Beijing issues guideline for protecting historical buildings

BEIJING -- Beijing authorities on Monday issued a trial guideline for the protection and utilization of over 1,000 historical building in the capital city.

From 2019 to 2021, Beijing released a list of a total of 1,056 historical buildings in three batches. These buildings, which span some 700 years, spread across 11 districts within the city. With diverse functions and architectural styles, they constitute an important part of Beijing's rich historical and cultural heritage.

According to the guideline, historical buildings are divided into five categories -- daily maintenance, maintenance and repair, on-site reconstruction, relocation, and demolition -- based on the different levels of intervention in the protection and utilization process. The move aims to avoid damage to the buildings during repair and reconstruction.

Targeted protective measures will also be adopted in regard to different conditions of these historical buildings.

Authorities will distinguish between the preservation and renewal aspects of a historical building in order to avoid the one-size-fits-all measures and ensure better revitalization and utilization of the buildings.

In addition, the guideline requires that the originality of historical buildings should be protected to the greatest extent during its maintenance, repair, and on-site reconstruction.

Valuable parts of the buildings should be repaired and reconstructed using the same raw materials and the original craftsmanship and in their original condition. For parts that require upgrades, the guideline states that new materials can be used as well as new technologies and modern design techniques, but they should align with the historical features of the buildings.