Research
	H2H intends to give Hutong residents a voice and an opportunity to present their perspective and opinions on what their particular Hutong means to them especially with regards to the looming prospects of demolition.

These perspectives have proved divergent. The Sun family lives in the Dong Si Wu Tiao area. Like the Li's, the Sun's have three generations living together under one roof. The grandparents especially feel comfortable living in a hutong. They have lived there for over 50 years and have no desire to move. Their attachment to their family home is so strong that grandfather Sun often gets choked up with emotion when talking about the hutong where he has spent the majority of his life. For Sun and his wife, relocating to a high rise is unthinkable.

The Li family, who lives in Zhong Lou Wan Hutong, has a much different perspective on the destruction of hutongs and the prospect of vertical relocation. From their doorstep they can see both the drum and bell towers. However, the family wants desperately to move to a high rise in order to have a bigger space. But they do not want to move from the city center, and because of the high property prices they cannot afford an apartment in the same area as their current home.

The Li's are holding out hope that the Beijing city government will confiscate their property and relocate them to a nearby high rise. Asked what, if anything, she would miss about living in her Hutong, Ms. Li answered, “walking out the door and chatting with neighbors.” She knows this simple regularity will be lost in high-rise life; it is a sacrifice she is willing to make, in exchange for such amenities as a flush toilet and regular hot water.

www.hutongtohighrise.todayinchina.com