Historically and culturally significant buildings will escape Beijing's persistent bulldozers, the director of Beijing's Cultural Heritage Bureau has promised.

Mei Ninghua acknowledged that the 3,000-year-old city is facing a dilemma between safeguarding its cultural heritage and urban development.

Mei was rejecting remarks made yesterday in a local newspaper that claimed several heritage sites will or have already been demolished to make way for modern buildings and wider roads.

One of the heritage sites mentioned in the report is an ancestral temple commemorating Yu Qian, a famous general and politician during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

"The complex is still in its original place and will not be removed," said Mei, adding that his bureau has never approved any project in the past decade to remove cultural buildings to other places.

The report also mentions threats to a traditional Chinese courtyard house and the residence of a nobleman of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), but they are still on their original sites, said Mei.

Other old buildings have been demolished in these areas and modern houses are being built.

In 1990, the city undertook a massive project to reconstruct ramshackle courtyards in the old city -- a 62.5-square-kilometre area within the Second Ring Road -- which is where the city wall, moat and gates used to be.

Relics guardians said about 40 per cent of the old city area had undergone nearly wholesale destruction by 2002. They worried that urban renovation would break up the traditional fabric of the city, making it difficult for younger generations to understand the life of old Beijing.

"We tried in many ways during the past decade, but still have not found a proper way to rehabilitate the old city where most of the traditional alleys and courtyards are," said Mei.

"The old houses have not been repaired for several decades and are very dangerous to live in. Besides, there is no running water, heating or natural gas.

"If we rehabilitate the courtyards and introduce modern facilities, the cost will be as high as 40,000 yuan (US$4,800) per square metre. It is a prohibitive expense," said Mei.

He said demolishing the old houses and building new ones are more economical, but there are concerns of destroying the original landscape of the ancient city.

"It is hard to reach a balance of improving residents' living conditions and safeguarding cultural heritage. Improper planning of urban construction and development will have a bad influence on heritage protection. So we are now trying our best to reduce the negative influences as much as possible," said Mei.

(China Daily August 18, 2004)