The traditional look of Beijing, characterized by Siheyuan (a Beijing-style compound with houses around a courtyard), is now being threatened by increasing skyscrapers and the redevelopment of old urban residential quarters, according to a group of experts.
These experts, who are also members of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, recently submitted a proposal requesting better protection of Beijing's traditional style and features.
"These traditional style and features were formed during the hundreds of years of history, the government should be very careful not to destroy them," they said in the proposal.
According to the proposal, some 80 percent of Beijing's old one- storeyed houses are in a condition of disrepair.
The experts said that these old houses need to be rebuilt with their traditional style and features being maintained as much as possible.
In the past decade, Beijing removed more than 4 million sq m of old houses and relocated almost 160,000 residents.
(Xinhua 10/18/2000)
