郑希成，出生于1938年1月，家住在北京市东城区东直门北新桥九道湾的胡同里，原是北京象牙雕刻厂一名工艺美术师，退休后得过两次心梗后就一直在家休养。2002年起，开始致力于北京胡同的保护、记录，并用画笔记录下那些曾经充满生命力，却即将消失的民居院落。

他通过实地调查，根据历史照片或图像，尽量恢复院落和建筑物的原来风貌，有的就是在他记忆中很熟悉的北京四合院的固有风貌，把最美的东西奉献给了读者。郑先生曾亲眼目睹过野蛮拆迁的惨况，他不会忘记这些历史场面，但他却理智地采取怨而不愠的方式，在画稿中主要表现北京历史风貌之美。这正是本书精华所在的永恒主题。

 

 72岁的郑希成打小住在北京城的胡同里，四合院独有的建筑形制与街坊邻里的温情始终是他生命舞台的背景。他幼患足疾，后来进入北京象牙雕刻厂成为一名工艺美术师，退休后因犯过两次心梗一直在家中静养。  

2001年，推土机的轰鸣声把不问世事的郑希成“吵醒”，他家对面的一片胡同在一夜之间被推平了，老城内的曹雪芹故居和美术馆后街也不再是从前的样子了。  

“老北京”郑希成震动于他所熟悉的城市景象的巨大变化。2002年起，为记录下悄然消逝的北京民居，郑希成拖着残病的身躯行走于北京的宽街窄巷，他不论寒暑每天早出晚归，他带着画笔，骑着自行车和推土机赛跑，推土机推到哪里，他就画到哪里。  

“北京不应该失去第二座城墙了！”郑希成说，“我不能再坐在自家小院中修身养性。我下决心画北京民宅，不管怎样，逝去了就不可能再恢复，但最起码我要把它们的‘形’留在画纸上。”  

2009年，郑希成的钢笔白描画集《京城民居宅院》由学苑出版社出版发行，一幅幅精美的画面蕴含着他对古老城市的惋惜与深情。七年来他用心和笔留下了这座城市的记忆，古稀老人虽有遗憾但心愿终有所偿。 

 

“神”与“形”  

郑希成的家在北京东城区北新桥的九道湾胡同，笔者穿行于这座有十九道弯的北京老胡同中，几经辗转，找到了郑希成的家。  

这是一处老四合院，灰黑色的砖墙已经斑驳。郑希成坐在厨房里颤抖着双手吃药。他的头发胡子都花白了。他穿着藏青色的毛衣与浅蓝色的夹克背心，衣服的颜色浅淡，这是被岁月清洗后的颜色。  

“来，等我吃完药，我们就上画室聊聊吧。”郑希成乐呵呵地冲着笔者点点头。  

郑希成选择用画笔记录北京的民居宅院，与他之前的工作有着关系。小时候因家境贫寒，郑希成早早辍学。他进了北京的象牙雕刻厂，后来被厂里送到北京工艺美术学校进修，在成为一名工艺美术师之后，他以扎实的工笔白描功夫名声在外。  

“年纪大了，真羡慕你们这些‘小年轻’啊！”郑希成吃完药从厨房走进画室，他幼年有过的小儿麻痹症，让他走路时一条腿拖在地上，从厨房到画室仅仅几步，老人走得有些吃力。  

郑希成的画室是一间不足10平方米的房间，这里就是百余幅精美的民居院落钢笔画的诞生地。郑希成招呼笔者落座，介绍起自己的著作《京城民居宅院》。书中有王府大院、贵族府邸，也有玲珑秀美的园林亭阁、民居宅院，细微之处连窗棂的纹饰都清晰可见。  

郑希成一辈子没有离开过四合院。他出生在鼓楼前的北京传统民居，又在北新桥的四合院中长大、成婚并一直居住至今。在小院的一方天地，他体悟老北京的人与人之间的那份情谊。他认定邻里间的真诚相助，是北京胡同文化的精髓，是胡同文化的“神”。胡同中各种宅院的形制，则是胡同文化的“形”。  

