for those of you who do not possess an intimate familiarity with Beijing's various districts:

NOOOOO I live in Chongwen! Or at least I used to!

I agree with you in spirit but in all honesty I see no particular distinct "identity" of Beijing's district designations. NEIGHBORHOODS have some identity -- districts don't. And neighborhoods will continue to have their identity.

Get off the high horse buddy, or tell me for example how the various disparate areas of even Chongwen (for instance tiantan park, the train station, Qianmen) share some common identity that somehow separates them from other districts.

anyhow, as this post from Danwei points out, the districts only came into existence in 1950 anyhow

http://www.danwei.org/beijing/beijing_to_merge_downtown_dist.php

My point is that names have meaning, history, and connotations. To change the name of a place is essentially to change the way someone imagines that place. When I hear Chaoyang, for example, it creates a very different expectation from Chongwen or Haidian.

I'm not, of course, as well versed on the nuances of Chongwen and Xuanwu as an old Beijinger might be, but I know that the city south of Qianmen has always thought of themselves as being separate from the Manchu Inner City. I have friends who live in Xuanwu, and they were quite upset about the redistricting. They see Xuanwu as defined by its history of being a haven for intellectuals, artists, and scholars during the Qing dynasty, full of teahouses, stages, operas, etc. To them, Xuanwu is equated with culture, performance art, and history. They see themselves as Xuanwu residents, not Xicheng residents. (In fact, Xuanwu and Chongwen have more in common with each other than with their respective neighbors to the north. "Nancheng" is just different.)

I'm glad to hear that theBeijinger is not indifferent to the destruction of history and culture, but I must say that that wasn't the attitude I discerned from this blog post. I found it flippant in its dismissal of something of importance to many people who live in Xuanwu and Chongwen.

Re-districting may not affect the daily lives of expats, but as a news source that many expats rely on, the Beijinger blog should endeavor to explore issues in greater depth than most expats would on their own. Challenge us, please, to think more deeply about things we wouldn't think about otherwise. Just because we're expats doesn't mean that all we want to know about is Suzie Wongs and hot dogs. Move us out of our comfort zone, tell us about the city we call home, help us understand Beijing in new and different ways, inspire us to care. Help us become Beijingers, not outsiders scoffing on the sidelines.

Actually I'd like to point out that I have been a long-time reader of the Beijnger blog - since before it was the Beijinger, in fact. I think it's great that you are reporting more on conservation issues, but I do think that of late articles recapping local news have taken on an unnecessary sneering and superior tone.