2010 Apr 19 Vanishing Beijing - Roundtable on why preservation matters
Beijing’s redevelopment is constantly in the news as the last vestiges of the old city disappear before our eyes. Now English speakers have the chance to become more involved in the issue with the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP) event Vanishing Beijing: Why Preservation Matters.
The CHP has been garnering a bit of attention of late, mainly due to their efforts to publicize the planned redevelopment of the area around Gulou and the “squelching” of their public meeting about the project by police.
Registrations are now open for the CHP’s Vanishing Beijing: Why Preservation Matters roundtable, which will take place on May 23 at Capital M. A panel of prominent local and foreign community leaders will discuss preservation issues in the capital, comprising: Mr. Deng Jia Qi, Retired Professor and Beijing Resident; Mr. Andrew Jacobs, Beijing Bureau Correspondent, The New York Times; Dr. Li Luke, Associate Professor, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University; and Jim Stent, Director, CHP. The event will be conducted in English.
A donation of RMB 100 per person provides a ticket to the event, and includes afternoon tea. Pre-registration is highly recommended as seats are limited and the event is expected to sell out.
All proceeds from the event will support CHP’s Beijing launch of the Heritage Action Network (HAN) volunteer program. This initiative will train volunteers to provide up-to-date reports on sites of cultural and historical significance that are at risk in Beijing and across greater China.
Vanishing Beijing: Why Preservation Matters, roundtable organized by the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center; 4-6pm Sunday, 23 May; Capital M. RMB 100 donation.
Pre-registration: Please contact the CHP on 6403 6532 ext 0, or at events.chp@gmail.com
Tickets are also available at: CHP’s office, 46 Fangjia Hutong; and NLGX. Please call in advance to purchase tickets.
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Beijingers Debate Why Preservation Matters in Light of Gulou Redevelopment
In a nation where millions still live below the poverty line, why should locals be concerned with preserving the physical remains of China's past? An audience of just under 100 mainly foreign Beijing residents gathered yesterday at Capital M overlooking Tiananmen Square to discuss this question at the roundtable Vanishing Beijing: Why Preservation Matters, organized by the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP).
CHP Gulou Proposal: An Alternative to Wholesale Demolition
Back in January theBeijinger.com was one of the first English-language news outlets to report on plans to redevelop Beijing’s historic Gulou area and replace the hutongs with a “Time Cultural City.” Since then a public meeting on the redevelopment called by the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP) in March was forcibly canceled by police and the wrecking balls have started swinging, with much of the area north of Gulou already destroyed. The CHP hasn’t given up the fight however, and late last week they released a long official statement outlining an alternative plan to wholesale demolition.
Pessimistic Outlook for Gulou
Following the forced cancellation of the March 27 public meeting to discuss the fate of Gulou, a more low-key Foreign Correspondent’s Club of China (FCCC) meeting was successfully held last night (March 29) at the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP) office in Fangjia Hutong. The talk was an hour and a half Q & A between CHP founder and cultural heritage law expert, He Shuzhong, and a group of 20 concerned homeowners, tenants and journalists.
Gulou Meeting "Squelched"
On Friday we broke the news that the public meeting called last Saturday by the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP) to discuss controversial plans to “restore” the area around Gulou had been canceled. The CHP was only able to say the event had been canceled for “various reasons,” but today the Global Times has a report stating “police squelched” the meeting.
STOP PRESS: CHP Meeting on Gulou Redevelopment Canceled
On Monday we reported on a public meeting this Saturday called by the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP) to discuss controversial plans to “restore” the area around Gulou and build an underground “Beijing Time Cultural City.” The CHP just announced the meeting has been canceled.
