BEIJING'S FORTIFICATION SYSTEM
City Walls Restoration Efforts
In the 2000s, voices calling for restoration of ancient infrastructures have been stronger than ever as a result of Beijing hosting the 29th Summer Olympic Games. Some believed that the entire fortification system should be reconstructed so the city could take its original form. The city goverment took these suggestions into consideration and restored some gates and moat systems of the Inner and Outer City. An example is Yongdingmen, which was heavily damaged during the early 1900s and completely demolished in 1958. This project took six years to complete, which resulted in the total rebuilding of the gate, its walls intricately painted to imitate its original form, and surrounding areas being repurposed into public spaces (7).
Many small-scale projects that required less funding also took place since this time. This included the Ming City Wall Relics Park, which contains one of the longest and best preserved section of the wall. The park features the Southeast Corner Tower and a section of the city wall that is 1.5 kilometres, which are surrounded by 15.5 hectares of green space. When the city government began the construction of the park in the late 1990s, they relocated many businesses and homes, many of which lacked indoor heating, plumbing, and running water. Those who were relocated received compensation and tax exemptions. Locals were generally enthusiastic about this project, and many offered to donate Ming era bricks that they owned or found to the authorities to help preserve the historical integrity of the restored fortifications. As a result, over one-fifth of the two million bricks used in the new walls are from the Ming era. The project was completed in 2003, though more wall segments were still being added in 2005 and 2006 (10). Restoration projects for the city wall near the Beijing Ancient Observatory and the barbican at Zhengyangmen have also been initiated. These sites are now listed as important national cultural relic protection units (4).
Some efforts have been met with difficulties, since former sites of gates such as Fuchengmen and Chaoyangmen are now busy roads with major developments. Specialists have suggested to restore these sites near their original location, where it is less crowded (10). However, with the enthusiasm on building western styled infrastructures over the recent years, more focus have been put on new projects as opposed to restoration tasks. Many city officials believe that adding modern infrastructures to Beijing can elevate its status as a metropolitan city, and thus increase the likelihood of attracting investments and visitors (9). The interest in creating a new, modernized Beijing has been intensified as the city becomes more globalized and its floating population more prominent.
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