A tale of two cities

Cultural heritage protection has been at the heart of Beijing's news cycle over the past year. It's a sensitive topic that pits cultural heritage protection experts against those at the forefront of the capital's urban development.

One of the key battlegrounds in the debate has been the city's hutong, with architectural traditionalists siding with local residents concerned at the impact of what they term "fakeovers" unfolding in historic districts. Today marks the first of a special series revealing the process our reporters take to break some of the biggest stories involving cultural heritage protection.

From the notorious redesign of the south end of Nanluoguxiang exposed in December last year to last month's demolition of an old courtyard home that once belonged to renowned architect couple Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin, Beijing's struggle to balance development while preserving its heritage has revealed a tale of two cities.

Outrage at Nanluoguxiang

The story:

The US-based, Chinese-run Boston International Design Group (BIDG) has been a magnet for controversy since it released an artist's rendition of the south end of Nanluoguxiang. The design, which featured faux ancient-style structures built on the original site, drew the ire of cultural heritage protection experts for its proposal to renovate courtyard dwellings for a Line 8 subway extension project.

BIDG clarified later that the renditions were merely ideas that hinged on planning authorities' approval. However, the claim did little to ease the minds of experts who feared that the district would endure the same "fakeover" fate as Qianmen. The story became more intriguing when the American Planning Association (APA), a US urban planners organization, publicly slammed BIDG for "copying other companies' works and ruining the reputation of both the US and Chinese planning professions." The US embassy also became involved, sending delegates to meet with APA officials in Beijing.

The back-story:

Reporters researched the wave of public outrage among microbloggers on Weibo. Web users vented their fury over structures already razed, and circulated rumors at what would be demolished next. BIDG's controversial rendition of Nanluoguxiang was also first leaked on Weibo, before being featured in a front page story in Metro Beijing.

Residents sour over Drum and Bell Tower

The story:

A smaller Time Museum project, located about 20 meters southeast of the Drum and Bell Tower, replaced the previous much larger plan in December 2010. It was to cover some 125,000 square meters with a 5 billion yuan ($783 million) investment, possibly leading to the demolition of surrounding courtyard homes and forced eviction of residents. The museum plan also threatened to damage the original style of the Drum and Bell Tower, argued cultural heritage activist Zeng Yizhi. Zeng submitted a letter to the Municipal Commission of Urban Planning protesting several proposals that threatened the district's historic layout and architecture.

The back-story:

BIDG's rendition of Nanluoguxiang led our reporters to further investigate the company's previous proposals. The team quickly found the same company designed another plan at the Drum and Bell Tower, a nationally protected site located on the capital's central axis. Cultural heritage campaigners were mostly willing to talk to media, but government officials routinely refused interviews with Metro Beijing. Faxed responses from municipal authorities often came days after the story's deadline. Media spokespersons for the local government simply answered with "no comment" in phone calls and e-mails, or said the appropriate person to respond was not available for comment.

Academics in Weibo war of words

The story:

Beijing's cultural heritage debate heated up last month, when Tsinghua University professor Yin Zhi accused the university's president Gu Binglin of taking bribes from BIDG. "We should call on the Chinese urban planning and architectural profession to drive BIDG out," declared Yin, dean of the Beijing Tsinghua Urban Planning and Design Institute. He labeled Gu "the most shameless Tsinghua president in history," before later apologizing and saying his tirade was "out of drunkenness."

Yin's outburst brought BIDG more unwanted attention. The company had been silent since the APA weighed into Beijing's cultural heritage debate. BIDG took down artist renditions from its website and replaced them with a link to its Weibo microblog, which featured a statement attempting to clarify the matter.

The back-story:

The Weibo argument between Yin and Gu sent shockwaves online, and marked another aggravated twist in the ongoing saga. After several exclusive reports on cases involving BIDG, Metro Beijing was inundated with tip-offs from cultural heritage protection experts saying the company's activities, mostly in Dongcheng district, had been secretly halted by authorities. An anonymous official with the Municipal Commission of Urban Planning admitted that BIDG's design projects had been scrapped, and approval had never been given to their designs.

Covert Spring Festival demolition

The story:

Cultural heritage campaigners had cause to head into Spring Festival with their heads held high, having notched minor wins in their ongoing battle with developers. However, it soon proved they hadn't won the war.

A protected cultural site, the former hutong residence of renowned Chinese architect couple Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin fell victim to an unauthorized demolition during the national holiday. A Metro Beijing reporter found the former residence that housed Liang and Lin from 1931-37 had been mostly reduced to rubble.

If that wasn't enough to set cultural heritage campaigners into a rage, announcement that 60 siheyuan (courtyard houses) near the Drum and Bell Tower were allegedly slated for expropriation for a "style restoration project" surely did. Currently, the homes are still standing, however officials have yet to confirm whether or not demolition will go ahead in 2012.

The back-story:

In reporting one of the cultural heritage protection stories, Metro Beijing interviewed Kong Fanzhi, head of the city's Cultural Heritage Administration. He insisted (and was given) anonymity, even though his quotes supported opinions of experts and residents alike.

Later, we were told by campaigners that cultural heritage authorities are actually quite powerless when it comes to stopping or even stalling development. Many demolitions are carried out by large private or State-owned companies, and the administration struggles to stand in their way.

Thankfully, interviewing residents proved easier than first thought. Compared to other news stories, cultural heritage protection issues, especially when hutong structures are at stake, trigger vocal and, at times, emotional responses from locals who are normally reluctant to talk to the media. Even those concerned for their safety spoke under anonymity, which was at all times respected by Metro Beijing.