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Bw i th ighth i i f hiti but Bijig wt, t t Wg Ji by Wg Yumi, Chf, Yi Jigxiu, Fitt Tu.

MY HoMe and WaTer: a people’s aCCounT

 Wg Ymi, 57 y , H tiity, Chf  Yi Jigxi, 70 y , H tiity, Fitt T

 W ang Y umin 

I’ tk bt th w fit.

Th t b ihyu (fmiy cmh) with ciy gt cty iTh-ey W l (sy Jig hutg ). atth ft tc gw tw Chi cht, g tht th c’t cic with thi m, thy c hg with thi h i mm. Thy w t t fw h y , bt i th ighti thy w ch w. Wht hm! It m th y btif t hv th tw t tht ci tf .

Th w cv c w bth i f th cty’ c th-fcig gtwy ch. Th ch t fk ch i f thgt, g with tw big i. I 1958, th yw cvt it wkh f tic ty,ig g thig f tt t t ch. aft tht, it w t it mhw fcty, t it cticic fcty.

Th-ey W 

i Xuwu ditict 

I th cty, h mb 13 h wtig fm th Mig dyty. Th h ikitt y h b chi it ck i thtfm th w, which i wh thm “Th-y W” cm fm.

p w fi chi w cimb ig th “y” t h f it thw, thy cv th w with b f ck.a ki I cimb t th tfm wh I k w thgh cck, I cti wt kig ii th w.

Bf w h ig wt, ighbhik th i th wt fm w. Thw m th 700 w i Bijig’ i city  i th y, m th 500 w ith t city. W h th w t f fm h: G Jig (swt W), shi Jig (Mit

 W) Kuhui Jig (Bitt Wt W). Bf

ibti, th w m th 80 hutg () m ft w i Bijig.

I hv b t t f hutg bc I ttyig i thm itt ki. F xm,i Bijig w hv o W l, Tw Wl, Th W l, F W l th wy t sv W l. I fct,th m th t c c si Y Jig (F W l)! I Xizhim th i

Tti by Mi r Fg li 

By Wg Ji

BeIJInG WaTer oral HIsTorY serIes

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Th-ey W i Xuwu ditict | Bijig Wt o Hity n. 8 | augut 2008 

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G Jig  hutg (High W l) Xi Jig  hutg (Wt W l); t th wt f Cihi ku th’ Qi Jig  hutg (sv W l), th th i f liui chg Xiji th iliui Jig  hutg (C Gz W l);th f Guug dji (et dm Twstt) th i sh Jig  hutg (s Wl); lgtu Jig  hutg (dg H Wl) i th f di’mxi dji ; dghui  Jig  hutg (et Wt W l) Xihui  Jig  hutg (Wt Wt W l) t thwt f Chygm dji ; th f Fuchgmi dji i n siy Jig  hutg  (sth F W l); si Jig  hutg (F

 W l) i t th t f Fuchgmshuchg Ji ; shug Jig hutg (db Wl) i t th th f Gugqumwi dji ;

th wt i f dhgmwi dji thi Xi Xi Jig  hutg (Wt sm W l);d Jig  hutg (Big W l) i t th thf a lu; d Tihui Jig  hutg (Big swt

 Wt W l) i wt f Wgfujig dji ;Qi Jig  hutg (Ft W l) i thth bk f shihhi Huhi ; dtg Jig  hutg (Big Bz W l) Xitg  Jig  hutg (litt Bz W l) t thwt t f Xijikubi dji ; th tf Qim dji th i luji Jig hutg 

(l Fmiy W l); th f dg dmchg th i B Jig  hutg (pk  W l); fth th th i Tgjig dyu hutg (C W Big Ctyl); fiy, th f Xijimi Xig  y wifi Jig lu hutg (W Tw l). Bfibti th w z f hutg jtc “ Jig Hutg ” (W l)!

Th i th city i’t hv cctiwith w y, bt with ythig ivvigwt: tm, iv, k th . Fxm, th w my tht h mcct with iv: djig hutg (Gtriv l), Xijig hutg (litt riv l) Zhjig hutg (C riv l), si H hutg (Th Mi riv l), Hbchg hutg (riv Y l), Mh hutg  (Ik riv l) Xih y hutg (Wtriv Bk l), schu iu hutg (Th