“神形兼备的存留，才是真正保存了胡同文化。如今很多人只认钱，没了信仰，少了亲情，缺了友情，北京胡同文化之‘神’渐渐丢失了。”郑希成叹息。  

“我的力量是那么弱小”  

开始，并没有多少人理解这位找上门来的瘦弱老人，当郑希成执意敲开一扇扇四合院的大门，他更多得到的是不屑的眼神与拒绝。  

“我起先只是画街门速写，但是画完之后，我又想院子里面是什么样？房主还在吗？这院落是什么时候买的？”郑希成一次次地走进院落，追寻那些佚失的记忆。  

郑希成说：“我从小就喜欢画画，也喜欢北京的民居院落，这一辈子能干点自己喜爱的工作不容易，所以我一辈子老是在画。还有我是倔脾气，阻力越大，我越要坚持下去。”  

在记录过程中，郑希成多次遇见险情。在老城区大拆除的背景下，执意用自己的笔来“保存”老院子的郑希成，被有的人视为“眼中钉”有一回，他被汽车从后面撞倒。但这些，也折不断他的画笔。  

曾有人建议郑希成用毛笔和宣纸作画，以后“可以赚大钱”。但记录京城民居的任务让他刻不容缓，郑希成认为用钢笔来画速度更快。不过，他还是赶不上老房子消失的速度。他说，“我的画笔已经跟不上拆迁速度了，胡同拆得太快！我必须先拿照相机和DV（数码摄像机）拍下来，或许下一次来这里就已经没了。”  

郑希成翻出两本速写本，一本是红皮的，一本是蓝皮的，上面细致记录着出去拍照的时间以及相应院落的框架。“画红圈的是我已经画出来的，其他的都还没来得及画。拆得太快了，我只能挑有特色的画，类同的我就先不画了。”  

有很多人为挽救自己的四合院而找到郑希成，希望能将他们居住的院落画出来。“他们都把我当救星了，然而我的力量是那么弱小。”郑希成讲到这里，无力地倚靠在墙边。  

“那老太太是太爱北京城了”  

“以前坐在汽车、火车上，沿途的风景都不一样。每个地方都有自己的特色，一眼就能看出来。现在呢，那都一样了。”郑希成忆起当年的老北京城，眼眶不禁红了，“（我）小时候的北京城美极了，护城河的水清清的，那都是很自然的风景。”  

“上个世纪50年代，北京要拆城墙，那时候受‘驯服工具论’的影响，对于政府的命令是不带怀疑的，理解也执行，不理解也要执行，只是觉得拆了城墙挺可惜的。”郑希成说。  

岁月流逝，北京老城慢慢行走在消逝的轨迹中。北京现代化的标志不断地更新——“东方广场”大厦、国家大剧院、“鸟巢”体育场、中央电视台新大楼北京城的标志越来越少地提及那些老房子和老街区。  

北京市加大了保护古都风貌和文物建筑的力度。2005年国务院批准的《北京城市总体规划（2004～2020年）》明确规定保护北京特有的“胡同－四合院”传统的建筑形态，停止大拆大建。  

但郑希成依然忧心。他说，“以前要被拆迁的院落就像是开发商们的盘中肉。如今，开发商用‘危房改造’作借口，这里拆一点，那里拆一点，慢慢地蚕食。”  

11月的北京已进入初冬，寒冷的天气让年事已高、久病缠身的他不能出去画画了。郑希成说，“听说最近北二环又要拆迁，我只能在家里干着急啊！”  

他记得一次去西直门，一位老太太就是不让郑希成拍摄她居住的四合院，她咄咄逼人地反问，“拍了有什么用？现在都要拆了，还拍什么拍？！”  

郑希成感叹，“那院落特别好，没有拍成，最后被拆了。那老太太是太爱北京城了，她是心里想不通，难过啊。”

 Zheng Xicheng, born in January 1938, lives in the alley of Jiudaowan, Dongzhimen North Xinqiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing. He was a craftsman in Beijing Ivory Sculpture Factory. He has been recuperating at home since he retired from two myocardial infarctions. Beginning in 2002, he began to devote himself to the protection and record of Beijing Hutong, and record those residential courtyards which were once full of vitality but were about to disappear with drawing notes.

