Beijing plans to recreate old neighborhood

The Drum and Bell Tower Neighborhood, or ZhongGulou, is one of Beijing's most culturally and historically significant areas. Dongcheng District government says it wants to redevelop the neighborhood into an 18th century Qing Dynasty style square. But will the plan to restore the area's historical appearance raise residents' living standards? And what do people think?

In today's modern Beijing, you can always find a piece of old China. The Drum and Bell towers, or ZhongGulou, are on of the city's architectural gems. Originally a timepiece in ancient China, it's now a popular tourist attraction.

Before the modern era, the two towers dominated Beijing's ancient skyline. To restore the area's ancient appearance, the district government plans to rebuild a square around the two towers that will affect 4700 square meters area. This means 66 courtyards will be expropriated and 136 households will be relocated.

Fangzhenning is a heritage expert who has been following the issue for some time. He believes the neighborhood should be protected.

Fang Zhenning, architectural critic, said:"The drum and bell tower neighborhood is very cramped and run-down, but it contains all the essential elements of Old Beijing, both tangible and intangible, with the two Towers, hutongs, courtyard homes, and most importantly, its residents. Here, Beijingers' former lives are still visible. All of these make the area culturally rich. I don't want to see them taken away."

But the Dongcheng government insists that most of the houses and buildings have been built by residents in recent decades. And they are not cultural relics.

Nie Jia, Beijing, said:"This is a typical courtyard in the neighborhood. The average living space per household is just 20 square meters. The district government says these houses are dilapidated and full of fire hazard. And the government assessed these courtyards to be of no historical and cultural value. "

But residents care more about down-to-earth benefits.

Wang Rong, Zhonggulou resident, said:"This place is indeed dilapidated, crowded and messy. But it's right in the city center, everything is so convenient. But once we are relocated to bigger apartments further from the city center, it won't be that easy. I think the government should come up with a better solution."

The redevelopment plan is part of the city government's broader efforts to apply for world cultural heritage status for the central axis of Beijing, which extends nearly 8km from Yongdingmen to the Bell and Drum Towers. The government says the new square won't become a commercial street. Hopefully, with time and care, it will retain some of its original glory.