 Vy Wiw l), dchui hutg  (Gt Vy shw l) Xichuihutg (litt Vy shw l); citwith k th w Xihu yig hutg (Wtlk Cm l); with th th wHiyu cg hutg (s Tt Whl), Hibi hutg (s cy l) Hibi hutg (sh l); cct with th w shuitg hutg (Wtl); with ig th w lgquhutg (dg sig l); cct withc th w dgu y hutg (Gt CBk l) Yiigu hutg (siv ThC l); cct with th wHjit hutg (H Fmiy p l)  Jihui t (sti Wt p); cct with ith w Yu hut g (ri l) Gyu

hutg (swt ri l); cct with w th w Xuchi hutg (sw p l).Th w nhig htg (sth

 Wt Gt l), shuizi hutg (WtC l), shuich hutg (Wt C l), th th w th th htg – Ghi qi (swt st Big), Ghui qi (swt

 Wt Big), Xihi qi (sm st Big),Bih c (nth rivb), Huhui  (Bck 

 Wt Bbb)  Jiyu hutg (Gfih)l … my g, th w my

ivvig wt!

rig wt w itc i Bijig i1910 bt t vy hh gt it. Mt hmti h t y wt ct t iv wt.Th ct w m f w, y h twwh, ivig i th w vy fmii with th “ck, ck” thy m. ech ct ci g v wb f f wt with itt h t t with ck, t w ff thwt. Tw th bckt th ct – cbb c ythig with bh – w jt fctchig wt. Th ck w tk t f thb jt th bckt w fi, th bw gg gi, tht t v f wt w wt. p wh i’t by wtc g ftch it thmv t cmmt i th . ei, i th 1950, yig by c jt g th cct wt.

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Bt i th 1960, mt bx w t th t ch fmiy w i with ky, bcfm th , w w chg f wt g, -by c’t jt tk wt thy .

nxt I’ tk bt hw it i y hviy wh I w m.

I 1962, th w ch hg w thtw c’t g t. I w itt ki th y hy bt it, bt th gw wwi; th w thig t t, th hk th i gt bck . Wtw’t i y th tt w ff wt. Th -ty hm k t m ’ h w y b,

bt thy h wh t g. Th th imy ch i Chc l t c c t th cm f fmth ighbh t ty i. I 1972, th

w th hg w. at th tim I wwkig i Mtugu, th wt cmggig w th mti, mkig th ivy b ctig wv. sic th Ihv’t ch hvy i. nw if it v i bit, hy c b.

Th i i th w i i 1957; thcy i bi bt mt . By m t thy th w, btwy mtt hw mch it i, thwt fw wy fcty w v bck. Bt bc f thi, wt c’t t t itigi i th t w, which i’t mchg. a th thig, wt wt tft, i th 50 y, hw w wi th

wt tb b? It w’t b ib t fix it th wht wi ct ?

 Y in Jingxiu

 Wht ft th t imi m wth hg i i 1954 tht f ctiy fy c bm f thwht hvt. I mm, gi gt my  t. Th w ck f wt th, tik ty – th’ t w. I 1954, Iw ivig dg d Qi (et Big Big) th w sy wh it mch tht th wt v y cm t thchi f th b, th mt w’t tt th w thig tht g c btgt ff th b w thgh th wt. Y

h hv th fih, thy w vywh, I gt iv fm hm c t mth 20 f thm gv thm t thfcty ct. Gig th fm wh I iv

et Big Big t sth Yg’i th wy t th tffic ic tti, th tth wt f Ggh r w cv with bigwt ch. nw it’ b fi i bit .

 Wh it t i itt, it it thg bit by bit, vy ty. I th y, if th w big tm th w ik c y c’t th g. nw i wt fw wy it th i it’ g. W thght it w gt hvig wy i i;ft i th w wt fig th w i’t hv t w thgh m y m. nw I iz tht it i cty wt. Ith 100 y, wht wi ? If thig

My mt jum i t v him withut thikig but hw high th wt v w t 

th tim, ith f th tw m uviv.

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g ik thi, wht m it wi b! n wtft, c w’t gw, th’ b thig vib, wht ki f if wi it b?

 Wh it i t, wt w fw ggig chig thgh Qigfg sic, whichw t th th f dbiy . My mt’ hw th Tghui riv fw y 50 mt fm th ft f hi h. o

 y, h w m fihig fm itt btm f ti t tgth. sy th

m f ff th bt it th iv. My mt jm i t v him witht thikig bthw high th wt v w t th tim, ith f th tw m viv.

 Wh I w yg, th w cy it f f wt bth i f th t thwt t f aig Gt, ight t wht iw th Jigchg (Bijig-Chgig) highwy.

