rich and old. It’s wonderful to see what a Beijinger thinks.
Great article Mathew!!! It’s fascinating how much history there is in just BeiJing, and that’s definitely something worth preserving. I highly support the BeiJing Cultural Heritage Protection Organization in its goal to preserve parts of what make up the history of China. Culture is a big part of what makes us who we are, especially since each person has their own root. I really hope more people become aware of this organization and support it!
Wow! What a wonderful article about Beujing’s culture. This is the first time hearing about the organization but I hope it won’t be the last.. its so interesting to read about China’s culture! keepthe good work Matthew!
Nice article Matt. That is very cool how you were ale to secure an interview with 胡新宇. I think that it is very important to restore, maintain, and carry out traditions from all cultures, and what 胡新宇 will be remembered in China for a long time. I hope that he continues to do this amazing work because it will help the future youth of Beijing, China.
Super interesting article, Matthew! It’s so amazing that you are doing such cool things to preserve cultural heritage, keep up the nice work.
It’s so cool that you met Hu Xinyu during your summer visit. I also believe maintaining historical sites are important. Our country should do the same as china. Great Work Matthew!
This was a very insightful article! It is very important to preserve history and beijing’s historical sites. I have visited before and it is indeed very beautiful and also very educational seeing these buildings. It’s also so amazing that you managed to not only meet but get an interview with 胡新宇! It must’ve been very interesting getting to know him and his perspective of preserving the culture. I love how much effort and one you put into this article, keep up the good work!
This is such an amazing article, Matthew! Not only is it an important job to preserve the culture but it’s also important that people can visit and learn. With this definitely comes the challenge of as more people visit, the site deteriorates. It’s amazing that you were able to interview him and gain insight into what it’s like in his position. I definitely agree with 胡新宇 in that this preservation starts at the community level. From there, these people best understand how the site will serve the community and make it most beneficial to all. Thank you for sharing!
This article really taught me more about Chinese culture! I thought that the fact that you were able to interview him shows your dedication to helping others gain a new perspective. Your support for the youth of Beijing is amazing. I loved reading about it. Great job!
好多中国传统已经在历史中流失，无论是非物质文化遗产又或是以及。有这么一个组织绝对是一件好事。
我认为这篇文章又很好地保护中国历史的作用
中国悠久的文化是中国的魅力之一。而其中首都北京的文化则更为重要。我希望可以有更多这样的保护者可以站出来，保护中国的文化传统，让后人也能了解到这样一段传奇的历史。
中国悠久的文化是中国的魅力之一。而其中首都北京的文化则更为重要。我希望可以有更多这样的保护者可以站出来，保护中国的文化传统，让后人也能了解到这样一段传奇的历史。