1. Beijing's traditional 'hutong' neighbourhoods are quickly being demolished to make room for new buildings. Along with those around it, this house, marked with the character '拆‘ meaning 'to tear down', will soon be levelled to make room for new high rise projects.


2.


3. This man has lived here for 60 years. He doesn't know yet where his next home will be.


4. Some buildings, such as this one, are over 100 years old. Also, note the arabic writing above the door. Nowadays the poor 'hutong' neighbourhoods are mostly inhabited by migrant workers from elsewhere in China. Now, apparently, this house is home to a family from China's predominantly islamic north west.


5.


6.


7. 'I love you'


8.


9. This house was vacant, and the letters were probably undeliverable.


10.


11.


12. Ironically, this mural at an abandoned elementary school reads 'face towards the future'.


13.


14. This man has lived here all his life, all 93 years (1918).


15.


16.


17.


18. What once used to be someone's private vegetable plot lies abandoned against the backdrop of what it will probably soon be - a modern apartment block.

[slowpez]

I love this series. The 93 year old man is wonderful. Another of my favorites is #2. The laundry hanging amid all that destruction tells such a story.

[Kai]

Nice series and tales, very enjoyable. Loved the portraits.

[Aon]

Awesome series.

[Sailor]

Too impressive for words, Kevin. As good a job of capturing the "feel" of a place as I have seen.

Jer

[DigiMack]

I heartedly applaud you for capturing history while it is still visible. Very interesting series.
We have gone through several similar moderization movements locally. Some ended good, while some ended quite badly. I was living out of country during the first, and consequently have no photographs such as yours.
Thanks for sharing, and keep up the good work.

[kevinschoenmakers]

I love this series. The 93 year old man is wonderful. Another of my favorites is #2. The laundry hanging amid all that destruction tells such a story.

Nice series and tales, very enjoyable. Loved the portraits.

Awesome series.

Too impressive for words, Kevin. As good a job of capturing the "feel" of a place as I have seen.

Jer

Thanks everyone

I heartedly applaud you for capturing history while it is still visible. Very interesting series.
We have gone through several similar moderization movements locally. Some ended good, while some ended quite badly. I was living out of country during the first, and consequently have no photographs such as yours.
Thanks for sharing, and keep up the good work.

I intend to go back to this place in a few months or so. Perhaps by then they'll be building what will come next, or it will already be done. It would be a fitting second chapter to this series.

[the swede]

Wow, great series. I love nr 14, great portrait and timeless. The last one is freightening but so great!

[kevinschoenmakers]

Wow, great series. I love nr 14, great portrait and timeless. The last one is freightening but so great!

Thanks! The portrait is all him though - he was very photo genic.

[CasualPhil]

An amazing and compelling set of photos, sir. I do not know the situation or the news surrounding those neighborhoods but as the old cliche goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words," I feel that more apt for this set would be "a picture is worth several-hundred years."

Bravo.

also- did you use any PP to get that mellow tint there? I like the usage very much, but I don't have any PP software quite yet.

[kevinschoenmakers]

An amazing and compelling set of photos, sir. I do not know the situation or the news surrounding those neighborhoods but as the old cliche goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words," I feel that more apt for this set would be "a picture is worth several-hundred years."

Bravo.

Thanks!

also- did you use any PP to get that mellow tint there? I like the usage very much, but I don't have any PP software quite yet.

Yes I did. I use Lightroom, which is a brilliant piece of software. There is a trial version available here: photo management software | Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 - you can use it for a month without paying.