NGO discusses preservation of old sites

The roundtable discussion at Capital M restaurant last Saturday/Photo provided by CHP

By Liang Meilan

Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP)’s roundtable discussion on preserving cultural heritage sites took place last Saturday, almost two months after the original event was cancelled. The discussion, themed “Vanishing Beijing: Why Preservation Matters,” aimed to gather suggestions concerning heritage preservation from experts and the audience.

Four guests spoke about why so many cultural heritage sites across the country are being destroyed, why it is necessary to preserve Beijing’s hutong and how to do so, and models of cultural heritage protection overseas that China can emulate. The speakers were Ted Plafker, Beijing correspondent for The Economist; Li Luke, an associate professor at Tsinghua University’s School of Architecture; Deng Jiaqi, a retired professor from Horticultural University in Dalian; and Jim Stent, director of CHP.

Li said the preservation of Beijing’s courtyard homes hinged on easing their population density. “Courtyard homes were originally designed for communities with a small population, which is no longer the case,” she said. “Take No. 14 Mao’r Hutong for example; there are 76 families and about 250 people living in an area of 3,000 square meters – previously occupied by only 30 people. The most pressing need is to reduce the population in these areas.”

Deng disagreed with Li’s view that courtyards should be maintained as residences. “Hutong are for everyone, so the government should help transform them into cultural sites where visitors can enjoy rich Chinese heritage,” he said.

Li conceded that uninhabited courtyard homes can be transformed into public facilities such as schools and temples to eliminate the need to destroy them to give way to new buildings. “Their underground spaces can also be redesigned to serve the needs of modern living,” she said. “We can build infrastructure like water pipes, heating pipes, electric wires and Internet cables.”

She discussed two foreign models of cultural preservation that China can learn from. “One that is frequently used overseas involves the government helping relocated residents find new ways of making a living, like opening a private museum where they can work, thus homeowners are involved in preservation efforts,” she said. “Another one involves the government investing in repairing old homes and constructing new apartments for residents.”

Audience members – mostly from NGOs, architectural firms and universities – were very concerned about the planned redevelopment of the Drum and Bell Tower area; the plan includes adding malls, public squares and a museum, which people fear would lead to the destruction of quaint shops and bars and old courtyard homes.

Stent said he sees this as a “fantastic opportunity” for city planners to learn from the lessons of similar projects here and abroad. He said he also regards this as a way to provide better livelihood for locals while keeping conservation a priority. “City planners should take this opportunity to work with residents, experts and organizations like CHP to carry out responsible redevelopment,” Stent said.

CHP said it will release a white paper based on the roundtable discussion, putting forward to the government the organization’s “vision of Old Beijing.” It said it “will emphasize a positive outlook for Beijing that meets the requirements for economic development, upgraded standard of housing and environment and the preservation of historical value and authenticity