 Wh h th cy it cm fm? I

t bi h i th city, thy tig t th cy t mk fi bick. Wt ccmt i th h ft bhibc th wt tb w high bcwh it i, wt ccmt i th it. I1956, I t wim with my mt i th cy it ti lihui Big, wh th wt cmight v ’ h. I th 1970, wh w big xcvt fm th, it w ti m-c ti. Bt i th 1980, thbg t b wt th it gt bigg bigg – wh i th cmfm t bi th biig tht w t i th y? It w tk t f th it. Ii y th v f th wt tb w high th it w f f wt, which w vy c. I ft wt th t fih th fihw vy g. nw th fih ywh?ev big it hv wt, t t mtiy fih. lt f thm w t it bbih

m, i fct th Titgyu Biigw bit t f cy it tht h b fii.

I 1957, th w b cvig th ti fm dgtuti ti Yu’ Gt, th wy t th iwy tti. Th w’tvy high, th wt w y bit mth ft . T gt t th iwy tti tYgig Gt y h t wk itt thwywith wt ch i. It w ft th Ct

rvti tht th w wt. Hw hv Immb thi cy? sm tck “ctiy t”1 t th tim wh thic c v t v th cim, thi tg gt wt w cv i m. nw tht i c Kiygi iti itict, it’ f f high-i tmt. smthig ,th t b fih bt th gth f m’h i th tm bth i f cbb tht fm ti Yu’ Gt th

wy t th Hugtu M. I wit,th ic th tm w bt ich thick, th fih w ti th. Th f nyu w t with y ic i th1960, th y fi w f f itt fih.dig th fmi f th y 1960,2 w cti g it th fi fi itt fih t t.a th y ft ym? Thy i

1 aggiv citiz wh cmi but th 

cuty’ t , th gvmt th Cm- 

muit pty i ig t w ccu f “c- tiy cuct.” Thi w ci iu cim 

i Chi bf th t 1980 i g i th 

Cutu rvuti i (1966-1976) i ticu.

2 Chi uff tib fmi fm th 

ig f 1959 t th f 1961 bught by th 

fi ici f th Gt l Fw b 

wth. a my 30 mii Chi citiz  

timt t hv tv t th.

p wt wt t ft, i th 50  y, hw w wi th wt tb b? 

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g g! Why w it tht th wt i th y fi i’t wy i th y? It wbc g wt tt th i – thw ty f it.

 Wh itti mchiy fcty wbig bit i Mjiu, wt w cmig t if w g w bt ft fmth fc. Th wt tb w qit high. Ifct, i th y, th w tht m wtt th fcty wt tw w v m th10 mt . Bt i 1972, fcty wkhw big t th g wt vh g w vy ft f m kw. Wt w cm t y ftiggig w 3 4 mt. T ig y thfti, tw m w ciy bght

i t w th wt t. Fm 1957 t 1974, thv f th g wt wt w by btth hight f h. By 1984, w w ht f wt th qity w g y m. If 

 y k m t ig th w, thy’ig f 30 m mt t gt wt. Ttighw tht th wt qity w g th w ty f it – qit iby bcthy h ch th y f g wt.s fm th 1960 t w, th v f th wttb h f 30 mt. nw th high-

i biig bth i f th Mjiu, th wt th i gg. 

CommentarY  

Th yt f Bijig w iby cctwith it w. Wh Kbi Kh t Chit tbih th cit f th Y dyty i 1279 ad th i w wt tviv, thy bit thi h th w, th g btw cty bcmhutg ().

Fm th tim f th Qig dyty, Bijig wt it th i t citi, mt w g t th i city. Miity f w ty th mi , withth bfit tht it vt tctif th city by f. Th, th iq

yt f th city cm it big, th mtxcty bcm cmt f Bijig’cytm. athgh it i m-m iv, itw ftty ctct i withtcmt, ig t mti, h bcm c f wh y f mthig f th t w i icigy mizBijig.

 Wh th t w yg, Bijig hmch hvi m fqt i th w.Th city w’t g th it i w, thti w’t gt, th v f thwt tb w qit high. Bc f th city’ f cy ctcti mtiv th y, m itt it th city. Thy wt thgh th

tg f hvig tif wt t hvig wt w fi i.

m Y Home and W ater: a PeoPle‘s aCCount

Bijig, c fm f it wt ig wt c-fwig iv i w ifm fit t c i ivb. My 

Hm Wt: a p‘ accut vi c gim f if wt i thcit cit f Bijig ig – t by gtim it.

Tti, itig i bicti f th i by Chi th di Qig pbItti h b m ib by figfm th Fti o scity Ititt(Zg). F m ifmti, ctct pbItti t if@bitti.g