The Telegraph by Peter Foster, Thursday 9 September

A 'hutong' in central Beijing Photo: AFP/GETTY

Plans to redevelop the crooked courtyard houses and narrow hutong alleyways around the ancient Drum and Bell Tower met with stiff opposition after they were announced in March, with conservationists warning of the destruction of one the last living architectural jewels in the city.

China’s state media reported that the plans had been “shelved”, to the delight of conservation groups. “The Time Cultural City is a thing of the past,” an anonymous deputy director of the local district government said.

The plans for an underground shopping complex and a themed ‘Time City’ had dismayed conservationists who feared the end for an area that has been a vibrant part of Beijing since the days of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when the two towers were used to mark time in the city. Read more»

Global Times by Li Shuang, Tuesday 9 September

The Bell Tower, as seen from the Drum Tower Monday Photo: Wang Zi

Controversial plans to redevelop the historic Gulou Drum Tower hutong area into a tourism attraction have been placed on hold after the merger of Dongcheng and Chongwen districts into a combined new Dongcheng district government.

Extensive plans to “restore” Gulou into something dubbed “Time Cultural City” by the former Dongcheng district director Yang Yiwen have all been shelved, according to a government insider who requested anonymity.

“The Time Cultural City is a thing of the past,” an anonymous deputy director of the new Dongcheng district was quoted as saying in a Beijing Times report Monday.

While the authorities maintain Gulou’s future is unclear, culture heritage preservation experts were celebrating Monday what they characterized as new hope for one of the city’s last remaining pieces of authentic hutong culture. Read more»

BON by Roseann Lake, Wednesday 18 August

Roseann Lake talks with CHP about Do You Hutong?, CHP’s innovative fundraising event in support of the Chinese Heritage Protection held in July, and its work across Chinese communities.

The video was shown as part of BON’s Easy China programme. Easy China is presented by foreigners living in China and introduces the changes taking place in China, the Chinese culture, Chinese policies, facilities and services.

Watch the video.

Global Times by Xu Tianran, Friday 20 August

The Forbidden City will more than double in size for tourists when renovations are completed in 2020, a cultural heritage official announced Wednesday.

To relieve congestion and protect cultural relics, the area accessible to visitors is being expanded from 30 to 70 percent of the total palace complex.

Those were the figures declared by Shan Jixiang, director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, at the Fifth Beijing Park Festival in the Summer Palace.

The 30 percent of the Forbidden City open to the public – an area of about 216,000 square meters – has an ideal capacity of 30,000 people a day, Shan said. The actual number in extreme cases has been 130,000, with corrosive damage being left on the former home to 24 emperors. Read more»

The Global Times by Hao Ying, Thursday 29 July

Two expats' hutong gate Photo: Hao Ying

An art festival in Hebei is exhibiting six mini hutong gates recently sold at a fundraiser for the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP). The gates were among 20 created by local artists and sold at a July 17 fundraiser at the Three Shadows Photography Art Center in Caochangdi, which raised around 20,000 yuan.

“Bidders are thrilled because this raised the value of their purchased piece,” said Nancy Tao, a CHP volunteer who helped organize the fundraiser. “We’re thrilled because it gives more exposure to our organization.” Read more»