STOP PRESS: CHP Meeting on Gulou Redevelopment Canceled

Dan Edwards | Mar 26, 2010 3:17 pm | 4 comments | 3954 reads

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.

The CHP was unable to specify the reasons for the cancellation, saying only the event has been called off for “various reasons.”

TheBeijinger.com was one of the first English-language media outlets to report on the plans for Gulou back in January, and we have been following the story closely since then. Although other reports have appeared in the press, and extensive demolition has taken place to the north and south of the Drum Tower, obtaining details on what exactly is planned for the area has proven difficult.

More information as it comes to hand.

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admin's picture admin Submitted by Guest on Fri, 03/26/2010 - 16:12

frankly replacing the drum tower with an underground mall sounds like a lovely idea.

Then they can widen that damn pesky Gulou Dongdajie so that officials can get to their renovated courtyards on the west side a lot quicker, not to mention create a north-south flyover so that automobiles can go directly off the second ring to the banks of scenic Houhai in mere minutes.

I'm sure they can rebuild a reasonably authentic replica of the drum tower somewhere in Yanqing that people can visit while out for a country drive in their black Benzes. Do not try to obstruct the relentless hammer of progress!

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