 

He tried to restore the original style of the courtyard and buildings through field investigation, according to historical photographs or images. Some of them were the inherent style of Beijing courtyard, which he was familiar with in his memory, and dedicated the most beautiful things to the readers. Mr. Zheng has witnessed the brutal demolition and relocation. He will not forget these historical scenes. However, he rationally adopts a complaint-free way to show the beauty of Beijing's historical scenes in his paintings. This is the eternal theme of the essence of this book.

 

Zheng Xichengda, 72, lives in a small alley in Beijing. The unique architectural form of the courtyard and the warmth of the neighborhood are always the backgrounds of his life stage. He suffered from foot disease and later entered Beijing Ivory Sculpture Factory to become a arts and crafts artist. After retirement, he had been resting at home for two times of myocardial infarction.

 

In 2001, the roar of bulldozers awakened Zheng Xicheng, who was not known to the world. An alley opposite his home was flattened overnight. Cao Xueqin's former residence in the old city and the back street of the art gallery were no longer what they used to be.

 

"Old Beijing" Zheng Xicheng was shocked by the tremendous changes in the city scene he was familiar with. Since 2002, Zheng Xicheng has been walking along the broad streets and narrow lanes of Beijing with his disabled body. He comes out early and returns late every day in winter and summer. He runs with a brush, rides a bicycle and bulldozer, and draws wherever the bulldozer pushes.

 

"Beijing should not lose its second wall!" Zheng Xicheng said, "I can no longer sit in my own yard to cultivate myself. I'm determined to paint Beijing houses. Anyway, it's impossible to restore them when they're gone, but at least I'll leave their shapes on the drawing paper.

 

In 2009, Zheng Xicheng's pen-and-white portrait collection "Residential Houses in Beijing" was published by Xueyuan Publishing House, and a beautiful picture contains his regret and deep feelings for the ancient city. For seven years, he has left the memory of this city with his heart and pen. Although the rare old people have regrets, they hope that they will eventually be paid for.

"God" and "Form"

 

Zheng Xicheng's home is in Jiudaowan Hutong of Beixinqiao in Dongcheng District of Beijing. The author travels through this 19-bend old Beijing Hutong and finds Zheng Xicheng's home after several rounds.

 

This is an old courtyard with gray-black brick walls mottled. Zheng Xicheng sat in the kitchen shaking his hands to take medicine. His hair and beard are all grey. He was wearing a navy sweater and a light blue jacket vest. The color of his clothes was light. It was the color washed by the years.

 

"Come on, when I finish taking the medicine, let's go to the studio and have a chat." Zheng Xicheng nodded happily to the author.

 

Zheng Xicheng chose to record the residences and houses in Beijing by drawing notes, which had something to do with his previous work. As a child, Zheng Xicheng dropped out of school early because of his poor family. He went to the ivory sculpture factory in Beijing and was sent to the Beijing Arts and Crafts School for further study. After becoming an art and crafts artist, he became famous for his solid brushwork.

 

"Older, I really envy you young people!" Zheng Xicheng took his medicine and went into the studio from the kitchen. He had poliomyelitis in his childhood. When he walked, he dragged one leg to the ground. It was only a few steps from the kitchen to the studio. The old man had some difficulty walking.

 

Zheng Xicheng's studio is a room less than 10 square meters, which is the birthplace of more than 100 fine pen paintings in residential courtyards. Zheng Xicheng greeted the author to take his seat and introduced his book "Beijing Residential House". There are royal courtyards, noble mansions, exquisite garden pavilions and residential houses in the book. The details are clearly visible even in the window lattice decorations.

 

Zheng Xicheng never left the courtyard in his life. He was born in the traditional residence of Beijing in front of the Drum Tower and grew up in the courtyard of Beixinqiao. He married and has lived there ever since. On one side of the courtyard, he realized the friendship between people in old Beijing. He believed that sincere assistance between neighbors was the essence of Beijing Hutong culture and the "god" of Hutong culture. The forms of various houses in Hutong are the "forms" of Hutong culture.

 

"The preservation of both spirit and form is the real preservation of Hutong culture. Nowadays, many people only recognize money, have no faith, lack family and friendship, and the "god" of Beijing Hutong culture is gradually lost. Zheng Xicheng sighed.

 

"My strength is so weak"

 

At first, not many people understood the thin old man who came to our house. When Zheng Xicheng insisted on knocking on the door of a quadrangle, he got more disdain and rejection.

 

"At first I just sketched the street doors, but after I finished, I wondered what it looked like in the courtyard. Is the owner still there? When did you buy this courtyard? Zheng Xicheng went into the courtyard one after another to pursue those lost memories.

 

Zheng Xicheng said, "I like painting since childhood, and I also like the residential courtyards in Beijing. It's not easy to do my favorite work all my life, so I've been painting all my life. And I'm stubborn. The more resistance I have, the more I'll stick to it.

 

In the process of recording, Zheng Xicheng met many dangerous situations. In the context of the demolition of the old city, Zheng Xicheng insisted on using his pen to "preserve" the old courtyard. Some people regarded him as a "nail in the eye" once, when he was hit by a car from behind. But these, too, kept folding his brushes.

 

It has been suggested that Zheng Xicheng draw with brushes and rice paper, and later "can make a lot of money". But the task of recording the residences in Beijing is urgent for him. Zheng Xicheng thinks that drawing with pen is faster. However, he could not catch up with the disappearance of the old house. He said, "My brush can't keep up with the speed of demolition. Hutong is demolished too fast! I have to take pictures of my camera and DV (digital camera) first. Maybe I won't be here again."

Zheng Xicheng turned out two sketchbooks, one red-skinned and the other blue-skinned, which carefully recorded the time when he went out to take pictures and the frame of the corresponding courtyard. "I've drawn the red circle, and I haven't had time to draw the rest. Too fast, I can only pick out distinctive paintings, the same I will not draw first.

 

Many people have found Zheng Xicheng to save their quadrangles, hoping to paint the courtyard where they live. "They all regard me as a savior, but my strength is so weak." Zheng Xicheng talked about this and leaned feebly against the wall.

 

"That old lady loves Beijing too much."

 

"In the past, sitting on cars and trains, the scenery along the way was different. Every place has its own characteristics, which can be seen at a glance. Now, that's all the same." Zheng Xicheng recalled the old city of Beijing at that time, his eyes could not help turning red. "When I was a child, the city of Beijing was beautiful. The water of the moat was clear. It was a natural landscape."

 

"In the 1950s, Beijing was going to demolish the city wall. At that time, influenced by the theory of taming tools, there was no doubt about the government's orders. Understanding and executing them, and not understanding them, but it was a pity to demolish the city wall." Zheng Xicheng said.

 

With the passage of time, the old city of Beijing is slowly walking on the track of disappearance. The symbols of Beijing's modernization are constantly updated - the "Oriental Plaza" Building, the National Theatre, the "Bird's Nest" Stadium and the new building of CCTV in Beijing City are less and less referring to those old houses and old blocks.

 

Beijing has intensified efforts to protect the ancient capital style and cultural relics. The General Urban Planning of Beijing (2004-2020), approved by the State Council in 2005, clearly stipulates that the traditional architectural form of "Hutong-Siheyuan" peculiar to Beijing should be protected and the large-scale demolition and construction should be stopped.

 

But Zheng Xicheng is still worried. "The courtyards that were demolished before were like meat on the plates of developers," he said. Today, developers use the excuse of "dangerous housing renovation" as an excuse to tear down a little here and a little there, slowly nibble away.

 

Beijing in November has entered the early winter. The cold weather has prevented him from going out to paint because of his old age and long illness. Zheng Xicheng said, "I heard that the North Second Ring Road is going to be demolished recently, so I have to be in a hurry at home!"

 

He remembered going to Xizhimen once. An old lady refused to let Zheng Xicheng shoot the courtyard where she lived. She asked aggressively, "What's the use of shooting?" Now it's going to be taken apart. What else should I shoot?

 

Zheng Xicheng sighed, "The courtyard was so good that it was not photographed and was finally demolished. The old lady loved Beijing so much that she couldn't figure it out. She was sad.